Volunteering and leadership development

As many of you already know when not at work I spend most of my time at the rugby club. Recently I have been reflecting on the season that has just finished, comparing it with the year at work and whilst they say leadership can’t be taught in a classroom, I’ve found it can certainly be forged on a muddy Sunday morning!

For the past 17 seasons, I’ve had the privilege of volunteering at my local rugby club, Trojans FC (the oldest Rugby Club in Hampshire established 1874) both as a coach and more latterly as the Youth Chair. While on the surface it looks like organising training, picking teams and fixture planning, the reality is that grassroots sports leadership has been one of the most powerful professional development tools of my career.

Managing a youth section and coaching tomorrow's talent requires a toolkit that maps directly onto boardrooms and business strategy:

- Stakeholder Management on a Different Scale: In business, you manage teams and clients. At a community club, you are aligning players, coaches, parents, and committees—all with diverse motivations. It’s a masterclass in influence, diplomacy, and building a shared vision without the leverage of being paid!

- Creating Performance Environments: Whether it’s building confidence in a 14-year-old on the pitch or developing senior managers in a commercial setting, leadership is about creating an environment where people feel safe to fail, learn, and grow.

- Adaptive Strategy & Resilience: Anyone who has tried to coordinate a multi-team youth tournament or adapt a training session when the weather turns knows that agility is everything. It teaches you to think on your feet, manage risks, and keep a cool head when things don't go to plan.

Volunteering isn’t just about giving back to the community (though that is the most rewarding part). It’s about sharpening the exact skills that make us better managers, strategic thinkers, and empathetic leaders in our day jobs.

To anyone looking to stretch their leadership capabilities outside the office: look to your local community clubs. You might be surprised by how much the pitch prepares you for the boardroom.