8 Essential Leadership Traits You Need Running a Volunteering Project

There’s no denying that volunteering is one of the best things you can ever do for yourself. Meeting new people, helping those in need and developing valuable connections and skills are only some of the reasons to do so.

However, volunteering projects require stable and focused leadership in order to deliver the necessary results. There’s a good reason why many volunteering alumni draw parallels between running a volunteer project and pitching a startup – stress is equal between the two. Volunteering projects under the umbrella of an NGO will often operate on a shoestring budget and within a strict deadline.

Such projects require finesse and cold-headed thinking from the person in charge of managing other volunteers. So, what are some of the essential leadership traits you need in order to run a volunteering project efficiently? Let’s find out.

1. Setting Objective Goals

Volunteering projects typically revolve around a charitable goal and require delicate management to be done just right. This is why a volunteering project leader should be capable of setting clear and understandable goals for his or her team members.

As we’ve mentioned previously, NGOs often work on small budgets, and the turnaround time on each project doesn’t allow for many mistakes. Using SMART methodology, combined with a free cloud-based platform such as Google Docs can help project leaders keep track of goals and milestones. Creating spreadsheets with objective goals and distributing them among volunteers will allow everyone to be on the same page on how to proceed.

2. Clear Communication

Many volunteering projects extend to include international volunteers and people of different ages and demographics. An essential skill for leaders in volunteering is to be able to communicate their thoughts and plans to others around them. It can manifest in two ways – verbally or in writing, depending on the scale of the project.

Verbal communication involves day-to-day, ground-level coordination and organization of volunteers. On the other hand, written communication is used to maintain relations with sponsors, other teams, media, and etc. Communication is one of the most pivotal skills required to run a volunteering project effectively, and it can be improved dramatically through practical application.

3. Duty Delegation

The nature of volunteering dictates that everyone and anyone can join the team (after proper interviewing, of course). This means that project leaders often have people of various backgrounds and skillsets under their leadership. It’s good practice to ask for a quick rundown of resume keywords to know what type of person you have on your team.

Rebecca might be a graphic designer, so why not let her design posters, fliers or badges instead of cold-calling sponsors? On the other hand, Steve has experience working in a call centre, which makes him a great spokesperson for your NGO. This will allow you to delegate duties more effectively based on everyone’s background rather than to guess which activity would fit who.

4. Active Listening

While fitting each person based on their previous experience is important, you should also listen carefully to what their reasons for volunteering really are. Some people want to develop communication skills and meet new people – you should give them the opportunity to do so through promotional activities. Others might feel underwhelmed by the volunteering project and decide to quit early on – ask them what it’s all about and listen carefully.

Active listening is an important part of being a good leader in volunteering projects. Each of us has ups and downs, but also good negative qualities which we can work on through teamwork and volunteering. Be a listener and your work as a leader will be that much easier going forward.

5. Positivity under Pressure

When trouble arrives during the project, volunteers will naturally gravitate toward you as their project leader. It’s essential that people in leadership positions remain calm and level-headed, no matter what happens. An important sponsor might pull out at the last minute. Half of your volunteers might be stuck in traffic, and you have to work at half capacity. These situations are not apocalyptic, and you can work around them as long as you don’t buckle under pressure. Breathe deep and think critically without letting your emotions get the better of you.

Ryan Avery, Head of HR and Writer at essaysupply.com, said: “The best way to grow is to expose ourselves to pressure. The situations you find yourself in as a project lead are not life threatening – you are safe. Do your best to use the resources at your disposal and then analyze what you’ve been through carefully. Learn from your mistakes instead of treating them as permanent obstacles and your leadership potential will flourish thereafter.”

6. Empathy & Understanding

It’s true that you should be objective and driven by results when it comes to effective leadership. However, you should also exhibit empathy toward your fellow volunteers. The only difference between yourself and them is the fact that you are in a leadership position.

In practice, you are all equals and want to achieve the same goals. Thus, make sure that your fellow volunteers see you as a friend and a colleague, not as an authoritarian figure on a pedestal. Be there for volunteers who are nervous and feel out of place – help them adjust to their colleagues. Act as an intermediary between your team members and the project’s results will reflect those efforts.

7. Feedback-Oriented

Just as you coach and direct volunteers on your team, they are the ones who will evaluate you as a leader. To that end, be open to criticism, feedback and comments on how your leadership style “vibes” with others. Being feedback-oriented about your leadership skills is a strong sign of character and professionalism in an individual.

Misunderstanding about how you lead and how someone else would lead is bound to happen – be open to suggestions. Some of them might come from careers in corporate management or HR and are able to offer practical advice to you. Others will simply express their thoughts aloud and hope that you understood them. Do your best to listen to, and apply, any advice you may get from other volunteers.

8. Agility & Adaptability

Lastly, given that volunteering is based around personal commitment and goodwill of volunteers, you yourself will have to pitch in and help others frequently. Don’t limit your role in a volunteering project to the role of a manager. This will affect your reputation and place of authority in a very bad way since you will effectively let others do all the heavy lifting.

Be proactive instead and try to pitch in as much as everyone else while also keeping your managerial duties in mind. True qualities of a leader are reflected in the way he or she treats others around her – be one of them, not one above them. This will significantly improve not only your team’s focus and morale but also allow you to develop as a leader considerably more than before.

Why Running Volunteering Projects is good for you

Let’s talk about why you should go through all the trouble of running a volunteering project yourself as its leader. The modern job market has changed significantly from what it was only a few decades ago. Formal education, while still important, isn’t as game-changing as it once was when added to a resume. Soft skills, volunteering experience and social contributions play a significant role in finding the career path you really want.

HR interviewers and CEOs alike want to see initiative, proactive thinking and leadership potential in the candidates they hire. Thus, devoting your time to volunteering, especially in a leadership position, can pay off in spades only a few short years after the fact. Beyond that, some of the best reasons to run a volunteering project right now are:

● Contribute to a social issue or cause you identify with

● Learn new soft and hard skills in a practical environment

● Build your leadership style in a real-world environment

● Enrich your resume for future career endeavours

● Act as a role model and mentor figure to other volunteers

● Network with volunteers for future references and cooperation

● Feel better about yourself and the work you’ve put into the project

Leadership Creates Leadership (Conclusion)

While you will definitely develop personal skills and gain experience as a leader, you will inevitably affect others around you in a significant way. Volunteering project leaders, depending on their leadership style, can inspire others to become leaders themselves.

This can create a chain reaction of team members who take up leadership roles because they felt inspired by you as their role-model. Become someone you would look up to yourself, and the results of your volunteering project will speak for themselves.