Toastmasters and leadership

Posted on May 5, 2009
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The club elections coming up on June 3rd will be when we vote in the new officers for the seven positions of President, VP Education, VP Membership, VP Public Relations, Secretary, Treasurer, and Sergeant at Arms.

Most newcomers think of Toastmasters as a place to practice communication skills and making speeches. While that is true, leadership skills are a natural offshoot from having good communication skills. Think of almost any skill set, and you find that technical skill is just the beginning.

A great guitarist like Jimi Hendrix didn’t just have technical skill, he had passion for his music and the effect it had on people listening. A great driver doesn’t just handle the controls, they know how to navigate the roads to get somewhere. A great chef knows more than how to handle a knife, they want to delight and surprise people with their culinary creations.

Being a great leader comes from being a good communicator. What it means to be a good leader is very personal, different from individual to individual. But one thing I think we’d all agree on is that it involves service.

Lead with a servant’s heart

I love that definition of leadership. Leadership in Toastmasters means doing things for other people to develop. We all have different gifts, and there are different opportunities to give something back. It might be a high profile position such as opening and closing the meetings (actually, a relatively easy task as President!) However, service is just as likely to be a more modest low-profile job. Examples of low-profile but essential tasks: keeping in touch with other clubs; making sure the meeting room is booked; paying dues; sending a courtesy email to new members; staying in touch with people who haven’t been for a while; maintaining the website. These things go on behind the scenes but are essential to the club.

Time for yourself?

I was worried when I took on my role that I would do a bad job because I have a busy job. I realized quickly that even though there were times when I had to ‘say no’ to TM activities sometimes, as long as I communicated with others in the club, it was okay. We all know that life is very busy and we have other commitments, family, work, and friends. So, if you can spare some time, and are committed to working as a team, Toastmasters fits in with your other activities.

Toastmasters made me able to do more.

I was happy to find that serving a role actually improved my efficiency at work! Toastmasters helped me to be a faster thinker and to make decisions more quickly.

I sincerely hope that you will discover your leadership potential in the next year. It may be as an officer or through the Competent Leadership programme, or even through simply performing meeting roles more thoroughly.

Leadership is rewarding.

Leadership is not just about responsibilities, it is about seeing the club and individuals flourish. It is a real buzz to be part of a growing and dynamic club, full of people from different backgrounds all committed to the same goals. I look forward to seeing the next officers take our club forward even further.

Helen

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