The Art of Community: Seven Principles for Belonging

Many leaders confuse self-selection (no invitation necessary) with “everyone belongs.”

personal letter or telephone call that welcomes a new member can be powerful.

An initiation is a kind of ritual, and the best rituals come with symbols and tokens.

Second, when those who are trapped in a crisis of belonging receive an invitation from any insider or community leader, the invitation itself becomes evidence of their belonging

Connect to the future: Tell her how you hope it will support, change, or serve her.

To Kevin, it had become clear that users desperately wanted to be part of a community that represented their identity, values, and shared interests.

To create something that others want to join and support, we have to remember a core tenet: communities function best and are most durable when they’re helping members to be more successful in some way in a connected and dynamic world.

Your success in growing a community will depend on how well you can understand and articulate the following features: Shared values Membership identity Moral proscriptions Insider understanding

It’s important to identify the diaconate, even an informal one, because new and maturing members will want to know what the values are and what’s permitted (that is, what allows one to stay in the group).

There are at least three ways people seek success: Relative, Personal Maximization, and Community Maximization. In our own lives, we may default to one of these orientations at different times and areas in our lives. How we each seek success at work, in our family, or through philanthropy may look very different.