Having recently stepped back from my involvement with a local football club after 17 years with all that it involved in terms of coaching, organisation, people management, budgets etc., it made me reflect on the benefits of volunteering in significantly helping to develop leadership capability.
The challenges of running a voluntary or not for profit organisation are akin to those of any organisation. But with the one notable exception – you’re working with people who have given up their precious time and aren’t being paid! Yet this makes it even harder because you’re not only dealing with limited resources but you’ve got to motivate everyone to keep things on track.
When talking about volunteering in this context, I’m not referring to volunteering days and community work, which are typically part of an organisation’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, enabling employees to spend time doing their bit in the local community. This too is important but this article is about purposeful experiences to build leadership capability.
‘Learning by doing’
I would argue that there is no truer test of your leadership ability than volunteering. And if you compare what you learn as a volunteer – which can be within your own organisation or externally, as in my football club example – I believe it’s far more valuable than what you get from say an academic leadership development programme. Indeed, many of these more formal, costly development programmes prove to be ineffective. And it’s very difficult for CEOs and leaders to see a return as it’s so hard to measure the ROI of such initiatives. Now I’m not saying they don’t have a place but there is no doubt in my mind that the best experiences to build leadership capability come from the ‘learning by doing’ approach.
Research that I conducted on high potentials revealed that the most successful leaders have had key character building periods during their career journeys, whether it be managing underperforming teams, turning around a failing business or delivering a large scale transformation project. And it is through these experience that they will have learnt so much, both from their successes and failures. The 70:20:10 model, which was created by eminent leadership experts such as Bob Eichinger, advocates that the most important aspect of leadership learning – the 70% – comes from job related experiences. Who am I to argue with Bob et al.!
However, there are only so many stretch assignments that you can give to your budding leaders, which is why volunteering can be so beneficial. There are any ways in which leaders can get involved in voluntary roles for not for profit organisations outside their own organisation. Examples in include being on the board of governors at your child’s school or getting involved for a charity that might mean a lot to you and your family. And that priceless experience you gain – in terms of strategic thinking, influencing, driving significant change without huge resources, leading people etc. – can then be applied to the workplace.
But there are also plenty of volunteering opportunities inside your own organisation. If you think of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), many organisations have established working groups that support minority and protected groups. This enables the individual to play a leadership role in an area they would not normally be exposed to. It’s not just about promoting and driving D&I, which is why these groups exist, but the aim of your role is to develop your leadership skills.
You might already have an affiliation to that group or perhaps you want to learn about challenges and issues faced by another group. In either case, you will also be building your own profile and of course people will come to know and trust you. Think of the wider benefits in terms of engagement and retention. Naturally, the development you get from these internal experiences is different to the outside world but the principles are the nevertheless the same. (It also says a lot about the individual and demonstrates learning agility, being proactive, wanting to seek out challenges in a deliberate way to plug gaps, stepping out of their comfort zone).
Business benefits
When looking to volunteer, you should always look for a cause or mission that you’re passionate about, as otherwise your interest is bound to wane. There must a good reason for you to do it. The important point to keep in mind, as mentioned above, is to ensure that the experiences you seek build leadership capability so that they will benefit you and your organisation.
I would also suggest that the onus, especially when looking to volunteer externally, is on the individual to find an opportunity they’re passionate about. However, that’s not to say that the organisation should have no involvement. In fact, line managers play a pivotal part in offering support during one to ones in helping map out the area to focus on (assessments will also of course reveal shortcomings). If for example you need to understand finances better, you might want to volunteer as a treasurer. These conversations and feedback are important in establishing the development needed, which then can be married up to relevant opportunities.
As well as exploring the areas you need to work on, your volunteering experiences and what you’ve learnt will also help to identify further opportunities that will allow you to use that external experience in the workplace – the crossover benefits are tangible. (As an aside, I don’t subscribe to the idea that we’re different outside of work – the context might be different but people bring their whole selves to work, you’re still the same person or should be if you’re authentic!)
That’s why I believe organisations have to take volunteering seriously. It should be promoted and encouraged because otherwise people won’t get involved or feel that their company values this type of experience. So if leaders can get behind volunteering and send out the message that these development opportunities have real value, more team members will want to volunteer, which means greater benefits for both parties. Building relationships with local not for profits could also be part of a company’s leadership development strategy, so that roles could then be allocated to the person who would most reap the developmental benefits.
How do you go about finding those volunteering experiences? Here are FIVE top tips:
- Think broadly about where the opportunities might be – there are many voluntary and third sector organisations, charities, schools or colleges. Ideally focus on something you’re passionate about (sport, charity, education etc.) as otherwise it’s going to be hard to sustain enthusiasm.
- Approach them and ask about volunteering opportunities but in a leadership capacity. Be strategic and think about your career path and what you are looking to develop (for example, your people leadership skills or financial acumen).
- The role you undertake needs to be part of conscious leadership development to build capability and knowledge in areas where you might not have had prior experience or exposure of.
- Line manager support is important. They must probe and ask questions to help you reflect on your leadership capability and how your new found skills can be applied to the company.
- Having a mentor or mentoring others is another great way to hone your leadership skills. It will enable you to see things from a different lens, which will improve your decision making.
Some final thoughts…
Organisations have a responsibility to develop their people and there is now an expectation, especially from the younger Gen Zers that they will do so. Otherwise, with talent shortages persisting, they risk losing out on the best talent – it’s as simple as that.
Volunteering, whether internally or externally, is a powerful way of achieving this while boosting leadership capability. It provides a level of learning and experience that you would not otherwise get. Whether setting a strategy to achieve a vision, creating a structure, aligning human and financial resources, you will be developing skills and knowledge that is readily applicable to your corporate role. There is also a significant networking upside, which again can benefit your business too.
I get that leaders want to see results. And we know that the biggest return in leadership development comes through learning by doing, giving people experiences to stretch their leadership capability. The benefits are clear to see – you’re not only raising the bar in your organisation’s leadership capability, volunteering doesn’t cost you a penny! The only cost is the person’s time and if you’re passionate about it, you’ll get involved anyway. It’s a triple whammy – for the individual, organisation and the internal group/external committee they’re volunteering for.
Volunteering is an incredibly valuable opportunity for real world leadership development. It’s one of the most impactful and effective leadership development interventions. The context might be different but the skills are the same. It’s free, the individual is giving up their time to do it and if you wisely pick the right areas to work on, it can be the most effective form of leadership development.
Why then is volunteering so under-valued and under-utilised in most organisations?
I’d love to hear your thoughts so please get in touch at paul.surridge@targetleadership.co.uk