Ever had one of those moments where something just clicks about community management? During our recent Stateshift huddle, we heard incredible leadership insights from top community managers. These moments not only shaped how they lead their communities but could also help you become a more effective leader.
In this post, you’ll discover five actionable community management hacks that you can use to elevate your leadership skills.
1. Lighten Your Load with Cognitive Overload Management
One of the most enlightening community management insights from our huddle was about cognitive load—the mental strain that comes from juggling too many tasks. A community manager shared how identifying and understanding cognitive overload allowed her to declutter her focus and avoid burnout.
She streamlined her workload by using task management tools like Trello, automated repetitive actions, and set clear daily priorities.
Takeaway:
Understand and reduce cognitive load to manage your time effectively. Use tools like Trello and automation to help streamline your workload.
Many companies struggle with this exact challenge—whether to hire internal community talent or work with specialized DevRel consultants who already have proven frameworks and experience. Based on what we see at Stateshift, the most successful approach often combines both strategic consulting expertise with the right internal hires.
2. Filter Ideas Effectively: Not Every Thought Needs Action
As community leaders, we’re flooded with new ideas from members and teams, but acting on every idea isn’t always productive. One member shared how she learned to filter out unnecessary ideas by aligning them with the community’s goals.
By creating a simple filter—does this idea support long-term objectives?—she could focus on high-impact actions and avoid getting overwhelmed.
Takeaway:
Learn to filter ideas based on whether they align with your long-term goals. Prioritize only those that drive your community forward.
3. Define the Perfect Candidate: Navigating Talent Acquisition
When it comes to hiring for your community, defining the perfect candidate upfront is crucial. One attendee highlighted how her team struggled with recruitment until they created a detailed profile of their ideal hire, including key skills, attributes, and cultural fit.
This made the hiring process smoother and helped them identify the right candidates faster.
Takeaway:
Define your ideal hire by creating a detailed candidate profile before you begin recruiting. This ensures a smoother hiring process.
4. Prioritize Self-Care: It’s Essential
Self-care often takes a back seat for community leaders, but one huddle attendee shared how prioritizing himself helped him lead his community more effectively. Taking regular breaks and setting boundaries ensured he didn’t burn out.
Takeaway:
Self-care isn’t a luxury—it’s essential. Taking time for yourself will help you show up as a stronger leader for your community.
5. Manage Urgency: If Everything Feels Important, Nothing Is
Urgency is a common issue among community leaders. One member shared how she managed this by prioritizing tasks and learning that when everything is urgent, nothing truly is.
By setting clear priorities and managing expectations with her team, she created more focus and less stress.
Takeaway:
Set clear priorities and communicate them to your team. When everything feels urgent, learn to focus on what truly matters.
These management challenges are exactly why many companies choose to work with DevRel consultants who have experience helping teams prioritize effectively and avoid common community leadership pitfalls.
These management challenges are exactly why many companies choose to work with DevRel consultants who have experience helping teams prioritize effectively and avoid common community leadership pitfalls.
Looking for more strategies to strengthen your community leadership skills? Book a call to explore how we can help you level up.
If you’ve been struggling with burnout while managing your community, check out this video:
