Meet Joseph, Creative Director at SolveSquad, whose leadership champions inclusion, innovation and the next generation of volunteer leaders. In this Share Your Story – Volunteer Managers Edition feature for International Volunteer Managers Day (IVMDay), Joseph reflects on how courage, mentorship and creative thinking drive bold leadership in volunteer management.
Why Bold Leadership Matters in Volunteer Management
As a rare quality in today’s economy, bold leadership requires courage, class and commitment. Within the world of volunteer management, the most sought after leaders are those who are willing to take a chance on people while also investing into the next generation of leaders.
Being a bold leader requires investing into others, and identifying ways to delegate responsibility effectively by empowering others who are able to follow.
For those managing a large volunteer workforce, or even a small team, dedication to the details and being willing to lead by example is key to equipping an enthusiastic group of volunteers who are able to carry the vision of the organisation into the future.
In my responsibility leading an award-winning social enterprise focusing on engaging young people via virtual volunteering, being able to realise the potential of my volunteers, especially those from refugee and migrant backgrounds, has been an inspiration to me, and also contributed immensely to the growth of our organisation.
Proudest Achievement as a Volunteer Manager
One of my proudest achievements was seeing one of our earliest volunteers come from a refugee background, and working on a particular community event alongside our community partners, did such a good job that our partner ended up hiring him! He continues to work for our same community partner, and has become one of the core team administrators for the organisation.
Stories from our volunteers who have gone onto work in critical roles, such as construction, administration and even as government advisors has been a source of inspiration for myself and our organisation, as we continue to invest into our emerging volunteer leaders.
One piece of advice for fellow Volunteer Managers
My biggest advice for fellow volunteer managers would be to take a risk, invest in an emerging volunteer leader, and realise the potential of the next generation, as they pave the future for others to follow – and may even become your protege for your organisation’s next volunteer manager!
View the full collection of our Share Your Story series and be inspired by the many ways Volunteer Managers are leading with courage, care, and creativity.
