For a role as crucial as Leadership, there is a shocking lack of required training on the topic. Combined with a tremendous collection of impenetrable literature, leadership is an essential skill learned on the job. The Rands Leadership Slack (“RLS”) exists to help longtime, new, and aspiring leaders learn through conversation and sharing of ideas.

And you want in.

Great, let’s prove you’re a human. Here’s the process:

• Send an email from an email account you will use for a long time. Really. You’re going to have this account longer than your current job.
• This mail must include your name, occupation, the briefest of explanations of why you want to join this Slack, and how you heard about us.
• A link to your LinkedIn, Twitter, Mastodon, or Medium — any site demonstrating you’re a human.
• Failure to include the above information will result in another request for this information.
• None of the above information will be shared with anyone but Rands.

With over 30,000 participants on over 750 public channels, RLS can be initially overwhelming. Once you’re on board, the following suggestions and guidelines are intended to make your first days more useful and educational:

1. As part of the sign-up process, we’re going to ask you to do complete three tasks:
   1. Go and introduce yourself on #intros. Tell us about yourself.
   2. Update your profile to anything except the default avatar. Land other essential facts in your profile. Make yourself a human.
   3. There’s a Code of Conduct. Read it.
2. Once you’re in the Slack, explore the channels. There are a lot of them and chances are, there is already a rich conversation in progress on your favorite leadership topic. If you’re looking for a place to start, we offer the RLS Channel Primer
3. Many of our channels have hundreds if not thousands of humans; please assess the channel population before using broadcast features like @here.
4. If your favorite topic isn’t being discussed, create it. Channels are free. Announce your newly created channel on #new-channels.
5. All are welcome to contribute regardless of whether you’re a past, current or aspiring leader. If you want to hang back and lurk, that’s cool.
6. We expect that we’ll treat others with respect. We encourage debate, we ask for patience, and we remind you that you’re here to learn, and that means being open to a diverse set of ideas. Did I mention the Code of Conduct?
7. RLS is not a place for commercial activity (e.g., recruiting or marketing your product/conference) except in channels dedicated to that purpose (e.g. #jobs, #jobs-consulting, #conferences, or #services) and never in an unsolicited direct message. Appropriate commercial activity must be relevant to the channel. If you are just here to sell things and not contribute and learn, the community will notice quickly, and action will be swift. If you see commercial behavior going down, alert #rls-admins, and we’ll address it.
8. Many administration controls are available to all users. With great power comes great responsibility. Understand what the knobs and dials do before you start flipping and twisting them. Have a question before you start twisting knobs? Ask in #rls-admins. Want to install an app or integration? Ask in #rls-admins.
9. Really, read the Code of Conduct.

Happy leadership learning.