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Proactive Leadership and YOU!

 Not an elected or appointed Club, Area, Division, District Officer----------SO! Does this mean you cannot lead? Of course not!

The heart of Leadership is a daily series of actions which when acted upon lead to positive results.

Great leaders are seldom sidetracked or blindsided by unforeseen situations because they have established a pro-active leadership style.

“What does being proactive mean to you?” Steven Covey defines it this way, “Our behavior is a function of our decisions, not our condition. We have the initiative and the responsibility to make things happen.”

Make things happen, what a thought! When was the last time you made a positive (proactive) difference? Many leaders in “waiting” do just that, wait for mole hills to become mountains. They usually do. Only then does the leader pounce on it thinking when they solve it, they will also bring instant attention to his/her abilities. In reality, the opposite may happen, because the question may arise as to why ----------didn’t see it coming in the first place? The lack of forethought and proactively looking for a positive solution right away may have allowed this situation to assume problem status. Need it have ever become a factor in the first place?

During our Toastmasters careers just as in our private lives our inaction or slow pro-action may cause us to miss valuable opportunities to learn and grow. As a district leader of Toastmasters, a district leader of your family, and community, ask yourself where you can distinguish yourself in this area? Is there a positive difference just waiting for you to make it happen?

Fellow Toastmasters…we are fast approaching the final chapter of this Toastmasters year. So I ask you now, how will you personally be distinguishing yourself as you enter the last six months of this Toastmasters year? There are opportunities in your clubs, your areas, your divisions, and in your district. What do you want to proactively achieve for yourself, and in service to your fellow members? What, as individual district leaders of a fine, time-tested organization will we each need to become even more proactive at to ascend to the level of Distinguished? Personally, I am poised to proactively brave the challenges from clubs to district head on. I am willing to put proactive ideas in place to successfully achieve the desired level of becoming distinguished.

As members, I encourage you to raise your hands calling attention in your district meetings to those things needing (proactive) attention now. Be willing to help your district and your fellow district leaders to say with pride: “Our district is distinguished!”

Let’s Make a Positive Difference Together,

Walter A. Wolfe, Sr., DTM

District Governor 2011-2012

wwolfetm@sbcglobal.net

(812) 989-2327

  Toastmasters International - "Where Leaders Are Made"  

Congratulations - you're on your way to becoming a better communicator and leader! Toastmasters International, founded in 1924, is a proven product, regarded as the leading organization dedicated to communication and leadership skill development. As a member, you will gain all the tools, resources and support you need.

Through its worldwide network of clubs, Toastmasters helps nearly 280,000 people communicate effectively and achieve the confidence to lead others. Why pay thousands of dollars for a seminar or class when you can join a Toastmasters club for a fraction of the cost and have fun in the process?

Toastmasters is a place where you develop and grow - both personally and professionally. You join a community of learners, and in Toastmasters meetings we learn by doing. Whether you're an executive or a stay-at-home parent, a college student or a retiree, you will improve yourself; building skills to express yourself in a variety of situations. You'll open up a world of new possibilities: giving better work presentations; leading meetings - and participating in them - more confidently; speaking more smoothly off the cuff; even handling one-on-one interactions with family, friends and colleagues more positively.

The environment in a Toastmasters club is friendly and supportive. Everyone at a Toastmasters meeting feels welcome and valued - from complete beginners to advanced speakers. In a club meeting, you practice giving prepared speeches as well as brief impromptu presentations, known as Table Topics. There is no rush and no pressure: The Toastmasters program allows you to progress at your own pace.

Constructive evaluation is central to the Toastmasters philosophy. Each time you give a prepared speech, an evaluator will point out strengths as well as suggest improvements. Receiving - and giving - such feedback is a great learning experience. In Toastmasters, encouragement and improvement go hand-in-hand.

You won't regret it. Toastmasters currently has more than 270,000 members in over 13,000 clubs in 116 countries around the world. For membership or meeting information, please visit toastmasters.org and find a location near you..

By learning to effectively formulate, organize and express your ideas to others, you can achieve all kinds of success. You'll be more capable and confident when giving presentations. You'll be more persuasive when pitching prospective clients. Want to be better at negotiating your salary with your boss? Networking at business or social functions? Motivating co-workers - or your kids?

Anyone who is a strong leader has to first be an effective communicator. In Toastmasters you will hone your speaking skills, and you will develop leadership abilities - through evaluations, listening, mentoring, serving as club officers and filling roles in club meetings. You will take those leadership skills out into the world, running businesses, mentoring youths, organizing fund-raisers, coaching teams and heading up families.

Become the speaker and leader you want to be. Confident, charismatic leaders weren't born that way. Toastmasters members learn to tell their story. They listen and answer. Through our community of learners, they find their path to leadership.

Toastmasters International. Where leaders are made.

For membership meeting information, please visit toastmasters.org and find a location near you..