How does your business develop leaders? While seminars and trainings all serve a purpose, volunteering is a unique way to nurture and build your leadership. Volunteering can make you a better leader at any point of your career, whether you’re in the C-Suite or an entry-level worker looking for a way to stand out.
Tackling Management Issues With Ease
Volunteering creates a unique management environment because fellow volunteers are not motivated by income or organizational authority like in an office environment. Instead, all volunteers are motivated by a common cause. When volunteering in a leadership role, it requires a great deal of flexibility in working with others, meeting objectives and guiding other volunteers through a given task. Working harmoniously with people of all ages and from all backgrounds helps to improve your leadership skills.
Practice Your Networking Skills
Volunteering can make you a better leader by building your networking skills in a non-professional environment. It can also strengthen connections between you and those working at lower positions in your office if you volunteer as a group. Volunteering puts you in a different, more equal environment where you can interact with high-level executives, people fresh out of college and people from entirely different industries. You might be surprised how many friendships, partnerships and business opportunities can come out of volunteering.
Remember the Importance of Vision
As a leader, you strive to unite all of your employees around a common cause. The same thing is true when you volunteer, except in many cases, it’s easier in a volunteer environment. Volunteering is a good reminder of how vital shared values can be in any work environment. When people work together and invest in a unified vision, they can accomplish far more than they would working from opposing viewpoints.
Encourage Collaboration
Great leaders are also often great collaborators. Because volunteering requires the combined effort of many people, it improves your collaboration skills and your leadership skills as a result. From bridging communication gaps to learning from someone you typically would be teaching, volunteering offers a multitude of opportunities for every leader to grow.
Learn More About How Volunteering Can Make You a Better Leader
Business Volunteers Maryland is a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the community by creating strategic connections between businesses, nonprofits and individuals. We help companies like yours to establish and expand community impact efforts while achieving your business goals. To learn more about our services and learn more about volunteering as a team, contact us by calling (410) 366-6030.