Leadership Tips from Cassius Butts of the Small Business Administration

Cassius Butts, Regional Administrator for the Southeastern Region of the Small Business Association joined this week’s episode of The Good Works Show, and offered listeners his best leadership advice.

“It starts with volunteerism,” he said. “You have to ask what ways can I help to be a part of someone else’s dream and help to bring those to fruition.”

“What I learned through leadership development was that it is important to say that service is important and affects every community and every walk of life,” he added. “Having that type of involvement helps to build leadership and helps to build stamina that to say that we can sustain any type of challenge we may face and we also are huge in network.”

So how does volunteering and serving your community help you professionally?

  1. It shows a dedication to a cause bigger than you. Volunteering means taking time out of your busy schedule to give back to the community around you. Employers recognize this added effort and hard work, and it looks great on a resume.
  2. It gets you out into the community. By lending a hand where it is needed most, you’ll better understand the needs of the community and the people who live there. If your full-time employer happens be in the same community, it’s a great way to increase your familiarity with the neighborhood in which you work.
  3. It broadens your network. Volunteering in the community brings you together with professionals from other organizations and career paths. This will open up your connections in ways you wouldn’t have found within just your company.
  4. It makes you more well-rounded. Volunteering is usually an all-hands-on-deck situation. This means that you will likely do multiple jobs, expanding your experience as you do.
  5. It’s a great way to bond with your team or coworkers. Many nonprofits in need of volunteers coordinate opportunities for large groups. You can complete a project with other employees from your work, further building these professional relationships in a setting outside of the normal office.