5 ways volunteer work pays off - even for the busiest executive

fstop123/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways Going beyond your own business boosts your knowledge. You can build networks and create useful contacts. Giving something back also helps you feel good. Senior executives are so busy transforming their businesses that it's difficult to make room for experiences beyond the firewall. However, evidence suggests that non-executive director positions can help leaders to develop their skills. In fact, as the business leaders below suggest, senior executives can expand their knowledge and capabilities by getting involved with other organizations, such as educational institutions and public administrations. Also: 5 business leaders on how to balance innovation with risk - and turn your ideas into action Here are five ways you can profit from sharing your know-how with others. 1. You see the bigger picture Ed Fidoe, CEO & co-founder of the London Interdisciplinary School (LIS), said stepping into a non-executive role offers a rare opportunity to see an organization from the outside in. "Instead of managing day-to-day operations, you focus on guiding strategy, asking difficult questions, and holding leadership accountable," he said. "This shift builds sharper judgment and a more systemic perspective. At LIS, we emphasize exactly this kind of lens-shifting: learning to step back, reframe problems, and draw from multiple disciplines to see the bigger picture." Fidoe told ZDNET that the benefits of this lens-shifting process are twofold. First, professionals sharpen their ability to think strategically without being consumed by day-to-day execution. Second, they expand their understanding of how different organizations and sectors operate, which makes them more adaptable and creative in their own leadership. Also: 5 ways to fill the AI skills gap in your business However, Fideo also said non-executive positions are most valuable once you've built solid executive experience. Without that grounding, you risk offering abstract advice without real weight. "For those considering the move, approach it as a learning role rather than simply a status marker," he said. "It's a chance to test your ideas, refine your ability to influence without authority, and contribute to meaningful impact beyond your own organization. Done well, it not only develops you as a professional but also strengthens the organizations you support." 2. You expand your network Bev White, CEO at technology and talent solutions provider Nash Squared, said non-executive positions can be incredibly fruitful as a development and learning exercise: "If the opportunity arises, embrace it with both hands." White told ZDNET she sat on a board as a non-executive director and found it a great experience. "You get to see a different business model in action and different leadership styles, ways of working, and ways of running a board," she said. "It helps you expand your network and your contacts, too. It can almost be like doing an MBA in real time." Also: New LinkedIn study reveals the secret that a third of professionals are hiding at work However, White said a non-executive role also requires significant effort and work, so you'll be expected to do your preparations and hit the ground running. "You will be expected to bring genuine value to the role and make a strategic contribution, so you have to be interested in the business, its sector, and its challenges and opportunities," she said. For those earlier in their career, White said non-executive positions are probably only something you could do if you work at a big corporation that can afford to give you the time to explore a new opportunity to develop as a more rounded leader. "Being a non-exec comes with a time requirement," she said. "For most professionals, it will be something you might do toward the end of your career when you're starting to wind down your hours and are looking for more fractional roles." 3. You learn something new David Walmsley, chief digital and technology officer at jewelry specialist Pandora, said his ability to take on non-executive roles is part of a good dialogue with his boss. "He's a super guy, the best person I've worked for in 30 years, and he's very interested in my development," he said. Walmsley told ZDNET that he holds a non-executive position with MC Sonae, the Portuguese retail group. Also: 5 business leaders on how to balance innovation with risk - and turn your ideas into action "It's given me a newfound respect for the boards I've worked with in the past because it's harder than it looks," he said. "And, hopefully, it's making me a better executive at Pandora. I think my relationship with our board has benefited enormously in the past year from my being on the other side of the equation." Walmsley said he's also learned new skills from the experience: "The focus on asking open questions and providing meaningful advice in as succinct a way as possible is helping me enormously on a personal level." 4. You guide the next generation Non-executive positions aren't the only way to develop your skills. Take Chris Belasco, chief data officer for the City of Pittsburgh, who is an adjunct professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. "I'm an instructor, and it's nice to be a professor there, and it gives me a purview into the way students are engaging with materials," he said. "The role also cuts back into the world in which we're trying to understand outcomes and make sure that things are operating efficiently and effectively." Also: 90% of IT pros say they feel isolated at work - here's how to fix it Belasco told ZDNET that he aims to help people recognize that moving into public sector management is an achievable goal. "I work with both mid-career professionals and junior folks who have just come out of undergrad and try to ground them on the same material," he said, before suggesting that he can learn as much, if not more, from the people he guides. "I'm more instructed by what they're seeing and learning than I feel like I'm giving them. So, I think it's a really nice experience." 5. You give something back Orla Daly, CIO at Skillsoft, told ZDNET that she's a member of the Southborough Municipal Technology Committee, which is her hometown's IT organization. "Southborough is a small town in Massachusetts, but they're trying to make sure that we leverage technology to engage with the citizens, as well as have a secure technology infrastructure, so I support that work," she said. Also: 5 ways business leaders can transform workplace culture - and it starts by listening Two employees in the town's IT department are kept busy by daily demands. Daly said she helps them deal with challenges and embrace opportunities. "It's about sharing best practices with them and helping them navigate the technology landscape," she said. Like other senior professionals, Daly said she also gains something valuable from the process. "It creates a network with others who are participating in that work who come from different technical backgrounds," she said. "It's helpful to see how these people are navigating the tech landscape right now. Obviously, federal organizations tend to be behind private industry. But then you get to see IT challenges through another lens."