We’re offering a new course that is focused on helping open source contributors learn how to be more effective in their projects and their lives. Most leadership training is focused on the business world and we want to offer a different experience that addresses the needs of volunteer communities.
This course is designed for all open source contributors. We are all leaders in many different ways in our lives, regardless of positions or titles, when we influence and work with others to accomplish goals. This is even more apparent in the open source world where much of the work that gets done doesn’t happen under direct control of the project or official authority figures. Open source succeeds because of individuals who see a need, gather people to help them, and get things done. Doing that work with insight into yourself and other people, along with being deliberate about applying leadership skills makes for more effective work and less burnout.
Course description
This six-week course will teach you how leadership works from the inside out. This is a brand new course, so we are offering it to only a small cohort at a very much reduced price. The live calls will be very interactive, consisting mostly of group discussion and exercises. We will record the calls for those who can’t attend live, but you’ll get the most from the course if you can attend most, if not all, of the live sessions. We also expect to get your honest feedback about the course so we can make adjustments for future offerings. You should very much have a feeling of co-creation in this space.
The first half of the course is focused on you because who you are is how you lead. In order to help guide others you need to be able to lead yourself first and foremost. So we’ll dive into who you are, what matters to you, and how that shows up in your life. We’ll also look into figuring out how to best support yourself so you can avoid burning yourself out.
The second half of the course shifts to external relationships and working collectively. We’ll work with boundaries, communication, making mistakes, and working with diverse groups of people. We’ll specifically dig into the challenges that come with the volunteer groups, restrictions, and processes we have to navigate in open source.
In addition to the coursework and six live calls, each attendee will also get two free one-on-one coaching sessions. The first will be schedule in the first two weeks of the course, with the second one in the last week or shortly after the last live class.
Course outline
Week 1: Creating a safe space and exploring the question “What is leadership?”
Week 2: Personal values, Mindfulness and self-awareness
Week 3: Self-management, Regenerating your energy and resilience
Week 4: Building relationships and trust, Boundaries, and Communication
Week 5: Making mistakes, Conflict resolution, DEI and bias
Week 6: Open Source community challenges
Group leaders
The course will be led by Addison Berry, who is the CEO of Osio Labs. They have been working on open source projects for 20 years, with most of that time in the Drupal project. They have experience with multiple leadership roles in open source in addition to the business world, and they have been on the Drupal Association board twice. They are Dare to Lead Trained and will be completing coaching certification with the Institute of Coaching Studies in October.
Amber Matz and Joe Shindelar will also be supporting the course. Amber and Joe both have extensive open source experience in a variety of leadership roles, and Amber is also Dare to Lead Trained.
Important details
Where: We will meet on Zoom for our calls and everyone will have access to a group Slack channel for conversation outside of calls.
When: PLEASE NOTE: We have changed the date for the first session from September 24th to September 17th, at the same time. All other class dates remain the same.
Tuesdays from September 17 through October 29, 2024 from 6pm-8pm Central European (5pm UK / 12pm US Eastern / 9am US Pacific) Find your time, except the week of September 24th. Note that the last week’s meeting is in the awkward time where the US and European time zones differ, so the call will most likely be one hour off for someone that week. We’ll talk about it as a group and make sure everyone is on the same page about the correct time.
Homework: Each week there will be a variety of readings, videos, and/or exercises to do in your time between classes. These should take 30-60 minutes per week. You’re expected to make the best effort you can to complete the assignments timely because that will be the basis for our live class discussions.
Cost: This early test version of the course is only $100 USD. (Regular price in the future will be ~$700 USD). If the full cost is not possible for you, we do have scholarships to cover some or most of the cost. There are several options up to 75% off on the application form.
How to apply
Applications are open for everyone who is currently contributing to an open source project in some way (code, docs, project management, marketing, events, etc.) and wants to better understand how to work with others to achieve their goals, both personally and for the project. This applies to all contributors, whether you have an “official” leadership role or not.
You can apply for the course by filling out our application form. Applications close on Sunday, September 8, 2024. We have very limited seats (maximum of 8) so everyone who applies may not be able to attend.
If you have any questions at all, drop us an email at info@osiolabs.com.