Latest / Executive Careers with Fexingo: VP, C-Suite, and Senior Leadership Career Strategy / How Senior Leaders Use Strategic Volunteering to Build Influence
Transcript
- Lucas: We spend a lot of time on this show talking about the moves that look like traditional career progression — the promotion, the board seat, the lateral into a bigger P and L. But there is a quiet, almost subversive move that some of the most strategic senior leaders I've ever interviewed use consistently, and it's volunteering. Luna: Volunteering? Like, nonprofit board work, or pro bono consulting? Lucas: Exactly. But not the kind of volunteering you do because your kid's school needs a treasurer. I'm talking about strategic volunteering, where the primary output isn't charity, it's influence. And I want to anchor this with a specific case. A while back, I sat down with a CFO of a mid-cap industrial company. She told me she got her first public-company board seat not through a recruiter, not through her network, but because she spent 18 months on the finance committee of a national arts nonprofit. Luna: Interesting. So the nonprofit board became a proving ground. Lucas: Exactly. And here's the key: she didn't just join any committee. She looked for one that had three specific characteristics. First, the mission had to be something she genuinely cared about — she said if you're faking it, people can tell, and it becomes a chore, not a networking opportunity. Second, the board had to include at least two sitting public-company directors or C-suite executives from industries she wanted to break into. Third, the role needed to fill a skill gap she had on her resume. For her, it was exposure to audit committee dynamics. Luna: So she treated the volunteer role almost like an internship for the board seat she wanted. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the framework I want to unpack today: how senior leaders use strategic volunteering not as a distraction, but as a deliberate career lever. Let's start with the criteria. Most executives I've talked to who have done this well use a version of that three-part test — mission alignment, access to decision-makers, and skill gap fill. If a volunteer opportunity doesn't hit at least two of those, it's probably not worth the time. Luna: I've seen a similar pattern in the marketing space. A CMO friend of mine volunteered to lead the rebrand of a local food bank. The board of that food bank included the CEO of a major retailer. Six months later, that CEO offered her a consulting contract that turned into a full-time role. Lucas: That's a perfect example. And notice the structure: she wasn't writing checks, she was contributing her core professional skill — branding — in a way that demonstrated value to someone who could later make a hiring decision. The food bank rebrand was visible, measurable, and it put her in the room with someone influential. Luna: Right. And the time commitment was finite. She wasn't signing up for a lifetime of committee meetings. She had a clear project with a deliverable. Lucas: That's another critical point. Strategic volunteering needs to have a defined scope and timeline. The worst thing a senior leader can do is say yes to a vague 'we'd love your expertise' and then end up in weekly two-hour meetings for years. The CFO I mentioned negotiated her committee role to a two-year term with a clear agenda: she would help restructure the investment policy. After that, she was done. Luna: So how does someone actually find these opportunities? I imagine it's not as simple as Googling 'nonprofit board openings'. Lucas: It's not. Most of the high-leverage roles are filled through referral. So the first step is to tell three trusted people in your network that you're looking for a strategic volunteer role with board exposure. Use those exact words. Then look at organizations where you already have some connection — a university you attended, a cultural institution you support, a cause your company sponsors. Those are the easiest doors to open. Luna: And what about the resume? How do you frame volunteer work on an executive resume without it looking like a hobby? Lucas: You frame it as a leadership role, not a community service bullet. So instead of 'volunteered as treasurer for local nonprofit,' you write something like: 'Appointed to finance committee of $12 million nonprofit; led investment policy redesign that increased endowment returns by 150 basis points in 18 months.' Use the same language you would for a paid role. Quantify the impact. And you list it under a section called 'Board Service' or 'Leadership Appointments,' not 'Volunteer Experience.' Luna: That changes the signal entirely. It says, 'I bring governance and strategic value, not just free labor.' Lucas: Exactly. And the other thing I want to emphasize is timing. Strategic volunteering works best either when you're in a stable role and building toward a board seat, or during a career transition when you have more flexibility. One executive I spoke with did it during a three-month severance period between jobs. He joined the board of a startup accelerator, made connections, and landed his next role through a fellow board member. Luna: So it's not something you pile on top of an already overloaded schedule. Lucas: Right. If you're in the middle of a turnaround or a major transformation, this is probably not the right move. But if you're in a period of relative stability, or especially if you feel like you're plateauing, strategic volunteering can be the thing that breaks you out. Luna: And I think there's a psychological benefit too. When you're volunteering for something you care about, you're more relaxed, more authentic. The networking is less transactional. People see the real you. Lucas: That's a great point. And that authenticity is actually the thing that builds trust faster than any conference room pitch ever could. Now, let's talk about one more layer: how to avoid the trap of over-committing. I've seen senior leaders say yes to too many volunteer roles because they feel obligated, or because they think more is better. But the research on board effectiveness actually shows that one or two deep commitments beat four or five shallow ones. You want to be known as the person who transformed the finance committee, not the person who attends six board meetings but never says anything. Luna: So pick one, do it well, and leverage it before moving on. Lucas: Exactly. And then when you leave, leave with a successor you've groomed. That's another signal of leadership. It also means the organization will speak highly of you when the reference calls come. Luna: You know, it's funny. We talk a lot about networking, but this is networking that actually produces something tangible. It's not just coffee chats. Lucas: It's networking with a byproduct. And the byproduct is either a board seat, a new job, or a skill you didn't have before. That's a pretty good return on a few hours a month. Luna: And speaking of return on time, I think it's worth noting that we deliberately keep this show ad-free. We don't run ads, we don't have sponsors, and that's a choice we make because we want every episode to be exactly as long as it needs to be, without interruption. If you find value in that approach and you want to support it, there's a link at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No pressure, just an option if it feels right. Lucas: Yeah, and that support is what keeps us independent. It means we can cover topics like strategic volunteering — which not every business podcast would touch — without worrying about advertiser preferences. So if you've ever thought about buying us a coffee, that's the place. And it genuinely helps. Luna: Alright, back to the topic. I want to ask about the risk side. Is there a downside to strategic volunteering? Lucas: There is. The biggest risk is reputation damage. If you join a nonprofit and then the organization has a scandal, or if you don't deliver on your commitments, that can hurt you. Also, if your employer perceives that you're spending too much time on outside activities, it could create friction. So transparency is key. Most executive employment agreements allow for outside board service with approval. Get that approval in writing. Luna: And make sure the mission doesn't conflict with your company's values or business interests. Lucas: Exactly. Do your due diligence on the organization's finances and governance before you say yes. If they don't have audited financials, that's a red flag. You don't want to be on the hook for something you didn't know about. Luna: So to wrap up: strategic volunteering is a deliberate, high-leverage career move — not a distraction. Use the three-criteria test, pick one role, do it well, and leverage it for the next step. Lucas: And if you're sitting there thinking, 'I've been doing volunteer work for years and nothing has come of it,' it might be time to audit those roles against the criteria we talked about. If they don't meet the bar, consider stepping back and finding one that does. The ROI can be enormous — but only if you treat it strategically.