Nine years ago, I joined my local Toastmasters Club. On day one, I was approached with the option to step in as Club Secretary. 2017 was the year I decided to make key changes and say yes to things I would have previously shied away from. There was much work to be done and was pleased to hear that Toastmasters could potentially help me with both key changes.
Since 2017, I have held most of the Club Committee roles, including Club President twice, each role teaching me a very particular set of skills and some key lessons in leadership!
1) You get to set the vision and influence the Club’s future
Each club is unique. What makes it unique is its members. As a member of the Club Committee you work with others to set the vision by bringing your thoughts and ideas to the table. You learn to negotiate and influence positively by building key trust relationships with others. You also represent the voice of the members.
2) You gain hands on experience in leadership
While you learning new skills, it is helpful to practice them in a safe & supportive environment. Toastmasters is the perfect place to test your newly gained skills, where we all commit to learning together.
For many years I shied away from stepping up into the limelight as I did not particularly enjoy being the centre of attention. I had come to realise that this was related to my crippling Imposter Syndrome. Today, I have quietened that voice and take pride in serving others as a leader.
3) It looks great on your CV
We too often undervalue and omit volunteering positions from our CVs. I used to as I did not think they were taken seriously, but then one of my mentors mentioned the power of adding it to my CV. He pointed out that it shows off my values, being self-driven and caring nature. I volunteer because I love people and enjoy making a difference to others. What a powerful message to give your future employers!
4) You learn to pitch and sell
As a Club Officer you continually work at optimizing and improving your club membership. This requires you to get comfortable with pitching the benefits to new members.
Boy did I get this wrong at first! I fell into the trap of the ‘hard sell’ which turned every guest I ever spoke with away. A tough, but invaluable lesson. Instead, I had opportunities to ‘experiment’ with different approaches and today consider myself highly skilled in converting guests into members. Practice makes perfect and the more opportunities you step into, the more you learn about yourself as a leader.
5) You learn how to be resourceful and adaptable
Every Club Night is an event. Every contest is an event, Every guest night is an event. You learn to design well-run events, but also you learn to remain resourceful when things don’t go to plan. There are always things that you may need to respond to on the night. You learn to accept it for what it is, learn to ask for help from others and ride the wave as it is presented to you.
6) You get to network with Toastmasters from other clubs
While this is not just an opportunity for club officers as all members can choose to visit other clubs and partake in contests, there are more opportunities for Club Officers to network beyond the Club. And what is so amazing about that, is that you find those same friendly and supportive faces everywhere.
Not only that, there are numerous other leadership opportunities at area, division and district level, all in service of the members.
7) You earn credit towards your Distinguished Toastmaster Award
When you really start understanding the power of Toastmasters, you commit to the journey of learning and continuous self-improvement. Toastmasters is an educational organisation and continues to support its members throughout. For more experienced Toastmasters, they offer the Distinguished Toastmasters Award (aka DTM Award). One of the requirements of completing your DTM is to serve in a club officer role for one year. If this is an award you would like to add to your portfolio, I would step into the role at the earliest opportunity!
When would that be, I hear you ask? Well, many clubs around the globe hold their club officer elections in May in readiness for the handover from the first of July. Please think about it! Or, even better, don’t think about it and just say yes, because your ‘no’ may be your imposter syndrome getting the better of you!
Heidi De Wolf
