The Making of a Leader: The Toastmasters Way

The way I define leadership today is providing an environment where the people you’re working with can truly grow into their roles. It’s about finding the resources and the kind of support they need to become successful.

My view evolved after I became a leader in Toastmasters. I used to think leadership was more about monitoring and supervising people, but that aspect of giving support wasn’t so clear to me.

Over the years, in the different roles I’ve had, I realized that especially when you’re working with volunteers, helping people succeed requires consistent support.

For example, when you give someone a responsibility, explaining everything at once can feel overwhelming. If instead you break it down and help them succeed with one part first, then gradually add more, they grow more confident and capable of handling the whole responsibility.

It really comes down to having a clear picture of what you want to achieve and then helping people grow into that.

It’s exactly the same way I organize things professionally. As an employer, the way I frame job descriptions and the way we work in the office with the people around me is pretty much the same. Most of the time, when people start a job, they’re afraid to admit what they don’t know. I try to create an environment where someone can say, “I don’t know this,” and, as the person responsible, I guide them until they’re able to handle it confidently.

In the professional world, I bring in people who want to learn and grow, and my leadership in Toastmasters has translated directly into providing an environment for them to actually learn and grow into the roles.

It was towards the end of my club leadership when I was serving as club president, from 2019 to 2020.

What truly shifted my focus toward other people was seeing the journey members go through in public speaking and leadership. I noticed that many struggled with staying focused, finding direction, and accessing the resources they needed.

I saw a lot of members who wanted to achieve their goals in public speaking and become active in the club, yet after some time, they still had not moved forward. I realized that often what they needed was someone to support them in the direction they wanted to go.

After having that big picture view of how a club functions and how the member journey unfolds, I decided to focus more intentionally on helping others succeed.

One skill that translates across all roles is how you manage people, because at every level, people respond to guidance, support, and clear expectations in much the same way.

There are two leadership skills that transfer throughout: first, how you interact with people, adopting a coach mentality. A coach helps individuals focus on their goals and create strategies to achieve them. Those individual goals then feed into the team’s progress.

The second skill is the ability to plan and follow through. Whether at the club or district level, you need to create plans and work on them systematically, checking monthly progress and adjusting as needed. Coaching and long-term planning are skills that translate across roles.

The difference between district and club leadership comes down to scope and communication. At the club level, you interact directly with members. But at the district level, you work with club leaders who then interact with members, there's that long chain that goes on.

To make sure that your message reaches the members; you need to become an excellent communicator, able to convey your intent clearly so it doesn’t get lost along the way. That strategic kind of communication is something that you need more at the district level than at the club level, but the coaching approach and planning skills remain equally important across all contexts.

When you’re leading a large group, your planning needs to be more long-term. For example, the Toastmasters year starts in July and goes through June. At the district level, you need to plan months in advance, so nothing comes as a surprise. All events and their exact dates should be set ahead of time, and communications sent with enough lead time for people to respond. Last-minute decisions simply won’t work when you’re dealing with so many clubs. You have to stay ahead, respecting the time of everyone involved, and making sure that each club can operate smoothly within the larger district plan.

At a certain point in a Toastmasters journey, you may need something beyond what you get at a club. For example, after you’ve been at Toastmasters for a long time, you’re often treated like a senior member.

There aren’t enough people who are going to evaluate your speech, and people are often not as comfortable giving feedback to a senior member or a DTM as they are to others because they feel a bit intimidated. You need an environment where you can continue to grow, even after you become a senior member. That’s the purpose of an advanced club.

It’s a space where you can continue growing, with members who challenge you and help you push further, no matter how skilled you already are.

Watabaruku Advanced Toastmasters Club is a good example. Every speaker receives three evaluators: one focuses on content, the structure, and the message; another on delivery, body language, and vocal variety; and a third on language. That adds up to about eight minutes of feedback, compared to just three minutes at a typical club. The main difference is the depth and quality of evaluations, designed to help even experienced members continue developing their skills.

