Page 10 - 2016 December Voices

thought leadership expertise is strategic gift of membership, go to three before you
communication. How to be strategic with decide to join.
the way that you communicate so you don’t The second thing I would do is
have to be “a” company, be “the” company, don’t let people persuade you to go the
don’t be “a” district, be “the” district. Don’t communication or the leadership route.
be “a” speaker, be “the” speaker, and the You go the route that you want to go and
difference is what that makes up. stick with it. Because you won’t be happy

So when you decided to change to your if you think, “I’ve got to be a DTM, or I’ve
business model, did it feel like things were got to be a world champion, or I got to be
beginning to gel and you were happier? a district leader. Decide what do you want
Well I’m an anomaly. I think there are to be, not what do you have to be. That was
a lot of people who are into this contest a big one for me.
so they can be the World Champion of Then the third thing is, once you’ve
Public Speaking. I wasn’t wanting to be a been in Toastmasters for a year, I would
World Champion. I was wanting to be the encourage you to gift a membership as
best at something, and I
happened to be at World
Championship of Public
Speaking.
One of the things
that I’ve learned is there
are some people who do
very well as the World
Champion of Public
Speaking, and they’ve
been at it for ten years
or twenty years or what-
ever. That is one of the
things that I have done,
and one of the things
that I wanted to do.
There are many other
things I want to do, so
I have to be careful in
my branding and in my
positioning that I’m not
glued to that one title.

What words of wisdom can you impart well. It will be one of the best investments
to people who are standing where you you make.
stood in 2011 with a new membership in
hand? Who would you give the gift of
Take advantage of Toastmasters. Take Toastmasters to this holiday season?
advantage of it. Go to at least three clubs I would give it to a coworker who you
before you join a club. I’ve heard from a lot can tell is wanting to grow but hasn’t figured
of people, who go to their first Toastmasters out the right thing to do in order to do that.
meeting, say, “It wasn’t for me,” when it was So you’ve identified a coworker who’s hard-
because they probably didn’t find the right working—they’re great, they’ve plateaued,
group, right? So I would say first, if you’re they want to become a manager. You know
standing in my shoes thinking about joining they want to do something different. I would
Toastmasters and you’ve been given the gift it to them.

10 VOLUME 3 ISSUE 6 DECEMBER, 2016