 Jim Miller, DTM DG
Have you ever found a pearl while eating an oyster? Oh, it happens... rarely. Fortunately, it's more common that people find the hidden pearl in Toastmasters, the pearl of leadership. It is leadership that offers the greatest opportunity for learning, and for becoming more comfortable in public speaking. Likewise, excellent communication is essential to effective leadership.
We've heard that great leaders are born. Were we not born? I'm not saying that all of us can become a great leader simply because we were born, no more than I'm saying we can become great speakers because we joined Toastmasters. Still, before we become great, we must become first competent and then good; yet for many of us, leadership is something we fear... maybe more than public speaking.
Many years ago, I came to the conclusion that just because you are given a gift doesn't mean the gift is yours. You have to receive that gift. You have to take it! You have to hold that gift and say, "This is my gift! It was given to me!", or at least say, "thank you". Toastmasters offers us many gifts in the form of opportunities. If we don't take those opportunities, someone else will own what could have been ours.
Leadership opportunity in Toastmasters first came to me as my club needed a VPPR. That position gave me the opportunity to strengthen my computer skills, as well as learn many marketing lessons. The following year, the club asked me to run for president, and I discovered the High Performance Leadership program offered by Toastmasters. We had a 15 member increase that year, spun off a very successful new club, achieved all 10 DCP goals, conducted several very successful outside events, and generally had a fantastic year. Was it me? No. It was our entire team learning what Toastmasters had to teach us.
This year, there will be opportunities that are available to you. Take the opportunity to learn and to grow. Step up and say, "I'll do it". While it's true that leadership can be daunting; it's also true that leadership offers the best learning opportunity that Toastmasters has to offer. You simply will not receive what Toastmasters is offering you until you speak those three little words, "I'll do it".
Here's to a great year!
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