Chapter 4:
Volunteer to be a leader to build leadership skills
Every person can develop his or her leadership skills through volunteering. If you have the desire to become a leader, you need to develop some skills that should be manifested by an efficient leader. Volunteerism enhances and develops these skills including other important skills like problem solving, mentoring, communicating and coaching effectively.
Your leadership skills will be developed only when you do your part. The following are certain ways on how you can improve most leadership skills by means of volunteering:
Develop People’s Skills
Your interpersonal skills will be developed when you prefer to work along with other people from various backgrounds. Through volunteering, a person will learn the best way to handle different people and diverse situations. With your willingness to be a volunteer, you’ll learn the significance of strong communication, diversity, mutual respect, cooperation, shared planning and exerting effort to meet common goals.
Develop Your Confidence
Volunteering gives opportunities to face new challenges with no fear of career or financial repercussions. Learning and developing new skills within a low-consequence and supportive environment will assist you in expanding your skills and in gaining confidence.
Learn Organization or Planning Skills
A volunteer learns to plan efficient meetings, organize parties or events and direct other volunteers. Through event planning, you will learn the best and proper way to set your goals, delineate actions and track the results. These planning & organization abilities are moveable through the entire career directions.
Improve Mentoring Skills
Most volunteer groups depend on other volunteers to distribute knowledge and information. As you get a new role inside an organization, you’re often encouraged to guide the new member assuming your previous role.
Enhance Communication Skills
Leadership needs clear, organized and concise communications. Volunteer activities usually require a person to communicate what he or she does and to sway others to support your cause.
Develop Time Management Skills
Volunteering demands the need to learn the right way to organize your work, family & volunteer priorities. To keep a sensible balance, you have to learn how you should manage time.
If you have all of these skills, it will not be hard for you to learn how you should act to become an efficient leader. Everything starts by your willingness to work as a volunteer so make a move today and be a good leader someday.