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Member guidebook

CONDUCT

(Some refer to this list as Our Values)

Just as you have expectations of us, the Community has expectations of you. These expectations are designed to ensure your success as well as the success of your Group, Cohort and the Community as a whole.   Also please remember that your actions in and outside of the Community will be viewed by your fellow members as behavior that they would likely expect should they refer you to one of their valued clients. These behaviors could also be the difference between getting referrals and not getting them.

Rule #1:  All members are expected to meet their commitments to the best of their abilities.  These commitments include:

  • Attend a minimum of 2 out of 3 meetings per calendar quarter. This is essential to the success of your Group and ultimately our Community.  It's also important because we allow only one member per industry classification and specialization per group within 90 miles of each other.  This is your exclusive territory and you have full veto power over any potential new Group member who you may see as a conflict with your business. As we are locking down this slot for you, you must attend and contribute meetings to continue to enjoy this status.
We're so serious about this that if you don't attend the minimum number of meetings, your membership may be cancelled, with only half of the remaining pro-rated amount being refunded to you.
  • Arrive on time.   I always remember what my father told about this:  "There's no such thing as 'early' -- you're either on time or late."  We do whatever we can to respect the time of our members, so we start and end our meetings promptly. Consistently arriving late is a sign of disrespect for the needs of the Group and has a negative effect on our ability to grow the Group and your ability to forge relationships. If you can’t arrive on time, we have to assume that you will be late to other meetings, including ones with any of our clients that we might refer you to. 
If you cannot make a meeting please alert your Group's Host at least 30 minutes in advance.
  • Conduct yourself in a professional manner at all times.
  • Be an active participant in discussions.  You were invited to join Leading With Courage Network because we felt our members would benefit from knowing you and that you have a lot to contribute to the Community.  This is not the place for people who want to "check the box" or have joined just to be able to include their membership on their Linked In profiles.  Also remember that technology doesn't get people to talk.  People get people to talk.
  • Be humble.  Members tell us that the one characteristic they admire most in other members is humility.  It drives us to ask others what do you think and what can I do better, and to admit we're not always right and we want to fix it.  On the other end of the spectrum is arrogance, which is the characteristic most members admire least in other members.  Since many of our members also have "alpha dog" tendencies, we have to ask that everyone do their best to keep their egos to a minimum.  Being transparent and vulnerable are all part of being humble.
  • Follow up and follow through on referrals you receive or offer to give.
    • When you receive a referral, it's a best practice to keep the source of the referral posted on your progress, even if that means telling him or her that the person you were referred to was non-responsive.  
    • Related to this is showing up for meetings you arrange with other members and referrals.  These include in-person breakfasts, lunches, coffees, after-hours cocktails, etc., as well as Zoom calls.  If you cannot make a meeting, it's just common courtesy to alert the other person as far in advance as possible.
  • Respect member and group anonymity. We are often sharing confidential information regarding a company or a project or a member may share his or her work preferences and tendencies or other results from a self-assessment.   As such, you should never use a member's name without their express permission or even disclose that the source of your information came from a networking group.
  • What is said in our meetings, stays in our meetings.  Do not share the information gained in meetings with others.  Failure to do this will reduce transparency and vulnerability of the community's members, which is critical to the success of LWCN.   Any leads or personal information are also for you and you alone.  

Rule #2:  Being a member of Leading With Courage Network is a privilege and neither a right nor an entitlement.  Continued participation in meetings and the Community is contingent on observing the items above: 

Rule #3:  Remember Rules #1 and #2.


WHAT YOUR DUES INCLUDE ...

