--- title: "Role Template Starter Definitions" description: "Talkspirit ships no ready-made role templates. These are the standard role definitions from the Holacracy, Sociocracy, Scrum and Goal frameworks, ready to copy into templates you create yourself." category: structure-governance section: roles-and-assignments type: Reference lastUpdated: 2026-08-05 locale: en canonical: https://support.talkspirit.com/en/structure-governance/role-templates-library --- # Role Template Starter Definitions ## Role Template Starter Definitions Talkspirit does not ship any role templates. A new organisation starts with an empty **Role templates** list, and the screen says as much: "No role templates available", followed by "Create your first template to get started". Every template your organisation has is one an administrator created. That is the honest answer to the question this page is usually opened for. What follows is the wording most organisations start from: the standard role definitions published by the Holacracy, Sociocracy, Scrum and Goal frameworks. Copy the purpose, domains and accountabilities you want into the template form and adapt them to your organisation. Nothing on this page is imported for you. For the procedure itself, creating a template, editing it, applying it to a role, see [Role Templates Overview](../structure-governance/role-templates-overview). ## Why create a template at all? A template is the only way to produce a **main role**. The main-role flag lives on the template, and a role inherits it at the moment it is created from that template. There is no control that promotes an existing role to a main role. Once a template is flagged, every circle you create afterwards gets that role automatically. Circles that already exist are left alone unless you choose **Save & apply to existing** on the template. "Main role" is the default wording. Your organisation can rename it, along with circle, role and purpose, in the terminology settings, so your screens may say something else. Holacracy calls these core roles. ## Why do I already see "Lead Link"? Two things put that name in front of you before any template exists. - The template **Name** field shows the placeholder "e.g., Lead Link, Facilitator". That is grey example text in an empty field, not a template you can select. - If you set your organisation up with the onboarding assistant, it creates roles with these names directly, typically a Lead Link in your root circle. Those are roles, not templates. Nothing links them to a template and they do not appear in the Role templates list. If you want a Lead Link template, you create it like any other, using the wording below. ## Holacracy 4.1 roles ### Lead Link **Purpose:** The Lead Link holds the Purpose of the overall Circle. **Domains:** Role assignments within the Circle. **Accountabilities:** - Structuring the Governance of the Circle to enact its Purpose and Accountabilities. - Assigning Partners to the Circle's Roles and monitoring fit. - Allocating the Circle's resources across its various Projects and Roles. - Establishing priorities and Strategies for the Circle. - Defining metrics for the Circle. - Removing constraints within the Circle to the Super-Circle enacting its Purpose. The Lead Link also holds all un-delegated Circle-level Domains and Accountabilities. ### Rep Link **Purpose:** Within the Super-Circle, the Rep Link holds the Purpose of the Sub-Circle. Within the Sub-Circle, the Rep Link's Purpose is: Tensions relevant to process in the Super-Circle channelled out and resolved. **Accountabilities:** - Removing constraints within the broader Organisation that limit the Sub-Circle. - Seeking to understand Tensions conveyed by Sub-Circle Members and discerning those appropriate to process in the Super-Circle. - Providing visibility to the Super-Circle into the health of the Sub-Circle. ### Facilitator **Purpose:** Circle governance and operational practices aligned with the Constitution. **Accountabilities:** - Facilitating the Circle's constitutionally-required meetings. - Auditing the meetings and records of Sub-Circles as needed and declaring a Process Breakdown when a pattern of behaviour conflicts with the Constitution. ### Secretary **Purpose:** Steward and stabilise the Circle's formal records and record-keeping process. **Domains:** All constitutionally-required records of the Circle. **Accountabilities:** - Scheduling the Circle's required meetings and notifying all Core Circle Members. - Capturing and publishing the outputs of the Circle's required meetings and maintaining a compiled view of the Circle's current Governance. - Interpreting Governance and the Constitution upon request. Source: [Holacracy Constitution 4.1](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d1239a79c02150001db74d4/t/5d23a0cb974b5f0001e989c7/1562616012223/Holacracy-Constitution-v4.1.pdf) ## Holacracy 5.0 roles Version 5.0 renames two of the four and rewrites their accountabilities. Talkspirit has no constitution-version setting, so pick the set your organisation practises and name your templates accordingly. See [What changes come with Holacracy 5.0?](../structure-governance/what-changes-come-with-holacracy-50). ### Circle Lead **Purpose:** The Circle Lead Role holds the overall Purpose of that broader Role, and all Accountabilities on that Role to the extent they are not covered by other Roles or processes within the Circle. **Domains:** Role assignments for the Circle's Roles. **Accountabilities:** - Assigning any Role within the Circle to anyone willing to fill