Take Charge of Your Own Leadership Development… Volunteer!
Category: Influence Savvy
Frustrated that you’re not moving up fast enough at work? Passed over for a promotion that you thought you deserved? Told that you weren’t qualified for a position because you didn’t have enough management experience?
Many people find themselves in situations like these. They want to get into management, but they don’t have the opportunity to learn management skills on the job. What do you do?
Volunteer!
Yes. Take charge of your own leadership development. Volunteer!
Volunteering is perhaps the best kept career development secret. Adopt it and it will be your secret to success, too.
Did you ever wonder why so many successful people are also active in their communities? There is a definite relationship between voluntarism and career success, and it is not only because of the good works that are done.
Volunteer leadership builds these advantages that will benefit you as you advance in your career:
Management and Leadership Experience
New and Different Leadership Models
Motivation
Organizational Effectiveness
Networking
Community Contribution
Management and Leadership Experience
When you volunteer, you broaden your management and leadership exposure. You become involved in organizations and get to observe and participate in the workings of them. You witness new and different leadership styles. You learn what works and what doesn’t work. You can learn from everything you observe, either what to do or what not to do.
New and Different Leadership Models
When you take on a volunteer leadership position, you actually gain experience managing and leading. Many times this experience is the missing piece of your career rounding, the piece that gets you “stuck.” This experience can transfer to your career. You learn planning, delegating, organizing and communicating skills. You can learn strategic planning,
Motivation
You learn how to motivate people without using the threat of a paycheck. You learn positive motivation. This is a great skill to have in the business world. When you work with non-paid volunteers, who have a choice of where and when they volunteer, you learn skills that attract and engage people in your volunteer effort. If you can motivate volunteers, you can motivate just about anyone.
Organizational Effectiveness
Volunteer groups are organizations. When you volunteer to lead one of these groups, you learn about organizational design and structure. You learn about committees and boards. You learn how to run meetings and projects. You learn how to establish backups and backup plans. All of these can apply to you business career situation as well.
Networking
Your volunteer efforts will broaden your network and contact base. With each volunteer organization you join, you will meet new people. As you broaden your contact base, you broaden you experience and your center of influence. This can be beneficial to you and your employer. Many of the people you work with can also be influential. Either in your career or in your volunteer efforts. You will have these contacts for the rest of your life.
Community Contribution
And finally, as with most volunteer work, you will help your community. This should be the sincere reason that you do volunteer. The world needs volunteers, and because and as a result of your efforts you will grow as your community grows.
How to get started?
Choose the volunteer effort of your choice. It is very important that you have a passion for the work that you will donate, so select a cause that you know will sustain you.
Contact the organization. Most organizations readily welcome volunteers. Find the dates and times of their meetings, and plan to attend one.
Attend a meeting. As you attend, talk to the people and observe the group to see if it is one you will enjoy. Different organizations have different cultures, and it is important that you find a match that works for you.
Join.
Join a committee or task force. You will probably be asked what your interests and skills are, and whether you want to participate in a committee. Some people choose committees that fit with their skills, some select committees that will develop their skills. As an example, some people will join the grants committee because they want to learn and improve their skills and knowledge about grant writing, others who have proficiency in it might join the committee to share their skills.
Volunteer for a leadership position. As soon as you feel comfortable, volunteer to chair a committee or do a special project that will enhance your leadership skills. The organization most likely will welcome and appreciate it.
Hints for success:
Be there. When you commit to something, do it. When you say you are going to be somewhere, be there. You can hurt your reputation by not doing these things as much as you can help it by living up to your commitments.
Don’t overcommit. Take on only as much as you think you can do… well. If you take on too much, you risk either burnout or not fulfilling a commitment.
Be positive. Some people in organizations like to criticize. Don’t play that game. It will show your true leadership skill.
Network: Get to know as many people as you can. Sit at different tables at meetings. Every person you get to know has potential to influence your career.
Learn from your experience. As you work to benefit your community, maximize your efforts to broaden your own experience. Vary the volunteer jobs you take on to vary your experience base.
Add value. Make a difference in your organization.
Enjoy your experience.
Yes, you CAN enhance your own leadership development simply by volunteering. It doesn’t cost your employer. It builds skills that you want to build. It helps your community. It is a “win:win” for you and your community.
Build your community while you build your skills. That’s what leaders do.
