April was National Volunteer Month \u2013 a time to honor all the volunteers that contribute of themselves to improve our communities.\u00a0 The month also brings attention to volunteer recruitment, so maybe you\u2019ve been thinking more about how you might contribute your time and talent.\u00a0 Our time is our most valuable gift, so I encourage you to differentiate strategic volunteerism that provides leadership enhancement opportunities vs. other volunteerism for altruistic reasons.<\/p>\n
Volunteerism for altruistic reasons is personal and leads you to a cause that provides pure personal satisfaction, such as serving in a soup kitchen.\u00a0 While this is very important too, I\u2019ll focus on strategic volunteerism to help you choose volunteer positions with visibility in mind.<\/p>\n
The most obvious and accessible path is to choose opportunities within your industry or field of expertise, such as a professional association.\u00a0 An example would be women in commercial real estate getting involved with Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW).\u00a0 Stepping up to serve in professional organizations is especially important if you\u2019re working in a male dominated field, such as engineering.<\/p>\n
Once you\u2019re settled in a volunteer position, don\u2019t be shy about it.\u00a0 Broadcast your volunteer leadership roles in emails to the boss, at annual review time and even in social media.\u00a0 Unfortunately, women are less willing to toot their own horns, yet we absolutely must to be recognized and advance.<\/p>\n
Look around your community, read the news about accomplished business leaders and the organizations they serve.\u00a0 If you are more thoughtful about determining who in a volunteer position is a powerful leader, then you can go after opportunities to lead with them.\u00a0 Think about the leaders you want to know, and find a volunteer situation that meets your other parameters.<\/p>\n
Some volunteer positions can help you advance professionally and gain certifications.\u00a0 Toastmasters is the volunteer experience that provided this opportunity for me.\u00a0 I was already a seasoned presenter when I joined Toastmasters 20 years ago; however, I was joining to further develop my leadership skills.<\/p>\n
I believe I have held every office in our club, serving several terms as president.\u00a0 Additionally, I served as an area director for our district.\u00a0 My volunteer job was a perfect match for the skills I wanted to hone \u2013 to develop leadership in others.\u00a0 In a volunteer organization, there are no bonuses or raises, so you must find ways to inspire your colleagues.<\/p>\n
In my business, I wanted to become a leader of leaders, a developer of talent.\u00a0 The goal to be able to recognize the spark, then fuel that spark into greater leadership.\u00a0 Gradually, I developed step-by-step ways to hone in on the spark and groom the right person for leadership succession.<\/p>\n
As I moved up to take more responsibility within Toastmasters, I became a more skilled delegator.\u00a0 Eventually, I was an area director, overseeing several clubs, coaching and developing other leaders.\u00a0 I had successfully leveraged my volunteer role with Toastmasters into one that provided exactly what I needed professionally.\u00a0 I developed better delegation skills, better meeting planning and execution skills, effective talent search and development in creating a succession plan both as a president and as an area director.<\/p>\n
While I was taking my own skills to a higher level, I was also helping others, which is the pure essence of volunteerism.\u00a0 The opportunities with Toastmasters provided both the feel-good opportunity to volunteer and serve others at the same time I was growing my own skills and taking my leadership abilities to the next level.<\/p>\n