What is leadership?

The person who has the capacity to guide and direct a group of people toward a common goal.

Who is a leader?

YOU are! The Toastmasters International tagline says, “Where Leaders are Made”.

Have you ever considered what that statement truly means?

After a bit of reflection, it partially means that leadership is a journey, not a destination. Whether you joined to enhance existing leadership skills or to acquire skills not yet tapped into, Toastmasters is the place for you. Leadership in our clubs, areas, divisions, district and beyond provides great “training” ground to gain leadership skills that we can use within and outside of Toastmasters.

Leadership is more than just a title.

As a matter of fact you can be a “leader” without having a an official title, this is the notion of leading from where you are. Conversely, and sometimes unfortunately, having a title is not necessarily equivalent to being an effective leader. The goal is to strive to become a more effective leader: that is one who can motivate others to buy into and help achieve a common goal. Leadership can be fraught with obstacles such as navigating conflicts and having the emotional intelligence to be accountable in word and deed.

At the end of the day, our leadership within and beyond should change us and grow us and individuals.

Additionally, we should leave those we lead better off by their encounters with us.

To apply for a District leadership role in 2020-21, please review materials and submit your application by January 15th, 2020. All the details are here: https://www.d26toastmasters.org/elected-officer-nominations/

Jacqueline L. Smith, DTM

Program Quality Director

2019-2020, District 26