"Volunteer" and grow into being a leader!

Love is the flower you've got to let grow. John Lennon

A beautiful "Volunteer" Hibiscus in my garden 

I love free stuff. I'm not obsessive about it like my kids - who will keep any gimmicky stuff that they can get their hands on . One of them is on his way to qualifying for the "Hoarders" TV show if he keeps it up! I am delighted when I find free plants, especially when they pop up in my garden.

"Volunteer Plants" are plants that sow themselves and just burst up anywhere in the garden. I  discovered  the beautiful Hibiscus plant above growing in the middle of some Black Eyed Susan flowers (Rudebeckia) one morning in my front garden.What a showoff! It's a perennial (comes back year after year) and the only place that I have any Hibiscus plants is on the other side of the house - in a different color!

Volunteers are spirited from seeds in the wind, compost, through water, and via bird droppings ( a favorite way for Poison Ivy to travel by the way!). They are often stronger and healthier because they will only spring up where they have the best chance of survival. Volunteers may be different than the parent plants and if pollinated, they can become new cultivers. This is often how we get new and improved plant varieties - both annuals and perennials.

In both politics and business, we frequently see new leaders pop up out of nowhere as well. They creep up in different places and may be a diamond in the rough. Leadership presents in different ages, nationalities, shapes, forms, and styles. Leaders can be the "bad boys (or girls!)" of yesterday or new and upcoming. For instance, take 17 year old Nick D'Aloisio who recently sold his Summly app to YaHoo for an estimated $30 Million. Suddenly, he was thrust into a leadership role because of his success and people look to him for tech leadership qualities. Not bad for a teenager!

Some people feel that leaders are "born". I'm not convinced of that. Sure, some people have some natural born talents that we identify with leadership, but most leaders have worked diligently to build their skills and hone their strengths. Leaders develop over time and step up to "volunteer" in a number of ways to become who they are. If you long to be an effective leader - no matter what your stage in life - here are some hints to step up your leadership growth and "volunteer":

• Lead yourself first. Consistently motivate yourself, mold yourself, and model traits that you admire.
• Always be positive and upbeat. Develop a win-win attitude.
• Always breath learning new things. Read books, attend seminars, interact with colleagues, pick the brains of others. Show commitment to personal growth.
• Build your own "Brand". Your brand will stand for what you believe in, how others see you, how you want to be perceived. Be authentic. People will see through you if you aren't.
• Act. Don't just talk and write goals down. Get out there and dig in!
• Take public responsibility for your actions. Finish anything that you touch or commit to.
•  Ask for feedback- learn from it. Be open to learning new things and accepting other's ideas .Be open.
• Seek out new opportunities - volunteer for the projects no one wants. You will get noticed.
• Look  where you can provide insight or help to others . Give your time, ideas, plans etc.
• Give credit where credit is due. Don't steal the ideas of others - people know and talk.
• Appreciate others and the little things that they do. Publicly praise them or surprise them with small gifts of thanks.
• Actively communicate and connect with people every day. Make it a habit to make a new connection  every day. Get to know them personally.
• Push the envelope - gently. Try new things that make you uncomfortable. Take some risk. Don't be afraid of standing up for what is right - or for your beliefs.

Remember, you don't need a title to be a leader. You can be a 13 year old kid that raises $300 for a charity. You can be a stellar volunteer at your school. You can be active in Ambucs. It doesn't matter - just get out there and do it! Incorporate some of the suggestions above to build your leadership skills. I know so many "leaders" with fancy titles and they exhibit few, if any, leadership traits! They lead by title, not by investing in others. People reluctantly follow them because they have to. Don't be that kind of leader.

I love watching my kids grow up. It's so gratifying to see that they actually listened to me (at times) over the years and I see what great people they are becoming. My oldest son is in college now and I'm very impressed with how he is becoming a leader. He is unwittingly trying some of the tips above and loving it. He works in a chemistry lab and is truly enchanted. He is working on research projects with his professors. He asks questions, he wants to learn and welcomes feedback. He's sharing his knowledge with others and encouraging other's passions. He's connecting. I'm sure he doesn't think that he is becoming a leader - but he is!

One of my favorite volunteer plants in my garden is Verbena Bonariensis in the photo below. I started some from seed years ago and they have always popped up in my garden since. They are an electric purple and fit in anywhere because of their tall stature and their ability to add texture to my garden. The best part? Butterflies and bees love this flower! There are days that the air is a flutter of activity around this plant. I always love to see it take a spot in my gardens.

 Become a "Volunteer" yourself. Get out there and develop yourself. You never know where you will be "planted" down the road. Life can be a fun, mystical, and exciting journey. Embrace it and flourish.

What things have you done to develop your leadership skills? I would love to hear them!

My all time favorite volunteer "Verbena Bonariensis"