Editor’s Note: This piece by Michelle DeClerck is the third in a seven-part series focusing on the importance of community involvement and volunteering for women to grow both professionally and personally. Part one and part two are both available online. Part three focuses on the values leaders discover when promoting volunteerism among their employees.

When you volunteer your time with Central Iowa leaders as regularity as I do, it’s only natural to gain some insight about the correlation between community involvement and enhanced leadership skills.  

Not only can I make a difference in the community through volunteering, but also it has provided me with leadership skills that are equal to or greater than any I have gained in the workplace.

Employees learn these leadership skills when they volunteer. Richard Pound summed it up with his Forbes blog: “One of the most powerful ways for younger managers to understand and experience the type of leadership needed for the C-Suite is to do volunteer work early in their careers.”

These skills benefit employees’ businesses and can elevate their career path in the following ways:

• Learning how to communicate ideas and how to deal with people in other areas.
• Fine-tuning negotiation skills when making decisions.
• Making commitments and following through.
• Hitting deadlines and prioritizing.
• Working on a fixed budget.

Good leaders volunteer, get involved and inspire others to give back. They personally invite into their inner circles people they enjoy working with and trust.

When I can’t fulfill one of my volunteer responsibilities, I look to the strongest members on my team to temporarily step in to represent not only my company, but my personal reputation as well. This provides my staff with an opportunity to try something new away from the office, demonstrate their skill set and grow.  

If you manage a team, it’s important you provide them with opportunities to volunteer together, because it strengthens the bonds within your team, helps with employee retention and satisfaction, and helps our communities. Our community outreach team at CEM develops these bonds when ringing the Salvation Army bells, coaching at Opportunity on Deck, and packaging food with Meals From the Heartland.

As a volunteer, you also have the ability to shape others’ opinions of you, your workforce and your business, and you learn of great community groups to further support.

One of today’s hottest opportunities is found in mentoring young women. Taking this step benefits all industries when the playing field is leveled for women in the workplace. According to recently published research from Catalyst, “Fortune 500 companies with the highest representation of women board directors attained significantly higher financial performance.”

In addition, the report points out there is “notably stronger-than-average performance at companies with three or more women board directors.” Personal enrichment is also one of the major benefits that will be derived from your dedication of time and talent.

So go ahead — sign up to give back, and who knows who else will be impacted by your leadership initiative?

DeClerck is involved with both the Iowa Women’s Leadership Connection and the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Iowa. She is working to involve college students with the Iowa Women’s Leadership Connection, and NAWBO has recognized her as one of its Woman Business Owners of the Year. She enjoys speaking on female leadership, business ownership and mentoring, and is addicted to self-help business books. DeClerck can be reached atMichelle@myCEM.com.