President's Tip of the Week

Communication Track vs Leadership Track
(12/8/09)

When I first joined Toastmasters, Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) was no where in my periphery. I needed to get out of the house and learn how to communicate like an adult, and not much beyond that mattered at the time. Little did I know that one day, DTM would eventually become an important goal for me. If you’re now the way I was back then – focused just on improving your communication skills and not much more – that’s fine. But let me put a bug in your ear.

It doesn’t take a whole lot of extra effort to work on the Leadership Track as you progress through your Competent Communication manual. Simply bring your Competent Leadership (CL) manual to every meeting and have someone fill out the evaluation page for you every time you perform a qualifying function. After a while, you’ll notice you have been progressing through the CL manual nicely and it will only take one or two small projects to get it completed. Just don’t forget to bring that CL manual with you every week.

If you need help figuring out that manual, download the tracking sheet here and attach it to the front cover of your CL manual. Once you fill in all the information, this sheet will provide you with a quick reference of the projects you still need to complete.

Finally, you can improve your communication skills further by participating in other opportunities outside of our club. You can facilitate a workshop for children (a Youth Leadership Program), or for adults at your church or workplace with a Speechcraft Program. You can take your leadership skills to the next level by serving as a District committee member or even an Area Governor. If you do just a little here and a little there, before long, you, too can be pursuing a DTM award and one day you can be a part of that elite group of Toastmasters. You will benefit from it, and the club will benefit from your advanced experience. If you’d like to get involved, let me know. Go for it!