Volunteering As A Drill In Leadership

When I conceptualised, and created The Joy of Giving movement in 2003, the idea was to create a paradigm shift and an attitudinal change that encouraged each citizen to stop being apathetic and fulfil their individual social responsibility. The Joy of Giving is not about giving money, used clothes or newspapers, but a mindset that enables individuals to go beyond just giving money. It is about giving time, effort and involvement to be the change and make a difference. Each of us cannot change everything, but we can go beyond our apathy and change something. Alas, we have not understood our potential as individuals to be the change.

In India, we have adopted the pop culture of the West, but we have not adopted their best practices of volunteering and service towards humanity. In the United States, Canada and Europe we see seven-year-old children selling cookies, bakes and lemonades to create awareness about a cause dear to their heart. We also see the youth and top business, political, media and other leaders, be they Barack and Michelle Obama, Warren Buffet, Justin Trudeau, Tony Blair, Prince Charles, Diana Spencer, Indra Nooyi or others, proactively serving in soup kitchens or homeless shelters. We in India need to adopt these best practices, as children or as managers or executives/officers in any sector because volunteering is hands on leadership learning and inspires solid character and discipline.

In India, we kick-started the Swachh Bharat Mission to clean India as a part of our ethical leadership course in B-schools and Fortune 500 companies. However, while many Indians complain about how the country is very dirty and unclean, most Indian executives, are yet to pick up the broom. They find it below their dignity, even though our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has picked up the broom to clean India. This is classic, contagious citizen apathy and the same apathetic mindset is what people carry to work, where they whine and complain about everything, but refuse to do their little bit to make a difference.

Action: As managers/ parents inspire your associates/ children to volunteer. It is scientifically proven in research studies done by Reed Executive, Harvard, Stanford, Yale and other top institutions that volunteering helps employees develop more responsibility, empathy, resourcefulness and initiative. Volunteers are proactive citizens, who also become proactive employees to find solutions with their own initiative and become the change at the workplace. Volunteering is hands-on leadership learning which also creates better self-awareness and social consciousness. Volunteering helps people become better human beings and team players who understand interdependence.

Here are some facts from the Reed Executive studies. 1) 73 per cent of employers would recruit a candidate with volunteering experience over one without 2) 94 per cent of employers believe that volunteering can add to skills. 3) 94 per cent of employees who volunteered to learn new skills had benefited either by getting their first job, improving their salary, or being promoted. Volunteering also has health benefits and impacts the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of human beings. Volunteering helps us fuel our inner-fire and keep our passion alive.