How to define your focus and attract the right members

Defining the focus of your Lean In Circle

Why it matters

Broadly defining your Circle as "for professional women" may sound inclusive. But in practice, lack of focus makes it harder to find members, choose topics, and build the kind of trust that leads to honest, useful conversations.

When your Circle has a clear focus, the right people will recognize themselves immediately. They show up knowing why they are there. And conversations go deeper, faster — because everyone is navigating something real and shared.

A focused Circle is not exclusive. It's intentional.

Three ways to define your Circle

You don't need a complex framework. Most strong Circles are built around one of three anchors: relationships, life/career stage, or shared goals.

1. Relationships: Start with who you know. It could be colleagues at the same company, alumni from the same university, or a group of friends who want a structured space to talk about their professional lives.

Shared relationships help you build trust from the start.

2. Life/career stage: Focus on where you are in your journey and the types of challenges you face at this stage. You could organize a group of new managers leading for the first time, recent graduates who are building their new careers, or mothers who are returning to work after parental leave.

A shared stage means you're facing similar challenges and asking the same kinds of questions at the same time.

3. Goals: Consider what you're working toward. It could be a career transition, greater confidence, stronger negotiating skills, or finding sustainable ways to balance your ambitions with your personal life.

Shared goals create a shared direction and make it easier to define and measure progress.

Three questions to ask yourself

As you work to define your focus, these questions can help.

1. Who do I most want to support? Think about one person, not a broad audience. What is she trying to figure out? What kinds of support does she need that she isn't getting today?

2. What conversations do I wish I had more often? Think about your own unmet needs. If you're missing these conversations, it's likely that others are, too.

3. Who would say yes right now? A strong Circle starts with real people. Five or six members will take you further than a larger, more loosely defined group.

Some real-world examples

Here are just a few of the focused Circles we've been inspired by over the years:

• Tunisian Women in Oil and Gas
• Women in Finance in London
• Wimbledon Working Mums
• Women in Tech Zurich
• Lean In Wellbeing Circle, Mumbai
• Singapore Young Professionals

Focus shapes everything that comes next

Once you define your Circle, you'll have a better idea about who to invite, what topics to bring to the group, and how to build shared context and trust.

Remember, you don't have to get it perfect before you start.

Many Circles begin with one focus, and refine their focus over time. Pay attention to what your members say, and which topics come up most often.

A Circle that evolves and grows with its members is doing exactly what it's meant to do.