培养领导能力的最佳途径

译者 arsalanji

You might learn a great deal in school, but it’s doubtful that you’ll actually develop as a leader by reading a book or taking a course. The military is right about experiential development: People grow and become leaders by making a commitment to a cause, and having personal responsibility and accountability.

 你可以在学校学到很多东西，但是通过读一本书、上一堂课真正学到领导的能力，却值得商榷。军队里面那种通过实践考验培养领导的做法是正确的：一个人只有致力于一项事业，并为之勇于担当、富有责任感，才可以成长为一个领导者。

For those of us in civilian life, there are also ways for us to develop as leaders through experience: through volunteer service. There are myriad nonprofit missions from which to choose, roles and positions in which to engage that are meaningful and productive, and paths for personal and professional advancement.

 对我们这些普通民众而言，也可以通过锻炼来培养自己的领导能力：通过志愿服务。有各种各样的非盈利工作供我们选择，参与这些工作对我们有意义，而且富有成效，也是我们个人和职业成长的路径之一。

Nonprofit board service is particularly compelling for business people and professionals seeking to develop as leaders. While the CEOs and staffs of nonprofits build and run programs and services, boards of directors provide strategic and financial leadership to ensure each organization's vitality, integrity, and fulfillment of its mission. Business people who bring valuable skills and experience as well as diverse backgrounds and perspectives are uniquely equipped to help regional, national, and global organizations to achieve success in addressing poverty, education, health care, conservation of natural resources, and other key issues.

 从事这些非盈利性组织服务对于致力于成为领导者的商业人士和专业人士作用非常明显。非盈利组织的领导层或者职员建立和运营这些项目和服务，董事会提供战略和财务的指导保证每一个组织的生命力、凝聚力和履行责任的能力。来自不同的领域的商业人士，具备各种技能、经验和想法，能帮助这些组织有效的应对贫困、教育、医疗卫生、自然资源保护和其他的关键问题。

Through nonprofit board experience, business people participate with the CEO in envisioning an organization's greater potential, creating the revenue model, and achieving success. In fact, nonprofit board service is the ultimate experience in ethics, accountability, leadership, group dynamics, and crisis management and communications.

通过在这些非盈利组织工作，这些商业人士参与到管理层中，为这些组织的的发展出谋划策，创新盈利模式，最终实现成功。实际上，非盈利组织服务是道德、责任感、领导力、团队精神、危机管理和交流能力的最好锻炼。

Here’s the secret to making the most of a service experience:

 下面就是让这些服务经历发挥作用的秘诀：

Choose a cause that's meaningful to you, and where you like the people. Determine how you can be useful--whether helping with strategic planning, inviting friends to a fundraiser, serving on the advisory council, or serving on the board. If you'll be serving on the board, be clear about what will be expected of you so that you can fully commit yourself.

 选择一项对你有意义的事业，要喜欢这里的人。确定你在这里发挥作用的方式——协助制定战略规划，向资金筹集者介绍朋友、在咨询委服务、在非盈利组织中任职。如果你是在组织中任职，你一定要清醒的认识到组织对你的期待，这样你就能够为这个事业全心付出。

Be open to opportunities to raise your hand and say, “I’ll help.” Before you know it, you could be chairing a committee, and eventually perhaps serving as a board officer. (And women, take note: When it comes to nonprofit boards, there's rarely a glass ceiling.)

把握每一个机会，随时举起你的手说：“让我来”。当你了解了这个之后，你就可以负责一个委员会，最终也许就成了这个委员会的一个官员。（女性要记住：来到这些非盈利组织，一般不会有玻璃天花板）

Be alert to potential mentors--on the board where you serve and among your friends and colleagues. Talk with other people who serve on boards to share experiences, lessons, and advice.

 要注意对你有益的指导者——这样的人就在你服务的组织中，在你的朋友和同事中。要经常和组织中的人们分享一下经验、教训和建议。

Always remember the mission. It must be at the forefront of your mind as you participate in discussions and make decisions.

 永远记住你的使命。在你参与讨论和作出决定是，一定要首先想到这一点。

Be generous with your time and your contributions.

 一定要肯付出时间、乐于奉献。

Help to recruit and mentor the next wave of volunteers to assist in developing them as leaders.

 帮助组织招聘、指导下一批志愿者，并协助把他们培养为领导者。

Once you get involved, you’ll be surprised at how aware you will become of who's a thoughtful leader who gets things done, and who's not. Whom you want to emulate, and whom you don’t. And then books and various readings on leadership development and board governance will become more meaningful in light of your personal experience.

 一旦你参与其中，你会惊讶的发现自己可以清晰的认识到谁可以成为能做事的领导，谁不可以。谁是你想效仿的，谁不是。这个时侯，这些经历使你再去读那些培养领导者的书籍对你就非常有意义了。

Having volunteered since I was 10 years old, built and run a nonprofit enterprise that engaged tens of thousands of corporate and community volunteers in service to hundreds of nonprofits, and consulted to global corporations on corporate social responsibility (CSR), I’ve seen firsthand the power of service in fostering leadership development. Most of the hundreds of business people I’ve trained and placed on boards have ascended to board leadership positions; the key has been that the match was right, and the board candidate was committedand ready to say, “I’ll help.”

 10岁的时候我就参加志愿者活动，而且成立并运营了一个有几千个社团活社区的志愿者参加的非盈利企业，为几百个全球性的大企业集团提供社会责任方面的服务和咨询，我掌握了志愿者服务可以培养领导能力的第一手资料。几百个我培训并安置在非盈利组织工作的商业人士已经成长为董事会的领导者。这个秘诀是正确的，董事会的候选人非常忠诚，并愿意说：让我来。

Through service, you have tremendous opportunities to develop as a leader, become a morevaluable professional where you work, and make a meaningful contribution in improving your community and the world.

 在志愿者服务过程中，你拥有大量成为领导者的锻炼机会，让你成为你从事的工作更有价值的一个专业认识，更好的提升你服务社区和世界的能力。