I have always been a big advocate of volunteerism. It is a great way to help the world, do something fulfilling, find work that is satisfying, and meet interesting people. But an additional benefit that is often overlooked is the fact that volunteering can provide you with skills essential to good leadership.

After all, volunteering makes you aware of intrinsic motivations for behavior—and it has been demonstrated that intrinsic motivations are the strongest forms of inspiration out there.

A recent article in Forbes talks about this interesting phenomenon, and provides new motivation for those interested in volunteering. (See here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/karlmoore/2011/12/21/volunteering-a-great-way-to-learn-real-executive-leadership/.) If you are looking for a reason to give of your time, or an extra bit of motivation to induce your college-age kids to volunteer—or if you simply need a way to give your business an extra boost—check out this interesting article on volunteering and leadership skills. It is full of quality, informed information that we should all be exposed to.