It’s about paying attention to the evaluation culture that you have. A lot of people are usually not trained on how to be effective evaluators. In most clubs, people don’t know exactly what an evaluator is supposed to do.

An evaluator is supposed to motivate, give insight, and come well prepared. You can’t just turn up at a meeting and go ahead with it. You need to have taken time to speak to the speaker and organize your notes so that your feedback is insightful and constructive.

Any club can adopt this by regularly giving training. That’s what leads to better evaluations. Focusing on the quality of evaluations makes a huge difference.

What it has taught me is that any kind of connection that you have with people requires work. It’s not something that comes easily, whether it is in a physical meeting or in a virtual one, where you need to put even more effort in. You need to be more intentional than people usually are in a physical setting. You cannot let that feeling of fellowship, that feeling of being close to each other, happen by chance. You need to think it out clearly and put things in place that make it possible for everyone to bond. There’s that intentionality about creating a community where people can actually have fun and feel supported while doing their work.

Throughout my leadership, I’ve faced situations that required tough decisions, especially when a team member wasn’t contributing enough and action was needed to address it. I navigated these moments by first reminding myself what we were supposed to achieve as a team, putting it in the context of how each of us contributes to that success and not thinking of the person I was dealing with in isolation but as part of the team. That perspective helps you understand the impact someone’s behavior has on the rest of the club officers or the club members.

With that context, it becomes about being empathetic, patient, and understanding, but ultimately decisive about what needs to happen and what change is required. Once a direction is set, you do your best in that situation. It’s also important not to let guilt over others’ actions affect you. Sometimes we feel responsible for what someone said or did. Holding yourself accountable for your actions, while letting others be accountable for theirs, usually makes a huge difference when making difficult decisions.

The first time I truly had a leadership experience outside formal roles was as the newsletter chief editor for the district. It wasn’t a formal role; it was a position I asked the district director to set up, and then I took it up myself. What I learned from that was that when dealing with different cultures, you need to understand people. That was the first time I worked with people from different countries and cultures all over the district. I learned to appreciate people, to appreciate the differences between us, and to understand how people would like to be treated in different cultures.

Actually listening to people and not judging them based on the frameworks you’ve developed in your own country but being open to the differences that exist between people taught me a lot. That was a key lesson about making connections: connecting with people across cultures really comes down to respecting them and the differences between you.

Differences across cultures are often seen in the way people communicate, especially when it comes to challenging authority. Depending on the country you find yourself in, people may feel more or less comfortable questioning a leader’s ideas or plans.

In some cultures, people hesitate to challenge authority, while in others it feels natural to speak up and debate.

Appreciating these differences means adjusting how you lead. For example, if you are working in a culture where people are less comfortable challenging authority, you need to be careful about presenting your ideas first. It helps to invite others to share their thoughts before you express your own. Otherwise, once the leader speaks first, people may be less likely to question or debate the idea.

This also applies to giving feedback. In some cultures, people are comfortable receiving feedback in public, while in others it is better to give feedback privately. As a leader, you need to be sensitive to these differences and sometimes deliver feedback in a more gentle and sensitive manner.

The way I balance Toastmasters responsibilities is by being clear about exactly what priority Toastmasters has in my life. I do not deceive myself into thinking Toastmasters is the highest priority. Having a clear list of priorities usually makes a difference in making sure nothing gets higher priority than it deserves. To balance the different aspects of your life, you need to be clear, if your family comes first, if your work comes first, and be open with everyone around you about these priorities. Then have a discussion about how people can work around the priorities you have. Once you have that clear list, it becomes easier to balance. You do not take on responsibilities that you cannot fulfill. You learn how to say no to situations because you know your priorities clearly—that’s how you balance things.

I usually prefer to mentor people who are early in their Toastmasters journey because you don’t need a mentor throughout. Once you’ve learned how Toastmasters works, most of the time you’re comfortable navigating by yourself later in your journey. My approach is always goal-based. I think about it from the mentee’s perspective: what goals do they have? I see myself as helping them move toward those specific goals. I’m not telling them how they’re supposed to be; I ask them what they want to achieve and then find strategies to help them get there.

