My leadership journey has taken me from club VPPR to district director over a span of 11 years.

Through my journey, I have never heard a speaker’s message as clearly as when I heard 2018 Golden Gavel Recipient Keith Ferrazzi share his message at the Toastmasters International Convention in Chicago earlier this year.

Keith is a change agent in corporations across the globe. He preaches a positive psychology of mutual support. He told us in Chicago that “stubbornness was creating our misery” and that we needed to “facilitate relationships and celebrate successes.”

Keith shared his ten years of research into what he called “High-Impact Teams.”They are different because these teams do not use a hub-and-spoke system from each team member to the leader. Instead, they “take responsibility for every member’s success.”

My journey as a leader in District 26 Toastmasters has included a number of successes and failures. I will remember the words of Keith Ferrazzi when he said “Leadership is a tribe that won’t let each other fail.” With an attitude of candor and team-first spirit, our teams can experience “actual exponential change, not just rhetoric and plans.”

You can learn more about the Golden Gavel Award program by following the link to the Toastmasters International Golden Gavel Award program page.

Keep the Promise! Meet the Challenge!

Marcia Wood, DTM, District 26 Director 2018/2019