Teams at the Polls

As celebrity volunteer champion Jean Kittson said volunteers are the key ingredient for the “invisible mending”?in our community.

And now and in the week ahead these are the people who stand outside the voting stations across Australia in the next week are volunteers and are driven to do what they do through passion, hope and belief in the party or individual they support. Considering that it’s National Volunteer Week this week it feels particularly appropriate to shine the light on these volunteers.

Considering that they don’t get paid for their time and that this time is often during what spare time they have, it is a labour of love and commitment to an ideal, cause or principle. They are often not appreciated by most for the side they have taken as advertised by the colour of their t-shirt or the branding on their clothes.

You may not support the party they do, nor believe or have much time for the person they are on the street for, but for one moment stop and think that at least they walk the talk for their convictions. Perhaps even acknowledge them for their commitment to the democratic process that we in Australia are blessed with as it is one that doesn’t exist unilaterally across the world and certainly not in places like Russia.

But being National Volunteer week this week I chose to write this short article for another reason – to recognise that people are driven to make sacrifices and give time and effort to others that they believe in. This is something that business leaders might want to consider a moment as they too could evoke and inspire such support, following and loyalty. To do that they need to earn the trust and respect of their team through what they stand for, what they say and how they behave and act.

When a team sees their leader leading, with dignity, passion, respect and humility, it’s very hard not to want to follow them and make sacrifices along the way. That’s the power of true authentic leadership. It’s perhaps rarer than we’d like, but inspiring when we see it.

And in the case of those walking the streets now as walking billboards for the party or candidate they support, what they are doing is an expression of their freedom of choice and an expression for what they believe in and that is a powerful energy and belief to harness if you can do the same in business.

“Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them and it will change your life forever.”

Amy Poehler