Finding your voice isn’t something that happens overnight. You may start as a community leader on a board where you have been an active member. The division between being one of the gang to being a recognized leader on the board may give you pause. You may become a community leader on a board where you haven’t been a member. There you are trying to find the niche to lead your board. In both cases you will spend some time finding your place on the board. It will take some time to settle into that place.

When you are searching for your voice, even after you have found it, go and visit on boards you like. Watch the cl. What is she doing that you like? Why is she a good community leader? What is special about her style? Take note of it. Then go to boards that you think are dreadful. Try to figure out what you would change to make that board a more fun place. Take what you like from those observations and go home to your board. Introduce those things; find the sweet spot of managing YOUR board.

You will find that your voice changes over time in your community. You will grow up into a different type of leader. I know that I certainly have changed quite a bit from my first board. Some of these changes have been really wonderful. I don’t sweat so much over borderline Terms of Service violations. Off-topic posts don’t frustrate me. Other changes probably haven’t been so good. I can get into major ruts. I don’t live and breathe my boards anymore. There are those who would claim that not living and breathing the boards is a good thing. My children's father likes to show people pictures of me in the hospital in labor with our third child pulling posts. It is probably also a good thing because it gives my community more of a chance to step up to the plate and lead themselves. I get wonderful, amazing posts that I wouldn’t have gotten five years ago because I was such an overwhelming presence on my boards. I know if I am not looking forward to reading my board, that chances are my members aren’t either.  When I get into a rut, I know how to get out too. I do it the same way I suggested you find your voice. I go and watch boards I like. I watch boards with a lot of activity. I watch boards I hate. I shamelessly beg, borrow and steal ideas. My presence on my message boards changes for the better when I do those things.

I can ramble for ages telling you what I think the rules are for being a good community leader. I have absorbed all sorts of hocus-pocus ideas. You can come to Board Q and A in the Café and find more than your share. They work. If it works for one person, it may work for you. There is nothing wrong with trying any or all of them. However, there is just one true secret to being a wonderful leader of your community. That is you must be active, involved and CARE about leading it. The caring and involvement can have its price. You will spend time laughing, groaning, growling, crying, with your members, because of your members. But the reward is so worth it. Go out. Find your voice. Find it again if you have lost it. Then go back home to your community and care for it.