5 lessons from 5 years of Toastmasters
“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”
Steve Jobs
I started this english blog with the wish to write an article every week. This is still a very strong desire to make it happened, but loving my professional life means that sometimes I choose to do things that will develop me and not use the free time to write an article.
Even so, with a full schedule I decided to add organising the Toastmasters Division D Conference to the mix. So, my already limited free time - sleep become over-rated, and also quality time with my personal half. And yet here I am after the event has ended, still alive and with a crazy desire to write. And my first article is about Leadership in Toastmasters and the 5 lessons I got from this organization in my first 5 years.
For a long time my belief was that the mission of a good leader is to inspire, to make others believe that they can walk on hot coals. My years in Toastmasters prove me that words in the books are applied different by diverse people.
The main reason I joined Toastmasters, after being an active member for years in Public Speaking Support Group (a JCI project) it was to work on my leadership skills. The group that formed Idest TM went through all the stages of forming a team (a lot of storming, some forming and norming, and from time to time performing). In the end our vision was what kept us together, and it was also the reason behind our split in the years to come.
My first leadership lesson that this organisation handed it to me took place on Polish soil. It was during a time when I wonder if the needed skills of a leadership role were something I had. Not everyone wants, needs or can be a leader. And I was ok, comfortable and at peace with myself for not being a LEADER. The feedback received from the team I was coordinating, prove me wrong! They talked about my listening skills, about my real interest in hearing more from them than speak about my behalf. They elaborated on my focus on growing the person, rather than my need of being right! It was more important that the team was ok (everyone) over my need of affirmation. And above all, my ability to solve conflicts, not start them, the critical and analytical thinking in order to optimise the solutions and ducking challenges made me a leader and a good manager in the eyes of my team. That was the moment when I realize that I was learning leadership - and one of my goals of joining this organizations was reached. The feedback my team had over my team-leading skills were the ones developed by the Competent Leader Manual.
My second leadership lesson: People can start something with you because you all share a vision, that doesn’t mean they can carry it further. After years of involvement, other projects took precedent in front of Toastmasters for me. So the club’s members that shared the vision took my place, I was already Immediate Past President after being a Vice President Education, Vice President Members and President. This was the way to go! For me leadership means you will raise leaders, not followers. You give from your experience, you stay close in case you are needed, but after a while you step aside. That is the moment when you learn if you are a leader or not. The second lesson was serve in order to learn that I am still learning. When I stepped aside, things didn’t go as I thought they would, and the club was closed. It was a decision we took together, as a team. It was better this way! What Toastmasters offered me here was that is ok to fail sometimes and you should always check with people that the potential you see in them is something that they want to tackle. Maybe they have other plans for their future!
Third leadership lesson: It’s ok for people to have different values. And visions, and energies and strategies. It is even healthy in an organisation. But, when you want to impose your vision, without thinking of the values or people you cross - that is the moment where you fail as a leader. In the legacy Toastmasters Programme among the first skills you were learning was the one of listening. Doing it in order to understand, not to reply. My third lesson was one about ”don’t!”. The importance of not finding a problem to every solution ;). Yes, you read correct. It is about your frustrations and your incapacity of moving forward that will make people to leave you behind or they leave the organization rather than working with you. The lack of capacity to appreciate others’ visions and their will to grow so you decide to make it hard for them, in order to keep them in line. This is not leadership! So don’t!
The forth Toastmasters lesson was about acceptance. Don’t compare people. Never! Everyone is different, with their own path and lessons. And you should mind your own and focus how you can embrace and support everyone. The rest, who don’t share your vision they have their own story and values - and that is OK. It is a big organisation so that it can be inclusive with everyone. And in the end, those who don’t share ”respect, integrity, service and excellence” as personal values will take a different path. Sometimes their understanding and behavior over the R.I.S.E. (core Toastmasters value) might be different than yours. Accept and move on.
My fifth lesson was about the team. A lot of people forget that in order to move far is good to travel together. That means that if you want to have results is important to keep in mind the group’s needs. Their values…their energy…their potential. Communication is a key element in order to have a successful team. Listening and offering feedback with empathy. Lack of competition is also a key element. We are in a volunteering organisation. We all win - so what is the point to compete with somebody? You will get a diploma just for showing up. It’s a lost battle from the beginning for anybody who wants to do it. Everyone has its place and path, we are all on the same road to fame :) Even the educational programme speaks about you being your own teacher and you will develop at your own speed. So be your own competitor and let others do their thing.
What are your lessons of leadership that you took from volunteering?
