Version 5.0 of the Holacracy Constitution gives you the option to adopt the ruleset on an article-by-article basis. This modular approach allows for flexibility in adoption, but makes it a little harder to provide concise answers to questions like, “What does a Circle Lead do in Holacracy v5.0?” because it depends on which articles an organization has adopted.
The Breakdown of Expectations and Authorities
In Constitution version 5.0, the core roles of Circle Lead, Facilitator, Secretary, and Circle Rep aren’t singularly defined roles; meaning the expectations and authorities that define them are now spread throughout each of the five articles, with different elements “coming online” when their article is adopted.
The following list is my carefully organized answer to this question for each Core Role with all the relevant caveats and notes, and with the important Constitutional citations (e.g. §3.2) to give you guidance on when each element comes online.
Circle Lead
Note: A circle may not modify the purpose of its Circle Lead role, nor remove the role. A circle may add accountabilities or domains to the Circle Lead role, and later remove these additions. However, any additions automatically apply to every sub-circle’s Circle Lead role as well. A circle may not add accountabilities or domains just to its own Circle Lead role, or any only relevant within that circle.
Further, a circle may remove any accountabilities, domains, authorities, or functions of its own Circle Lead role. It can do this either by placing them on another role in the circle, or by defining an alternate means of enacting them. Doing this automatically removes the relevant authority or element from the Circle Lead role, for as long as the delegation remains in place (§1.4.5).
Purpose: Holds the overall purpose of the circle. Article 1 (§1.4)
Domain*: Role assignments and role focus. Article 1 (§1.4.1)
*Note: Strictly speaking, the Constitution doesn’t call this a domain, but the rules of section 1.4.1, “Assigning Roles,” make it clear that the Circle Lead controls these (unless delegated to another role or process), just as they would a domain.
Accountability: All accountabilities of the circle unless they are covered by other roles or processes within the circle. Article 1 (§1.4)
Accountability: Automatically considered the role lead of any unfilled roles within the circle. Article 1 (§1.4.2)
Accountability: Automatically considered the role lead when a role is filled only by people who are not partners of the organization. Article 1 (§1.4.2)
Additional Authority*: A Circle Lead may judge the relative value of potential circle efforts to resolve priority conflicts across roles. A Circle Lead may also define a “strategy” for the circle, or many strategies, which are heuristics that guide prioritization in the circle. Article 1 (§1.4.3)
*Note: These are not accountabilities (i.e. ongoing activities expected of the role), but rather additional and optional authorities the role may enact, but is not required to. This is a difference compared to constitution v4.1 in which the “Lead Link” is accountable for this work.
Additional Authority: Whenever governance outside the circle references the circle itself or any role in the circle, a Circle Lead may update that reference to instead refer to another role in the circle. This clarification is not considered a change to that circle’s governance. Article 1 (§1.4.4)
Additional Authorities:
Note: These additional authorities are particularly relevant if Article 1 is the only article adopted. Please also note that as each of the subsequent articles is ratified, the listed authorities would be removed from the Circle Lead role.
- If Article 2 is not adopted, Circle Leads may specify the duties a partner has to cooperate with others while working within their circle, unless otherwise specified by a broader Circle Lead or by the ratifiers.
- If Article 3 is not adopted, the organization will continue its current meeting habits, until otherwise changed by a Circle Lead for their circle, or until otherwise specified by a broader Circle Lead or by the ratifiers of the Constitution.
- If Article 4 is not adopted, role leads must align all actions and decisions with any guidance or directions given by a Circle Lead of their circle or any broader circle, unless otherwise specified by a broader Circle Lead or by the ratifiers.
- If Article 5 is not adopted, Circle Leads exclusively may edit the governance within their circle at any time or allow others to do so, and resolve any conflicts of interpretation of their circle’s governance, unless otherwise specified by a broader Circle Lead or by the ratifiers of the Constitution.
Facilitator
Note: A circle may add accountabilities or domains to its own Facilitator role, as well as amend or remove those additions. No circle may amend or remove the purpose of the role, nor any accountabilities or domains placed on the role by the Constitution (§1.3.5).
