What are some effective ways to gain leadership experience outside of work?

Not every person is born to be a leader but when you have a cause that you're truly devoted towards and sincerely want to create an impact in the right way, it becomes a responsibility and it can not be taken as a role of a "position". You can be a leader in whatever you wish to pursue, given that it is being pursued with absolute conviction, heart and faith. It can't be engulfed with any sort of ill intentions towards anything. Your cause for it has to be crystal clear.

Leadership is an act; it is not a position. Leadership is an attitude; it is not a designation. Everyone has opportunities to step into a leadership position, even if it is for a short period in our daily lives. Team Sports are a great way to get into the shoes of a Leader, lead by example, and demonstrate integrity and hard work. Or, in a Work context, just being diligent about taking notes, synthesizing and summarising action points after a Meeting enables one to seize the moment and demonstrate leadership capabilities.

The key to a good volunteering experience is a clear objective and carefully choosing where to donate your most precious asset - your time. In 2010, I decided to leave a management consultant career to pursue volunteer work. My goal was clear: I was obsessed with the pursuit of meaningful work and nothing seemed more meaningful than to help low-income communities build better lives. The question was where. Based on much research, my top choice was TechnoServe. After months of nagging, I was offered a fellow role in Haiti for five weeks. Weeks turned to years. Thirteen years later, I am still with TechnoServe, overseeing our global operations in 31 countries, and grateful to our clients and colleagues that fill every day with meaning.

What makes leading in a volunteer organization so valuable is it is about influence and character. You have to inspire others to do work for a cause and not for a paycheck. To buy into a vision. My time in outside organizations developing those skills has helped me become a better leader at work.

I would like to share my own experience of becoming a globally recognized leader in Blockchain. My journey commenced circa 2015 when I first heard 'Bitcoin'. I had no clue what it meant then. Used following process to become master 1. Read white paper by Satoshi Nakamoto - Peer to Peer Electronic Cash System, made effort to understand every term, concept & jargon mentioned in the article, thread bare 2. Started meeting start up founders in Crypto & Blockchain space early on, did knowledge barter- shared my knowledge on Indian Fintech space and sought blockchain knowledge from them 3. Did most unthinkable early on - Gave Tedx speech on Blockchain revolution 4. Formed National Special Interest Group on Blockchain & drove active membership...

I joined my Homeowner’s Association- talk about learning how to deal with a bunch of angry stakeholders!! Ha! At the same time those same people always end up thanking me for volunteering my time to uphold the value of our community. In the end, if you learn how to deal with people, show progress and prove the value you’ll be appreciated for your dedication and commitment to the community. They will see you as a leader who has the right intentions and clear objectives to uphold everyone’s best interest.

Organize events, fundraising drives, or community initiatives. This builds project management skills. Give presentations to share your expertise. This is public speaking practice. Recruit and motivate other volunteers. This develops team management abilities. Leading outside your job provides fresh perspectives on your strengths. It also helps you make connections, raise your profile and give back. Highlight your professional organization or community involvement on your resume and in interviews to showcase well-rounded leadership experience.

- I volunteered in an association - I mentor others every year - I started a family and raised 3 amazing kids - I have coached a sports team - I learned how to get over fear of presentations

My husband and I joined our local Toastmasters club. Of course our original goal was to become competent and skilled at speaking. However, we eventually also took on leadership roles where we gained experience in scheduling, facilitating, content preparation, documentation and recruitment. It was a fun time and we gained some life-long friendships in the process.

Start or join an employee group and take an active leadership role there. Offer to organise events and activities. Such are often a great way to network within your firm and being seen in a leadership role. Such roles can be quite visible and can begin to build sponsorship and advocacy for you which could in turn open doors to future career opportunities.

