Principles for leading effective circles

General Principles for Leading Circles Effectively

• Make space for new voices

Ensure every new participant has an opportunity to introduce themselves. Give everyone visibility and presence so they feel comfortable contributing to the discussion.

• The Power of Unstructured Time

Allow informal time before and after the main discussion. These unstructured moments allow for real relationships to form and group cohesion to strengthen.

• Know who is in the room

Pay attention to the skills, backgrounds, and passions present. Use this knowledge to help surface issues that reflect what truly matters to the group.

Safety principles

• Respect privacy.

  Never share personal details, photos, or contact information from the meetup without permission. Ask before taking pictures or recording anything.

• De-escalate, not confront.

  If any issue arises (conflict, inappropriate behaviour, or discomfort), calmly remove the affected individual from the group space and speak privately. Escalate to Logos Core Contributor if needed.

Additional Guidance

• Preparing for the Circle meetup: The Circle Steward is responsible for Monitoring and Issue Identification to give suggestions and be able to lead an informed discussion. Regularly monitor various trusted information sources to identify issues aligned with core community values such as digital rights, privacy, anti-censorship, and internet freedom. Tools and platforms include Social Media (Reddit, Lemmy, X, Mastodon, etc), RSS feeds, Google Alerts, monitoring services, and advocacy groups.

• Capturing moments and sharing photos can be powerful, but ensure the Circle knows they always need to get consent from their fellow Circle members before taking and posting photos. Respect anonymity - no names or faces without permission.

• If there are no new attendees, it’s not relevant to go through the full intros and deck every time. Instead, use this as an opportunity to identify participants with strong emotional energy and commitment. Begin to delegate small responsibilities, like presenting the intro deck or guiding the group discussion, to help them grow into leadership roles over time. The goal is to nurture local ownership, so the Circle becomes community-led, not Logos CC-dependent.

• Remember what we are trying to achieve from the meetups: