For me, the most demanding role has always been the Community Lead or Moderator Team Lead position. Admins can shift their focus between front‑end, back‑end, or infrastructure work as needed, and they can even step back from day‑to‑day content without causing too much disruption. Moderators, on the other hand, are usually active members who also help keep things tidy. Their responsibilities matter, of course, but the expectations are generally more straightforward.
A Lead role is a completely different beast. You’re expected to be highly active as a regular member and maintain the standards of a strong moderator, all while managing the backend side of the moderation team. You end up acting as the bridge between staff and admins, which can be rewarding but also exhausting.
On top of that, a lot of communities push contests, events, and general community‑building tasks onto their Leads. That extra layer of responsibility can add a surprising amount of stress, especially when you’re trying to balance visibility, leadership, and behind‑the‑scenes coordination all at once.
So while every staff position has its challenges, the Lead roles tend to demand the widest range of skills and the most consistent presence.