A "formal position of authority or influence" as mentioned in the intro is not required to practice leadership skills. Actually, even in such a position, leadership is not about formal authority ?? When we talk about hobbies, sports and gaming offer an almost unlimited variety of leadership experiences. Join a team in your favorite sport. Or if you'd rather keep your eye on the big picture, become a referee. Become a game master for a pen & paper group, and practice storytelling along the way. Organize a tournament. Participate in, or even moderate discussion groups. The possibilities are endless. And you can learn so much about empathy, informal influence, and mutual support. And about using these for the right goals.

Balancing leadership as a CEO of five companies with my passion as a Sensei has been enlightening. In my studio, teaching martial arts to kids, I harness discipline and focus that mirror my corporate world. Pursuing this passion, I've honed skills like planning and innovation. It's more than a hobby; it's a leadership lab. Every kick, block, or strategy session is a lesson in goal-setting, overcoming hurdles, and sharing outcomes. These experiences, outside the boardroom, have enriched my leadership palette, revealing untapped opportunities in my career trajectory. Each role I play shapes my leadership story uniquely.

Once in 2014, one senior said "Hey Hitesh, plz concentrate on your primary work. Do not participate too much on community gathering at head office"... But unfortunately my hobby as a stage anchor, public speaker, mimicry artist, dancing was very difficult to control??. I still continued and today when I see those memorable moments at past 3 different organization, I could feel high energy within".. I want n I will continue my hobbies, as now they are one of the integral part of my personality. Those hobbies made me to be stronger to "read people" better and be go getter for any work around.

I have been blogging for three years at @Brilliant Legal Mind and I never thought of it as leadership until I saw this prompt. But, of course it is. I started the blog because I loved writing, had been compiling resources and wisdom around mindfulness and meditation, and I wanted to make mindfulness more accessible to my community. Having the blog has put me in a position to meet new people, support my friends and good causes, and get a new perspective out in the world. It has required not just planning, effort, and execution, but also having the courage to face doubts and overcome setbacks. This is leadership and I am glad this prompt helped me think about it.

I believe a great way to build your informal leadership experience is to join a Non-profit board in your community. Joining a board can help build leadership skills in multiple ways. Being part of a board exposes you to decision-making processes, strategic planning, setting goals, and making decisions. Serving on a board offers opportunities for networking and building professional relationships. Interacting with other board members, who often have diverse backgrounds and experiences, can broaden one's perspective and promote collaboration. These interactions can also provide you with valuable mentorship and guidance, fostering their growth as leaders.

Expert coaching helps you identify strengths to leverage and areas needing improvement. Their feedback provides rare insights you can’t get on the job. Leadership programs offer accelerated development you simply can’t get through work experience alone. Pursuing leadership training through structured courses and programs can profoundly enrich your management capabilities. It equips you with frameworks, skills and experiences to excel in oversight roles.

Enrolling in education programs enhances leadership. Exposure to diverse perspectives, new skills, and challenging situations enriches your ability to lead. It demonstrates a commitment to personal growth, a valued leadership trait. Educational settings offer chances to lead, collaborate, and improve team dynamics. Continual learning nurtures leadership potential, making you a more effective and influential leader.

You can always start "Thought Leadership" on any social media platform. It enables you to lead anywhere, anytime, in anything you want.

Regular learning and coaching helps an individual to introduce new ideas to put in execution. It improves creativity and positively impacts the development of the team and helps them to improve their performance.

While coursework can be beneficial, do not get into the habit of perpetually thinking you aren't ready. The best learning comes from doing - no class will fully prepare you.

The best athletes in the world all have coaches. The best business leaders also have coaches. There is a movement for everyone to have a coach because it can help to take you further than you can go alone.

I believe that personal growth and leadership skills are cultivated through experiences, and often, the guidance of a mentor or coach. In my early leadership days, managing a diverse cultural team presented unique challenges. My mentor, Balaji Balaraman, offered invaluable advice - he suggested that to truly understand the team, I should have lunch with a different member every day, with a focus on personal conversations, not work-related matters. This simple act transformed my leadership approach, enhancing team engagement and building stronger relationships. I encourage you, too, to leverage the wisdom of mentors and coaches. Remember, leadership isn't about commanding, it's about connecting.

