Maybe you were a leader when you were in PRSSA, or honed your leadership skills through your on-campus involvement. Now that you’re a new professional, you get to start anew and take your leadership to another level. Natural-born leader or not, there are many ways to exercise your leadership outside of the workplace.

PRSA and similar organizations

Local PRSA Chapters and New Pros committees are always looking for new leadership. I always hear from seasoned PR professionals that New Pros are the future of every organization, so why wait until later when you can start making an impact today?

Every organization needs strong leaders to help make crucial decisions. The best way to get your foot through the door in PRSA leadership is by leading in a committee or undertaking a big event/workshop. It’s a great way to network and get some name recognition if you hope to join the board of directors one day.

Local nonprofits and philanthropies

Most nonprofits are in need of an extra hand, and what better way to cure that do-gooder itch than to lend your expertise to a local nonprofit? Find a cause that you’re passionate about, rally up volunteers and lead the cause calling your name. If there isn’t a cause that piques your interest, start one.

There are so many ways to give back to the community: food drives, local politics, animal shelters and the list goes on. Find an area that could benefit from your expertise. A lot of millennials care about cause-driven movements, so finding people to join the effort shouldn’t be too difficult.

Share your knowledge

Leaders share their wealth of knowledge with others. Leaders also build others up, which brings up the quality of people around them. Not only does this extend your authority on the topic of leadership, but it also helps aspiring leaders learn from you. This could include speaking at a PRSA workshop, PRSSA meeting or offering advice at an organization that helped you get to where you are right now.

Even if you don’t think you’re the strongest leader around, these are great ways to become one. If you believe you’re a great leader, bring those qualities to the table and make something better.

Gemrick Curtom is a member of the PRSA New Professionals Committee and the PRSA Houston Chapter. He is a University of Houston alum and currently resides in Houston, TX. You can follow him on Twitter or connect on LinkedIn.