Driving better collaboration among disparate leaders in a startup community is both challenging but rewarding when it works. Yes, most of us mentally sign up to be good collaborators but in actuality our actions do not come as close as our intent. I have lived on both sides of this collaboration conundrum (both as a participant and as a facilitator). Let me be clear, this is much more difficult in a startup community where nobody owes anything to anybody – most of us are volunteering our time. Here are five collaboration tactics and 1 super killer easy-to-activate tip.

1. Take time to sit back and collectively view and discuss the big picture. (Don’t couch this around creating common goals or a vision statement or mission. Just have an open discussion.)
2. Be oblivious of created or perceived competition. (This is not a competition game and energy spent with that in mind is wasted effort in my opinion. This is not a zero-sum game both internally and externally.)
3. Show up vulnerable and have honest discussions on what is working and what is not working in your community. (This culture of honest auditing will be SO beneficial to your team and the founders you serve.)
4. Get shit done. There are 3 states you can rally around (sitting outside of these three states creates confusion for everyone in the community):
   • You get the work done
   • Your team members get the work done
   • You enable others in your community to get the work done.
5. We all have baggage we bring to the table. Your baggage is not less or more than others. Recognize that and exhibit a bit of empathy for others and look for empathy from them.

By focusing on these tactics, communities and their leaders can harness the collective strengths of their leaders and work towards achieving your common goals more effectively.

Killer Tip . . . build and foster deeper relationships among your peers.

Trust is the foundation of effective collaboration. Invest time in building personal relationships among leaders through informal gatherings, team-building activities, and informal one-on-one interactions. Working with someone where you know them, their family, their dreams and their history creates a connection. When leaders trust each other, they are more likely to work together harmoniously.