Having a great mentor is a life-changing relationship. Look for someone who has the skills and experiences in the area that you are most interested in learning about. Do not waste their time. Come to meetings prepared. Listen to their input and advice carefully. Apply what you think will work for you, and report your progress. Also, it is not a one-way relationship. Do what you can to assist your mentor. Ask them about what they are interested in and then spend time trying to help them in that area. Recommend articles, books, and videos you think your mentor would find valuable. Connect them to people who can add value to them in that area. Make it a win/win relationship between the two of you.

Alongside finding a mentor or coach try to be a mentor or coach to someone. We learn by teaching, doing and sharing than hearing the stuff. Wherever there is an opportunity to mentor someone go all out and be of service to someone. You never know what you will learn in the process.

Many organizations and universities offer mentorship programs. Look for programs that align with your leadership goals and apply to be paired with a mentor who can provide valuable insights and support.

As a manager, bias of action ranks high as a trait. As a leader, bias for reflection needs to set in. As we transition, it is difficult to let go of the old habits. Leaders need to cultivate patience, tolerance and at times tolerate lower performance to create space for reflection.

Start by identifying trusted mentors, peers, friends and family who can provide candid perspectives on your leadership abilities. Their observations will reveal things you cannot see yourself. Listen with an open mind and ask clarifying questions. Also reflect regularly through journaling, meditation or anonymous leadership assessment tools. What mistakes have you made and what did you learn? What values guide your decisions? How can you improve your conflict resolution approach? This self-examination will bolster your emotional intelligence.

I'm actually going to push back and pull an "uno reverse" on this one - I always encourage team members with untapped leadership potential to BECOME a mentor. ALL of us have some sort of skillset, talent or gift, usually totally unrelated to how we earn a living, but related to our passion. By leaning into that and teaching it to someone else, we bring out our innate leadership potential doing something we enjoy - it's a win-win.

Feedback is a very precious gift. It speaks of trust and empathy. When a person gives feedback, esp constructive feedback, they invest their time and efforts to help you become a better person, better manager , a better leader. They care for you and make this investment in you .

I believe this is super important. Seeking feedback and reflecting as a leader allows you to foster continuous improvement not only for yourself but for those you lead when mentoring/coaching. It helps you understand what your strengths are, addresses any kind of weaknesses that you can turn into positive opportunities, and allows you to adapt to the evolving needs of both your team and organization as a whole.

Join Toastmasters to practice public speaking and leading meetings. Complete leadership training programs. Seek stretch assignments at work that let you showcase abilities. Identify mentors who can advise you. Leadership outside of work requires seeking challenges and pushing your comfort zone. Teach/coach - Share your expertise through coaching, tutoring, teaching opportunities. Develop mentoring abilities.

Few effective ways to gain learning experience; ? Identify trusted mentors and friends who can provide impactful perspectives ? Listen to learn not to respond ? Involve with open mind ? Do exercise, meditation and yoga regularly to calm yourself ? Learn from others mistakes using leadership assessment tools ? Improve your conflict resolution approach when you are outside of your domain ? Self-assessment will boost behaviour and practical intelligence ??????????

Lead a guild in a MMO like World of Warcraft. Most of my leadership skills came from running 40 man raids! This was well before anyone was running remote teams on the regular.

Play a sport and that teaches you a lot about leadership skills. You don’t have to be the captain or leading your side necessarily. The situations which you face and forced to react is something worth taking the extra efforts in learning and playing a sport. Overall it leads to a balance in mental and physical well being . The adrenaline rush and the dopamine hit is an added benefit.

Leadership is so often confused with title, but I have found during my career that true leaders are the ones who raise their hand to take on the unpopular tasks, and then deliver, with quality and providing satisfaction to the one who made the initial request. People who set an example, take on tasks or projects no matter if they are small, simple, large, or complex are the ones who are are gaining 'leadership experience' void the politics of title.