There are a million types of online communities. Okay, maybe not a million, but definitely four online learning community types. But they all have one central component, and that is humans.

People aren’t machines, they are not always logical or rational, and they have a lot of feelings. While that might seem like a hindrance - How do I manage a community and ALL the emotions? - it’s actually your strength. Because you are a human and you have feelings as well.

Whatever you are teaching means something to you. Whether it’s been a lifelong passion that you’ve studied for years, or a new way of living that has profoundly impacted your life, you obviously have an emotional connection to your subject. And using that deep connection, letting it guide you and your work, will bring your community closer to you and closer to each other.

Lead with your heart

As our Transformational Strategist, Thomas, said in Part 2 of his Developing a Transformational Workshop series, ask yourself “What would I love to create?” and then act on it. Your passion and drive is what has led you to create your courses, your content, and your community. So embrace that! Put your passion and your heart out there; that is what your community needs and what they will respond to. A heart-to-heart connection between humans on the same journey creates a powerful and profound bond. Put it at the center of every activity and course that you create for your community.

Open yourself to feedback

If you follow us on Instagram, you’ll know that one of our very favorite tags to post is #FeedbackFriday. As our cofounder, Jeremy, shared last week, feedback is essential to your process and your work. But beyond the act of gathering feedback, is the importance of acting on that feedback. Even if it’s hard to hear, or a criticism that you weren’t expecting, welcome it. Share your process while working through it, and be transparent about the changes you are implementing in response to feedback. Empower everyone in your tribe to be an active part of the growth and evolution of the community.

Create the content you needed

When you started your journey, it came with its own obstacles and detours. Maybe there wasn’t a clear path. Maybe resources and support were scarce. Whatever gaps you encountered in the process, gave you a reason to create your community and your courses. Let those bumps in your road guide you, and allow them to create the structure for your tribe. Take your experience and use it to inform the content, the courses, and the resources you make. You already know what you needed when you started; be the one to make those things a reality for the people in your community.

Our hearts are powerful tools, and when we put them at the forefront of our work and our interactions with our community, we open ourselves up to a deeper bond, a bottomless well of inspiration, and a dedicated and intentional community.

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