Core benefits:

  • Exclusive territory:  We allow only one member per industry classification and specialization per group within 90 miles of each other. 
  • Facilitated monthly Group meetings
  • The opportunity to serve as a Group Host
  • Access to the Member Directory
  • Access to the Member Forum
  • Eligible to receive rewards for referring prospective members to LWCN
  • Opportunities to promote your business to your Group
  • Invitations to twice annual, in-person socials in cities with more than 25 Leading With Courage Networking members.  These optional activities may be wholly or partially funded by your dues.
  • Opportunity to complete:
    • An Everything DiSC® Workplace on Catalyst™ self-assessment
    • The Six Types of Working Genius® self-assessment
    • Leading With Courage® Academy's Leadership Self-Assessment
    • A new self-assessment each quarter
  • 10% off the standard fee for an Everything DiSC 363 for Leaders assessment OR one of the Genos 360- and 180-emotional intelligence assessments.  Contact Member Services to learn more and to schedule your assessment.
  • 45-day money back guarantee

    If you signed up for SME Virtual Office Hours:

    In addition to the Core benefits, you can make one-on-one appointments with any of our Subject Matter Experts (SME).  You're also eligible for 15% off the standard fee for an Everything DiSC 363 for Leaders assessment AND one of either a Genos 360- or 180-emotional intelligence assessments.  Contact Member Services to learn more and to schedule your assessment.

    You can also attend periodic Leading With Courage Moments panel discussions of current issues and challenges at no additional charge.


    BEST PRACTICES TO ENSURE YOUR SUCCESS

    • Attend as many meetings as possible. By attending meetings, the other members get to know you, your company, and your services. This is how relationships are created and referrals are secured. If you can't attend, please let us know in advance.
    • Work on your intro. Mix it up. Share a company success story or share a success story from a lead or referral that you received. Focus on one aspect of your services. Tell a short story.
    • Invite each member of your Group to join your Linked In network.
    • Complete your optional self-assessments.  Many of the challenges leaders face today can attributed to a lack of self-awareness -- about themselves, their employees, their customers, the communities they serve, their competitors, etc.  The optional self-assessments will help you begin to understand your strengths and limitations.  One caveat about them:  since they're self-assessments, the insights are only as good as the data you input.  Be candid and honest in your responses as you are today as opposed to how you think the questions should be answered or how you would like to see yourself in the future.  
      • As you make new connections and get to know them better, consider sharing the results of your self-assessment with them.  Ask them how they perceive you, what you can be doing better, etc.  Being vulnerable and open to feedback are great ways to build mutual trust and connectivity.
    • Run Everything DiSC Comparison Reports between you and other members.  Then use the Comparison Reports as the basis for conversations with each of them during which both of you share the similarities and differences in your work preferences and tendencies.  This will accelerate the forging of enduring relationships.
    • Make your specific needs known to your other members! This might include... “Does anybody know or have a connection to ...?”
    • Make every effort to provide good general leads as well as referrals and introductions. Givers do get.
    • Thank members privately and in the group meeting for referrals and introductions that they have given you and for any leads that you may have had success with.   Success breeds success and when you publicly thank another member they are going to want to refer you again!
    • When you do get a referral, be sure to advise the referring member of your progress and results.
    • Before following up with a lead obtained from the meeting, call the member who gave it to you and ask him /her what else he or she may know about it. This might also lead to a personal introduction or referral!  It's also a good idea to look at the lead's Linked In profile. 
    • Take every advantage to speak in front of the group. If speaking in front of groups is not comfortable for you, consider this as your “Toastmasters” and our meetings are a great chance to practice in front of a friendly group and in a controlled atmosphere
    • Include your cell or office phone number and preferred email address in your email signature.  Make it as easy for people to get in touch with you.


    REFERRALS AND INTRODUCTIONS

    “I gave your name to somebody and they may be calling you” is not a referral! “

    "I talked to Fred over at ABC Company and told him about you.  He would like to speak with you and is expecting your call.  Fred can be reached at 555-5555 and his email address is fred@abccompany.com. Be sure to mention my name when you call him.”  This is a good referral!

    Most introductions and referrals today are done via email.  But I would avoid what I call "ambush introductions."  These are unexpected by one of the parties.  It's much better to first ask the person to whom you want to introduce a fellow member if they'd like to meet him or her and if it's okay to share their contact information with them.  I have found that phrasing my ask this way usually has good results:  "I don't suppose you'd like to meet..."  After you have their permission, send both people a short email introducing them to each other.

