Why Every Team Member is a Volunteer (and Why That’s a Great Thing)

I can’t remember the first time I led a team, but I know it was a team of volunteers.

That’s one of the unique gifts of volunteering in community organizations and churches: opportunities to learn and lead long before you might in a professional setting. Leading volunteers, following volunteers, and being a volunteer taught me invaluable lessons I carried into the workplace.

But here’s the thing: even when everyone on your team is getting a paycheck, there’s a sense in which we’re all working with volunteers. And understanding this reality could transform the way you lead.

Why Everyone’s a Volunteer

1. Job Mobility Is the New Normal

Gone are the days when someone joined a company, toughed it out under a difficult boss, and climbed the ladder. Today’s workforce is more fluid than ever.

According to McCrindle Research, the average Gen Z employee will have 18 jobs across six careers. The average tenure at a job is now about three years.

This means that if someone is on your team, it’s because they’re choosing to stay. They’re voluntarily investing their time and energy in your mission and leadership. If they stop believing in it—or in you—they’ll move on.

If you’re leading people, it’s because they’re letting you.

2. Work Relationships Are More Fluid Than Ever

The traditional, rigid employment model is fading. A team member today might become a freelancer tomorrow, then later consult for your organisation, or even join a partner organisation.

Their future roles and contributions depend on how you treat them now. If you treat team members with entitlement, they’ll move on—and likely take their expertise, connections, and goodwill with them.

But if you invest in the relationship with the mindset that you’re working alongside volunteers, you’ll build bridges for future collaboration, no matter where their career path leads.

3. Everyone Has Too Many Priorities

Life is busier than ever, with more demands competing for people’s time and energy. If people are working with you on something, they’ve chosen to do that thing over the 100 other things on their list. Maybe there are a variety of pressures contributing to that decision, but ultimately, that’s how they’ve chosen to spend their time and energy.

That’s worth remembering. While pressures like deadlines and financial needs influence decisions, people still make a choice to show up. Recognising their choice—and respecting it—will shape how you lead.

Why This Volunteer Mindset Matters

When someone invests their time, energy, and skills because they believe in something, it’s powerful. That’s the exact mindset you want from every person you work with—whether they’re paid or not.

You don’t want people showing up because they feel obligated. You want them showing up with passion, ideas, and a sense of purpose. That’s what a volunteer brings to the table.

How to Lead in a Volunteer World

If you approach every team member as a volunteer—someone choosing to give their time and talent to your mission—it will change the way you approach your leadership. You’ll focus on:

• Inspiring buy-in

• Building trust and respect

• Creating an environment people want to be part of

When you embrace the fact that you’re leading volunteers, you build stronger teams, create better cultures, and achieve greater outcomes. And that’s something worth showing up for.