Reaching a high level of Competent Leadership

When the Dream Big campaign kicked off last fall, six Afterburners committed to earning their first Competent Leader award. All six of those members have now reached their goal, nearly two months before the district's deadline:

Jodie Sanders	November 18
Dámaris Thorn	January 4
Joyce King	January 21
Gary Chiu	February 14
Linda Coleman	March 23
Steven Timmons	March 23

Two of them describe their CL experiences and offer advice and encouragement for those who are still working on, or have not started their CL manuals.

Perfecting my pitch

Gary Chiu

The Leadership Track requires Toastmasters to serve in a multitude of roles in order to obtain the CL, and has encouraged me to “stretch” myself and my abilities to the fullest. Without the CL, I would probably never have had the opportunity to “pound the pavement” soliciting food and beverage donations for a Humorous Speech contest last year. Through this process, not only did I discover that the manager at Jamba Juice is willing to dress up in a banana suit and make fruit smoothies for future Toastmaster events, but I had an opportunity to practice delivering quick but concise “Sales Pitches” as I went door-to-door downtown. That last skill is extremely helpful in day-to-day activities to promote your ideas to supervisors or other persons of influence; the information about the banana suit causes me nightmares.

My advice for those still working toward your CL: Make every opportunity count. Determine what activities you can participate in for credit, and get someone to sign off when you’ve completed that activity. Toastmasters provides an abundance of valuable opportunities, and a bit of initiative and creativity on your part will not only fulfill the requirement, but allow you to learn something about yourself in the process. Don’t pass up the chance to learn how to expand your learning circle!

Gary Chiu, CC, CL

Gaining confidence in myself

Linda Coleman

It's been a challenging but wonderful experience. At the very beginning I didn’t take it seriously enough, because it looked like too much to accomplish. Once I committed to complete the manual for the “Dream Big” contest, it was on. On a regular basis Jodie Sanders and Steven Timmons always offered their help, ensuring I stayed on task. When I realized their commitment to me, I got on board with the concept of “Growth” and began the journey.

Completing role after role caused me to gain confidence in myself as a leader and a communicator. I stepped out of my shell. The most difficult but the most meaningful accomplishments were in Project 8 [Motivating People] and the roles as General Evaluator. Please understand, I have not arrived, but I am a work in progress and so are you. Completing your “Competent Leader” while you work on your “Competent Communicator” may seem difficult, but it’s not. I encourage you to “JUST DO IT” (swish!!).

Linda Coleman, CC, CL