Addis Ababa TM Club

My learning intention was to understand leadership in a volunteer organization like Toastmasters International. I learned that leading a volunteer team is different from structured professional environments. There is no positional leverage, and engagement depends on personal motivation and passion. This required me to shift from task assignment to shared ownership of the club’s vision.

What I actually learned is that leadership in such a context depends on inspiration, communication, appreciation, and continuous engagement more than authority. Members commit when they feel valued and connected to a shared purpose. I also learned that trust and collaboration are more effective than position or control.

As President, I hoped to create a high-performing and engaging club environment while achieving distinguished recognition. One of our goals was to lead the club toward the Smedley Distinguished level while maintaining strong engagement and high-quality meetings. We set a target of 30 active members but reached 28.

Another goal was to train and mentor contestants for district-level contests. Although we did not fully achieve that result, we strengthened member participation and confidence in competitive speaking.

The success we achieved came from teamwork, shared ownership of goals, communication, and member commitment. At the same time, sustained motivation in a volunteer-based environment remained a challenge.

Dos: Share vision early, appreciate consistently, and mentor future leaders.

Don’ts: Assume uniform motivation, permit individual rivalries, and prioritize short-term results.