Integer Leadership Consulting

For years I believed that verbalizing my intent to volunteer…my desire to place myself at the point of raw human need…was somehow meritorious and would lead to action. I mistakenly believed that my philanthropic aspirations counted for something despite the fact that I consistently failed to follow through. The net result was an ongoing sense of personal frustration and failure.

I had to come to terms with the fact that my episodes of spouted altruism were nothing more than an attempt to assuage guilt over my detachment from and my disinterest in coming into contact with the pain and misery of others. My lack of volunteering was not about a “schedule gone wild;” it was an ensconced intransigence to sacrificing my time and an unwillingness to breach my generous comfort zone which kept need and suffering always at arms length.

While the barriers that keep talented and busy organizational leaders from connecting with human need may vary considerably, charting a pathway to overcoming those barriers might be something that is shared in common. Moving from altruistic intentions to face-to-face encounters is a matter of following what I call a “volunteering glide path.” The following series of decisions and actions have proven to be effective for me in turning philanthropic lassitude into compassionate interaction.

Make a Decision of the Will: The impetus to volunteer springs from a deep place within one’s sense of self. This impetus is not the result of self shaming, guilt or “shoulds” but rather about importunity and opportunity - a feeling of “I must act given this need.” If serving others is compelled by this almost existential sense of responsibility and urgency, it can become the sustainable point-of-departure that opens the door for meaningful and transformational involvement.

Focus on “the One” not “the Many:” Once the decision of the will to serve is made, often another dilemma must be addressed: where do I begin in the face of such an overwhelming sea of human need and brokenness? It is easy to get discouraged and to then jettison your decision before you ever begin. However, remember that the goal here is to simply start making a difference in someone’s life. When I am confronted with these “why even attempt” messages, I am reminded of a powerful thought spoken by Mother Teresa, “I never look at the masses as my responsibility; I look at the individual. I can only love one person at a time - just one. So you begin. I began - I picked up one person. Maybe if I didn’t pick up that one person, I wouldn’t have picked up forty-two thousand….The same thing goes for you….Just begin - one, one, one.”

Choose from your Affinity Groups: Opportunities to volunteer are often found within your natural affinity groups. Check with the social service agencies (for example, United way, Rotary, Kiwanis, Hope Link) or religious organizations (church, synagogue, mosque, temple) with which you are connected. If you are not connected to any affinity groups, ask those business colleagues or friends whom you trust and respect to connect you to the organizations in which they are involved.

Schedule and Protect: Pure and simple, once you have decided where and when to serve, build the appointment into your calendar and protect it. Treat this time as importantly as you would an executive leadership consultation with your key staff and business partners.

Be Relational, Do the Menial, Communicate Hope: Whatever you choose to do, get as close as possible to the people you serve, look them in the eye and treat them with respect, dignity and honor. Communicate hope and possibility through your presence. Do whatever is required. Be a learner and a listener. Open yourself to feeling and understanding the complexity and onerousness of their situations.

Journal and Translate: Organizational leaders can learn a great deal about their own leadership impact by reflecting on the “lessons learned” through volunteering. Begin a journal and translate your experiences into “life and leadership insights.” For example, how has volunteering challenged you to show care and concern, to be willing to reveal your own vulnerability and humanness to the people with whom you work? How has this experience impacted the way you lead and manage people, the way you influence your organization’s strategic vision, mission, core values, clients, products and services?

Build on Momentum: To make volunteering an ongoing part of your life, schedule your next opportunity as soon as possible. While a day of volunteering brings a sense of fulfillment, it is the consistent giving of your life to others that makes a holistic impact on you and the recipients of your care. While you may never “pick up forty-two thousand,” you will live with the deeper awareness that you have made a significant difference in the lives of a few. Now THAT is leadership!