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GLEANINGS FROM THE GROVE
mastered the art of speechcraft.
You have heard, I am assured, of the adage
of “lead, follow, or get out of the way” art of
leadership. We must not forget that Toastmasters
is a three-fold program, a triangle if you will, of
speaking, evaluating, and leadership. Like the
fire triangle that I learned as a junior fireman
almost fifty years ago, if you remove one of
these sides, a fire does not exist and will go out.
Leadership, then, as our old motto said “Where
Leaders are Made” has been an integral part
of the Toastmaster experience. Not only have
I grown as a leader in our program, but have
watched, tutored, mentored, and coached others
in that skill as well. I am thinking of a current
club president who when she joined years ago
would never have believed she would become
an officer, little alone a president of two clubs!
Yes, there was handholding, guiding, coercion,
as well as bribery methods used to help this
natural leader emerge. I hope and trust that
she has found it as rewarding as I have to see
her blossom, grow, and become an asset to all
she has led and contributed to.
Leadership is unique to the individual; you
28 ONE COMMUNITY
cannot stamp out a leader with a cookie cutter
and make them all the same. Some of our
members are natural leaders with an innate
sense of direction, others will need training
to find their skills hidden away within—like
the sculptor who said he looked for the statue
within the block of marble to emerge through
his use of the hammer and chisel. A leader needs
compassion, tempered with direction. Dignity
with a touch of humor and selflessness.
I honestly think the makers of “Star Wars”
got it all wrong. Instead of movie after movie
softening Darth Vader, they should have
enrolled him in Toastmasters. At least he might
have learned to temper his comments and not
use such a heavy hand for every situation!
Toastmasters—what a wonderful life!
Evaluation is one of our primary skills, but
so many of our clubs and members spend little
time honing that craft. In another lifetime, I
went to a conference with two main speakers—
one a Brit (okay, I admit I must fly the Union
Jack sometimes) and another that you might
have heard about—a fellow by the name of
Billy Graham. I readily admit that I was awed