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Being a citizen statesperson comes with tangible benefits. It spurs leadership development, harnesses passion to drive impact, and can lead to extraordinary and fascinating careers that set the stage for global progress. In fact, the process of becoming a citizen statesperson—interacting with others, finding learning opportunities, and building social capital—provides incredible value, because it offers an up‐close, high‐resolution view of leaders of different stripes. In a way, interacting with a variety of leaders is the best way to learn leadership. It's like an apprenticeship program: it allows you to observe the traits and behaviors of other leaders to bring some of those qualities into your own toolkit.

Having to be a connector, a bridge, and a negotiator also requires a citizen statesperson to navigate complex situations and play a diplomatic role. That process can teach you to tap into your empathy, train you to envision better outcomes, and build your patience and resolve for creating systemic change. Those are not easy qualities to learn. These days, we often find ourselves confined to echo chambers of people who emphasize similar beliefs. In a world of sound bites and social media, we are frequently presented with simplified arguments and us‐versus‐them approaches that do more to inflame tensions than solve problems. The citizen statesperson experience is an antidote because it requires you to see other people's perspectives, consider nuances and new angles, and play an intermediary role to find collaborative solutions.

Citizen statespeople come to learn that leadership skills are developed, not innate, and it's only through doing—through watching leaders, interacting with leaders, and collaborating with leaders on challenging issues—that you truly enhance your own toolkit. Public speaking skills, moderating and facilitation skills, thinking through how ideas and people could benefit from one another or the cause, convening, conveying ideas clearly through the written word, and choosing causes that unite diverse people—these are all skills that a citizen statesperson comes to embrace.

Of course, taking on the role of a citizen statesperson doesn't only provide you with a chance to hone important skills; it also opens the door to incredible opportunities and experiences. Every time you open one door, another door opens. When you engage with opportunities for citizen statespersonship, you are likely to interact with other citizen statespeople—that experience can present you with fresh contacts and new chances to make an impact.