Mentorship, to me, is usually led by the mentee because they know what they want. All I’m doing is walking alongside them and giving them the support they need to reach their specific goals. This is the approach I usually take with newer members, helping them get as much as possible out of the system. I also think of my mentorship as time-bound; it’s not something that goes on forever. At some point, the mentee grows and becomes more comfortable, and I start to pull back, offering support only occasionally. My mentorship is both goal-driven and time-bound, making sure it doesn’t feel like it will go on indefinitely.

The moments I’m most proud of usually involve leadership. I’m very sensitive about how people are treated in the organization. One of the earliest proud moments for me was when I was a club leader and I mentored a new officer into their role.

There was someone who had just been volunteering to support the Vice President of Membership role. They were new to the club and didn’t know much about the position. I remember having conversations with them beforehand and helping them think about the role differently. By the time they were done, they said they had done more than they thought was possible.

It was especially meaningful because this was someone who was quite introverted, someone who didn’t like talking to people. And yet their role was to talk to guests, help them feel comfortable, and guide them toward becoming members. We worked through strategies to help them manage the role in a way that felt natural and manageable.

That person later became the Vice President of Membership of our club and helped the club grow from around thirty members to over sixty. That is usually a very proud moment for me as a mentor.

You need to trust the system, trust the process, and trust the program. In every role, there’s a clear definition of what it’s supposed to do. There is a clear guide, for example, the Club Leadership Handbook, on how you’re supposed to run a club.

Most of us end up trying to reinvent the wheel by doing our own things instead of going back to see what the last 101 years of Toastmasters have already taught us about what needs to happen in a club.

What I learned, and what I wish I had understood from the very beginning, is that these responsibilities are not happening for the first time. Many people have taken on these roles and learned how to do them well. A sustainable club is one that is run the Toastmasters way, leaning toward the recommended practices for meetings, structure, and leadership.

When you are committed to the system that is already there, instead of trying to create something entirely new, leadership becomes much easier, and the club becomes sustainable over the long term.

Even when members are committed, I think one of the biggest mistakes clubs make is underestimating the importance of new member orientation and not taking it seriously enough. A new member needs close to two hours of orientation to really understand and be familiar with the system. But many clubs simply don’t give it that level of attention.

People join, they’re told, “Yes, you’re now part of the club,” and that’s the end of the interaction. That is a major mistake. First of all, it erodes the quality of the meeting. When that person starts taking roles or delivering speeches, they don’t really know what they are supposed to be doing. You can see they’re not measuring up to what is required, not because they lack commitment, but because they were never properly guided.

In addition to that, when someone is not oriented properly, they don’t stay long in the club. At some point they feel discouraged or frustrated, and they give up on their path or end up leaving the club.

It was an exciting time, especially because hosting TEACON in Ethiopia had been very difficult in the past due to distance and the cost for many people to travel. When I became District Director, I had the flexibility to make a lot of decisions. One of the decisions we made was to ensure people felt as supported as possible to come to the country. We started selling tickets earlier than usual, tried to keep costs low, and gave support to contestants who were struggling with airfare or accommodation.

Providing that kind of support was greatly satisfying for me as a leader at that time. Bringing that vision to reality, seeing all the people having a great time, made the experience quite enjoyable.

For me, it was insightful to see what works across different countries. I had interacted with many people from different countries right from the beginning, but at TEACON, seeing what is common across countries and what consistently works helped me better understand how to run clubs and what would actually be relevant for Division D.

You realize that there are people who are successful at being Toastmasters and at running clubs, and that you can learn a lot from them. Some of the challenges we face are not unique. Other people have already found ways to deal with them and overcome them.

And when you see people who are further along the Toastmasters journey, making the best use of their time in the program, it becomes inspiring. It pushes you to strive for that same level of growth.