it, including to multiple people at the same time. - Covering Unfilled Roles. - Defining Priorities and Strategies to resolve priority conflicts across Roles. ### Circle Rep **Purpose:** Tension relevant to process in a broader Circle channelled out and resolved. **Accountabilities:** - Seeking to understand Tensions conveyed by Role-fillers within the Circle. - Discerning Tensions appropriate to process within a broader Circle. - Processing Tensions within a broader Circle to remove constraints on the Circle. ### Facilitator **Purpose:** Circle governance and operational practices aligned with the Constitution. **Accountabilities:** - Facilitating the Governance Process and Tactical Meetings of the Circle or for its Roles. - Coaching other Circle Members on the Constitution's rules and processes. - Auditing the meetings and records of Sub-Circles on request and declaring a Process Breakdown if one is discovered. ### Secretary **Purpose:** Steward the Circle's governance records and stabilise its record-keeping process. **Domains:** All governance records of the Circle. **Accountabilities:** - Scheduling Governance Meetings and Tactical Meetings of the Circle. - Capturing and publishing the outputs of Governance Meetings and Tactical Meetings. - Requesting elections for elected Roles after each term expires. - Interpreting Governance and the Constitution upon request. Source: [Holacracy Constitution Beta 5.0](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ur01s8oCC__eZTm8ebjXERHD9Sh3RAHR/view) ## Sociocracy roles ### Leader **Purpose:** Provide guidance and prioritisation from the Circle's broader Circle. **Accountabilities:** - Oversees operations of the Circle. - Attends meetings of both the broader circle and their own. - Communicates the interests and decisions of the Circle's broader Circle. - Acts proactively in support of the Circle's effectiveness. ### Representative or Delegate **Purpose:** Participate in the governance decision-making of another team to enable the flow of information and influence. **Accountabilities:** - Attends meetings of both the broader circle and their own. - Stands for the interests of one team in another team. - Participates in governance decision-making of the team they link with. ### Delegator **Purpose:** Distribute the power to influence, to enable people to decide and act for themselves within defined constraints. **Accountabilities:** - Clearly defines domains of autonomy and responsibility. - Ensures there are opportunities for learning and development. - Conducts regular reviews to support effectiveness and decision-making. ### Logbook Keeper **Purpose:** Keep up-to-date records of all information the team requires. **Accountabilities:** - Records details of agreements, domain descriptions, selections, evaluation dates, and meeting minutes. - Keeps records up to date and ensures accessibility to everyone in the team. ### Facilitator **Purpose:** Facilitate a meeting to help the group maintain focus, keep on track, and draw out creativity and wisdom. **Accountabilities:** - Prepares an agenda of topics. - Holds the space, keeps the time, and navigates the agenda during the meeting. - Facilitates an evaluation at the end of the meeting. ### Coordinator **Purpose:** Coordinate a domain's operations. **Accountabilities:** Collaborate to synchronise work across multiple domains. ### Secretary **Accountabilities:** - Makes sure minutes are taken, approved, and stored. - Keeps track of all documents of the circle. - Supports agenda planning, room and IT preparations. - Supports the facilitator during meetings. Source: [Sociocracy 3.0](https://patterns.sociocracy30.org/index.html) ## Scrum roles ### Product Owner **Purpose:** Maximising the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team and maintaining an effective Product Backlog. **Accountabilities:** - Develops and explicitly communicates the Product Goal. - Creates and clearly communicates Product Backlog items. - Orders Product Backlog items. - Ensures the Product Backlog is transparent, visible, and understood. ### Scrum Master **Purpose:** Helping everyone understand Scrum theory and practice, both within the Scrum Team and the organisation. **Accountabilities:** - Coaches team members in self-management and cross-functionality. - Helps the Scrum Team focus on creating high-value Increments that meet the Definition of Done. - Causes the removal of impediments to the Scrum Team's progress. - Ensures that all Scrum events take place and are positive, productive, and kept within the timebox. Source: [Scrum Guide](https://www.scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html) ## Goal Champion **Purpose:** Maintain and oversee the Goal framework, ensuring its successful integration within the business's regular cycle of planning and review. **Accountabilities:** - Performs as a Coach: explains how Goals work, the schedule of meetings, and the cadence. - Sets an example for what a good Goal process and implementation looks like. - Acts as the process watchdog to ensure smooth running and scheduling. - Handles onboarding of new employees into the Goal process. [Source](http://www.goalcoaching.com/2016/09/the-role-of-goal-champion-key-to.html) ## What's Next? - [Role Templates Overview](../structure-governance/role-templates-overview) - [Understanding Core Roles](../structure-governance/understanding-core-roles) - [Role Overview](../structure-governance/role-overview) - [What changes come with Holacracy 5.0?](../structure-governance/what-changes-come-with-holacracy-50)