    Of course, making a phone call or personally introducing your fellow member to someone directly is a fantastic move!

    You also want to make it easy for someone to refer you.  Providing them with few sentences about you helps ensure they tell the other person what you want them to say and doesn't leave it to chance.  It also saves the person making the referral a lot of time.  Here's an example of "the perfect introduction" I give to everyone I meet with:

    I’d like to introduce you to Leading With Courage Networking (LWCN), an all-virtual, B2B networking group for trusted advisors with 10+ years of experience.  I instantly thought you might find it of interest based on our recent conversation.  What I particularly like about LWCN is how all the members have average or above levels of emotional intelligence, the networking is kept fresh by reshuffling the groups at least once a year, I have exclusive access to Subject Matter Experts, and I don't have to spend precious time traveling to and from meetings.

    There's also no risk of trying LWCN since there's a 45-day money back guarantee.  This  means if during the first 45 days of joining LWCN you decide the group isn't for you, you'll receive a full refund of your membership dues -- no questions asked.


    LWCN was founded in 2021 by Lee Eisenstaedt.  You can connect with Lee at (262) 412-4710 or Lee@LWCNetworking.com.  If you want to check out more about LWCN's features and benefits, visit www.LWCNetwork.com.

    Have a great meeting!

    Also consider providing people with a list of the types of people you want to be meeting, the industries or companies they are in, what they might hear people say that are triggers to be listening for, etc.  Anything that helps them help you.  Here's an example of the one-pager I give people -- best prospective members for LWCN.

    Last, be sure to include your cell or office phone number and preferred email address in your email signature.  Make it as easy for people to know how to get in touch with you.


    TERM OF MEMBERSHIP

    Your membership begins upon the date of your signed Membership Agreement (your "anniversary date") and runs for a period of 12 months.  If a member's dues are not paid when due, LWCN reserves the right to suspend or terminate that individual's membership.

    Your Membership is fully refundable up until 45 calendar days after the date you signed your Membership Agreement.  See more on this below.


    RENEWAL

    Your membership renewal is at your discretion.  If you were delighted by your experience and if we delivered on our promise to you, then we hope you'll renew at least 30 days prior to your anniversary date.

    Your renewal is also at our discretion on your anniversary date.   Members who are not active, engaged, and following the Code of Conduct may not be invited to renew.  Leading With Courage Network also has the right to replace a Member if their Membership dues are not received by his or her anniversary date.


    OUR 45-DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

    During the first 45 calendar days from the date when a new member signs his or her Membership Agreement, and provided that  new member has attended at least one Group meeting and followed the Community's Code of Conduct above, we offer a full money back guarantee of that member’s dues.

    If you come to me within five days of your first 45 calendar days of membership, having followed the guidelines above, and tell me “Lee, this just did not work out for me the way that I had hoped and I'm not getting the value from it that I expected” ... I will write you (or whoever paid your dues) a check for the full amount of your paid dues, terminate your membership with our thanks, and wish you well. While an explanation would be appreciated, it is not required.  If you follow these guidelines, I have no doubt that this conversation will never be held.  There are no pro-rata refunds of dues after this 45 day period.


    NO SPAMMING

    “Spamming” is the abuse of electronic messaging systems to indiscriminately send unsolicited bulk messages. While the most widely recognized form of spam is e-mail spam, the term is applied to similar abuse in other media, such as but not limited to, instant messaging, Usenet newsgroups, web search engines, spam in blogs, wiki spam, mobile phone messaging spam, Internet forum spam, and junk fax transmissions.

    Spamming is strictly prohibited by LWCN and will result in the immediate termination of your membership. Spamming may also be illegal under applicable laws and may subject you to civil or criminal penalties. 

    Call or Text us:
    +1 (262) 412-4710

    Email us:

    Member.Services@LWCNetwork.com

    © 2022 Leading With Courage Network

    Address:
    680 N. Lake Shore Drive

    Suite #709

    Chicago, IL  60611

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