Outside of insurance, I help organize career events, professional retreats, networking mixers, and AI training with the Ismaili Professionals Network. Volunteer leadership has taught me things I use at work every week.
No one has to follow you
Volunteers don't report to you. They show up because they believe in the mission and enjoy working with the team. If they stop believing, they stop coming. That's a great test for any leader: would people still follow you if they didn't have to?
Purpose beats pressure
The fastest way to get a volunteer team moving is to connect the work to why it matters, such as helping someone find their next job or learn a new skill. The same is true at work. People do their best when they see the impact.
Plan for the details
Events succeed or fail on logistics: rooms, timing, communication, and follow-up. Running them sharpened my operations habits, the same ones that keep many offices running smoothly.
Develop the next leaders
A program only lasts if new people step up. I try to give volunteers real ownership early, just as I do with managers at work.
Community makes you better at your job
Meeting professionals from many industries keeps me curious and brings ideas into insurance from places it wouldn't otherwise come from.
More on how I lead in Leading multi-location teams.