Purpose: Circle governance and operational practices aligned with the Constitution. Article 1 (§1.3.5)
Additional Authority: Anyone facilitating a meeting or process for the organization may also enforce any relational agreements during that meeting or process, as long as they don’t conflict with anything defined in the Constitution. Article 2 (§2.4)
Accountability: Facilitating the circle’s regular tactical meetings. Article 3 (§3.2)
Accountability: Facilitating the circle’s governance process.* Article 5 (§5.1.2)
*Note: Sections 5.3 and 5.4 include several more specific rules that apply to the Facilitator during the facilitation of the governance process. Those rules include those around testing objections (e.g. “The Facilitator must test an objection if requested by any circle member”), and facilitating the Integrative Election Process, to provide just two examples.
Accountability: Triggering new elections for the circle’s elected roles after each election term expires. Article 5 (§5.3.5)
Accountability: Auditing the meetings and records of a sub-circle to look for a potential process breakdown and declaring one if one is discovered, upon request from any concerned partner. Article 5 (§5.5)
Additional Authority: Authority to declare a process breakdown. Note: In addition to those listed below, if a process breakdown has been declared, then the Facilitator gains some temporary authorities and responsibilities for restoring the process. Those are detailed in section §5.5.2.
- May declare a process breakdown in their circle or a sub-circle when a circle shows a pattern of behavior or output that violates the rules of the Constitution. Article 5 (§5.5)
- May declare a process breakdown if a governance proposal fails to reach resolution after those involved spend a reasonable amount of time and effort seeking resolution. Article 5 (§5.5.1)
Secretary
Note: A circle may add accountabilities or domains to its own Secretary role, as well as amend or remove those additions. No circle may amend or remove the purpose of the role, nor any accountabilities or domains placed on the role by the Constitution (§1.3.5).
Purpose: Stabilize the circle’s Constitutionally-required records and meetings. Article 1 (§1.3.5)
Accountability: Scheduling regular tactical meetings for the circle. Article 3
Accountability: Capturing and publishing tactical meeting outputs (for any meetings they scheduled). Article 3 (§3.2)
Accountability: Resolving conflicts of interpretation of the Constitution and anything under its authority upon request. Article 4 (§4.2.1)
Accountability: Ruling on the validity of any governance within the circle or the sub-circle thereof upon request, then striking any invalid governance this role has concluded violates the rules of the Constitution; and after doing so, promptly communicating what they struck and why to all partners filling roles within that circle. Article 4 (§4.2.2)
Domain: The circle’s governance records. Article 5 (§5.1.2)
Accountability: Scheduling regular governance meetings and also any special governance meetings upon request of any circle member. Article 5 (§5.4)
Accountability: Capturing and publishing the outputs of the circle’s governance process.* Article 5 (§5.1.2)
*Note: There are a few more specific actions that could be requested from the Secretary during a governance meeting, like interpreting if a proposal is valid upon request from the Facilitator, or reading out the proposal during Clarifying Questions if asked by a participant, but these are not explicitly defined expectations, just common interpretations of the Secretary’s purpose.
Additional Authority: Defining approved communication channel(s) used for changing the circle’s governance. Article 5 (§5.3)
Circle Rep
Note: The election of a Circle Rep is not automatically triggered upon the circle’s first governance meeting. Instead, anyone may request the election or reelection at any time. In addition, a circle may add accountabilities or domains to its own Circle Rep role, as well as amend or remove those additions. No circle may amend or remove the purpose of the role, nor any accountabilities placed on the role by the Constitution (§5.1.1).
Purpose: Tensions relevant to process in a broader circle channeled out and resolved. Article 5 (§5.1.1)
Accountability: Seeking to understand tensions conveyed by role leads within the circle. Article 5 (§5.1.1)
Accountability: Discerning tensions appropriate to process within a broader circle that holds the circle. Article 5 (§5.1.1)
Accountability: Processing tensions within a broader circle to remove constraints on the circle. Article 5 (§5.1.1)
Additional Authority: Becomes a circle member of any circle containing that circle, with the authority to represent their circle just like a Circle Lead. Article 5 (§5.1.1)
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