At the very beginning, when I was an Area Director, I had not learned how to create a new club or how to properly support a struggling one. Back then, if I found a club that was struggling or newly formed, I would end up doing a lot of the work myself rather than empowering the members to support their own club.

That was one of the biggest mistakes I made early in my journey. I had the attitude that I needed to be the savior of the club. But over time, I learned that I’m just there to support. I’m there to coach and empower people to help themselves.

They are the owners of their club. My role is not to come in and take over or do the work for them, but to help them learn how to do that work on their own, and do it well.

Toastmasters became an enjoyable experience. That is a comment I usually get from quite a number of people, that when I was a leader, they felt joy and delight in being members of the organization. And I think that is the impact that will stay with me for a long time. Learning how to make the Toastmasters experience enjoyable for the people around me, and using my responsibility and the resources at my disposal to make people’s lives easier, is something I value deeply. I believe it is not easy to do that.

It’s about appreciating people. People often underestimate how much others want to be appreciated and recognized for what they do. I remember that as District Director, a significant portion of our budget went toward recognition at every level, recognizing clubs and individuals for their efforts.

Trying to acknowledge people for what they do is one of the best ways to make them feel excited about being part of a team. When people receive due recognition for the effort they put in, the same work that once felt routine or burdensome starts to feel meaningful. They realize that what they are doing actually matters.

What helped me most was learning how to properly apply recognition and incentives throughout the Toastmasters journey.

I enjoy it myself. I enjoy delivering speeches, attending meetings, and seeing my own growth. Even when serving in district or club leadership roles, I see myself as the greatest beneficiary because leadership helps me grow. I might be making a difference for others, but the biggest difference is to myself.

The same is true for mentoring. In helping others, you end up helping yourself. Today, for example, I was preparing someone for their first evaluator role. In the process, I realized I could become a better evaluator too; there were things I could revisit and improve. That’s the benefit of supporting others: in reflecting with them and interacting with them, you start helping yourself as well.

The key is always focusing on the end user, the final recipient. The idea of being a servant leader—serving other people—is something many talk about, but few truly commit to. When you’re running a club, you’re not running it for yourself; you’re running it for the benefit of others. When you hold a district role, you’re serving the members who will ultimately join a club somewhere.

The greatest mindset shift for becoming a strong leader, in Toastmasters or anywhere, is helping that final person who will receive the benefits of your organization. The more you dedicate yourself to that objective, the more successful and recognized you become. Simply helping other people often ends up being the path to lasting impact.

I remember my own experience running for Program Quality Director and District Director. Both roles require being elected. As an introvert, I hate campaigning, but I had to campaign for both. What struck me was that one of the main reasons they supported me was the work I had done for them long before the election. When they needed a chief judge, I volunteered. When someone needed help with an evaluation at a club, I was there. I had served them consistently, without expecting anything in return.

By the time I needed their votes, the trust and credibility I had built made people willing to support me. Service often doesn’t feel like it’s paying off in the moment, but it builds lasting credibility and trust, whether in Toastmasters or in professional life. People remember the consistent effort and service you provide, and it positions you as someone they can trust. Serving others never goes to waste.

Everybody wants to express themselves, to be heard, to speak their minds. Being an introvert doesn’t mean you can’t speak confidently, it often means you recharge differently and may prefer reflection before action. Many introverts simply haven’t had as much practice or opportunity to engage publicly, which can make it feel challenging at first.

Interestingly, introverts can have unique strengths when it comes to delivering speeches. Because they tend to think deeply and reflect before speaking, they can craft messages with clarity and insight. Whereas someone more spontaneous might be energetic on stage, introverts can leverage their thoughtfulness to create speeches that are impactful and memorable.

Introverts have that innate advantage they can lean into. Rather than trying to become like an extrovert, trying to be loud or to dance on stage, they can lean into the reflectiveness that comes naturally to them. When they do that, they are just as powerful a speaker as someone who is more outwardly expressive on stage.