Working in as many tech jobs as I have had in my 30+ year career, I realized that not many (if any) of those jobs tapped into my true passion, creativity, and potential. I recently discovered how valuable volunteer involvement can be in invigorating and growing that potential while bringing my leadership skills to fruition. That opportunity came my way when I recently volunteered and traveled to Vietnam with a children’s charity and their team.

Initially, when we think and hear about volunteer roles, we wonder why we would give up our personal free time and waste that valuable resource that we want more of. Trust me, as I recently learned, volunteering plays a much bigger role in enriching your life. Not only is it a great way to meet and work with new people, but it’s also great for increasing your leadership potential. On the one hand, you will be surrounded by several top-notch leaders to watch and learn from, who will be more than happy to help you develop your leadership skills, in your roles together. Although it’s not formal, it’s more about you doing it by watching what your leader does and how he does it. How do they delegate? How do you get everyone on board with the same idea? How do they handle each person’s different personalities, abilities, and manners?

First, let’s put a common myth aside. You will not become a leader after just 1 volunteer period. Like most worthwhile things in life, practice makes perfect. The good news is that because there are so many flavors of leadership, each volunteer role you take on will hone different aspects of your leadership arsenal. Once it’s learned, it’s never lost and you keep it for future moments when a real challenge presents itself, like getting the whole team on board with your idea or goal.

There were many things that I learned and observed. I will try to share them with you now. I also reflect on why I feel they are important.

1) Observe: Observe both your leader and the other members of your team. This is the main way you will learn. Watch what your leader does or says. Do members of your team respond favorably to the style of their leaders? Observing is our main way of learning, observing others in action.

2) Keep questions short and simple: Asking short questions ensures that the message is not misunderstood, which happens a lot nowadays. The rule is, “One idea – One question.” So many times, while honing my listening skills, I have observed a totally tangent response to what the other person was asking. That tells me that the question was not clear and was misinterpreted by the intended audience.

3) Listen to your team: Good leaders always listen and observe their team members. If they see dissension within the ranks, a good leader can quickly modify their plan or ask team members for clarification to calm a potentially destructive environment. What and how something is said can be an early indicator of dissent. Then the leader can act quickly, when the problem is still in its infancy.

4) Build your team – By doing simple things like going out to eat together every night, everyone has a chance to mingle and learn from each other. Doing some fun things too, like sightseeing, takes some of the social pressure off of others, especially when members meet for the first time.

5) Do Daily Reports – This gives every member of your team the same level of importance. By allowing each team member to speak for several minutes, you tell each team member their contribution. Nothing builds a team faster than giving every member an equal voice, regardless of what they contribute, however small it may seem. Team members also learn from each other.

6) Lend a Hand and Lend a Hand: When you volunteer, you initially arrive ready to lend a hand in what is “asked” of you. But it is a 2 way street. You should also be on the lookout to offer to help when you see a team member having a hard time making their part work. It is said: “What goes around, comes around.” Be the first to offer your help and it’s like money in the bank. When you need help, you may find another team member who will do the same for you by offering to help. Some people feel uncomfortable “asking” for help. They will literally break down, but they will not “ask” you for help. By offering to help, you contribute to the team spirit of your group of volunteers.

7) Can’t Fail – In short, you can rarely get fired from your volunteer role (unless you’re really REALLY bad). You are working for free and you are already giving up your free time. This environment takes the pressure off you and allows you to try many things to hone your leadership skills, some of which may fail miserably. But that’s okay. Because if you were to try it at your paid day job, it could have long-lasting repercussions, like being snubbed by your coworkers or even getting fired.

8) Great way to learn about Gen X’ers ​​- yes, we are getting older and the next generation is rising through the ranks. While we still have to work before retirement, we have to overlap and work with the younger generation. What a great way to learn more about his overall style of being able to text with both thumbs and multitask like never before. They also have inherent skills that you’ve been dying to learn, like using your smartphone.

9) Volunteering Subtly Sells You: When interviewing for a job, the interviewer will learn more about you and your value system by asking what you do in your spare time. Just watch TV or movies, play Nintendo games, or hang out with friends? No, you are a volunteer with the XYZ charity. That speaks wonders of “you”!

Don’t underestimate the value of volunteering to further your leadership development. Although informal, there are many benefits to taking such a real life workout. You can choose the charity and the task. You can choose when and where you go. You can even gauge your participation in the time of year by participating in your annual slow time. You can combine trips to another country with missionary projects, accompanying people who can know the landscape. It’s a work party. It’s also a great way to meet and learn about other people, countries and cultures, while giving back to a worthwhile cause or charity. Consider volunteering in developing your professional skills.