In addition to public speaking skills improvement program, Toastmaster also has a program for fostering leadership skills.

You can find below an introduction to the Competent Leadership Program (by Robin Adams). You can also find the complete presentation in PDF format .

What is the Competent Leadership Program Composed of?
• Project 1 – Listening and Leadership
• Project 2 – Critical Thinking
• Project 3 – Giving Feedback
• Project 4 – Time Management
• Project 5 – Planning and Implementation
• Project 6 – Organizing and Delegating
• Project 7 – Facilitation Skills
• Project 8 – Motivating
• Project 9 – Mentoring
• Project 10 – Team Building

Project 1 -Listening and Leadership

• All projects begin with a self evaluation quiz
• Take it!

• Good leaders are aware of what’s going on around them
• Good leaders listen well
• Seven steps of good listening:
• Keep an open mind
• Maintain eye contact
• Keep body language in receptive mode
• Look for key ideas
• Check for understanding –rephrase speaker
• Check for understanding –ask questions
• Consider what was communicated before responding

• Objectives:
 - Determine current listening skills
 - Identify seven steps of good listening
 - Practice listening skills
• Assignment:
 - Perform 3 of the 4 following roles
 - Be evaluated on each
 - 4 roles are:
 - Speech evaluator
 - Table topics speaker
 - Ah-counter
 - Grammarian

Project 2 -Critical Thinking

• Critical thinkers perform four functions:
 - Interpret the meaning of what is being said or read
 - Analyze and identify relationships
 - Determine credibility
 - Infer cause and effect results

• Becoming a successful critical thinker requires:
• Become and stay informed about the world
• Make well thought out decisions
• Maintain an open mind
• Don’t assume; don’t be afraid to ask questions
• Know yourself; be honest and objective
• Separate fact from opinion
• Be determined and persistent –don’t give up
• Be organized: the never ending battle
• Consider all options

• Objectives:
 - Determine current critical thinking skills
 - Practice critical thinking skills
• Assignment:
 - Perform 2 of the 3 following roles
 - Be evaluated on each
 - 3 roles are:
   - Speech evaluator
   - Grammarian
   - General evaluator

Project 3 -Giving Feedback

• Strong leaders need to let others know:
 - What they are doing well
 - What they are doing that needs improvement
 - How they can improve
• Why we hesitate in giving feedback
 - We think others can see what we can see
 - We think that others can figure it out for themselves
 - We are afraid of offending people

• Good feedback is given immediately and tactfully
 - Describe the behavior specifically
 - Explain the behaviors impact
 - Listen for explanations and acknowledge them
 - Determine what “improved”behavior is
 - Ask for agreement with plan
 - End on positive note
 - Praise subsequent success or discuss situation

• Objectives:
 - Determine current skill level in giving feedback
 - Identify steps in giving feedback
 - Practice feedback skills
• Assignment:
 - Perform each of the 3 following roles
 - Be evaluated in each
 - 3 roles are:
   - Speech evaluator
   - Grammarian
   - General evaluator

Project 4 -Time Management

• Strong leaders manage time well
 - Understand what can realistically be accomplished in one day
 - Make plans for spending time most effectively
 - Block out time for “must do”projects
 - Allow some time for unexpected “contingencies”
 - Minimize stress by avoiding over-commitment

• Aspects of managing time well:
 - Identify both long and short term goals
 - Daily to-do list
 - Prioritize daily activities
 - Make a daily schedule
 - Delegate as much as possible
 - Delete as much as possible
 - Manage and limit interruptions, and time wasters

• Objectives:
 - Determine current skill level in managing time
 - Identify steps to managing time well
 - Practice time management skills
• Assignment:
 - Perform 1 of the 5 following roles
 - Be evaluated on that role
 - 5 roles are:
   - Timer
   - Toastmaster
   - Speaker
   - Grammarian
   - Table topics master

Project 5 -Planning and Implementation

•Planning has several benefits:
􀂃Keeps you future oriented –the future is a positive place
􀂃Allows you to coordinate decisions and work
􀂃Reinforces important goals ensuring things get done
•Steps to effective planning:
􀂃Determine goals
􀂃Identify strategies for reaching goals
􀂃Set a timetable to keep you on target
􀂃Assign and delegate responsibilities
􀂃Anticipate obstacles and how to deal with them
􀂃Continuously evaluate current status VS plan

•Objectives:
􀂃Determine current planning skills
􀂃Identify steps to good planning
􀂃Practice planning skills
•Assignment:
􀂃Perform 3 of the 4 following roles
􀂃Be evaluated in those roles
􀂃4 roles are:
􀂃Speaker
􀂃General evaluator
􀂃Toastmaster
􀂃Table topics master

Project 6 -Organizing and Delegating

•Strong leaders are good organizers
􀂃Divide work into logical well coordinated segments
􀂃Provides, assigns, finds resources
􀂃Determines reporting structure
􀂃Establishes communication network
•Strong leaders are good delegators
􀂃Delegation is KEY to getting things done
􀂃Delegating allows others to develop
􀂃Delegating creates employee engagement

•Sometimes we don’t delegate because:
􀂃We can do it faster or better ourselves
􀂃We are afraid the delegate will do it faster or better than us
􀂃We are afraid to over burden others
•What should be delegated?
􀂃Routine and minor decisions and projects
􀂃Anything you are unqualified to do yourself
􀂃Learning opportunities for others
􀂃All tasks that others already have skills to do

•How should we delegate?
􀂃Choose the right person
􀂃Make task expectations clear
􀂃Make feedback expectations clear
􀂃Establish the necessary authority
􀂃Get the delegate’s agreement
•Objectives:
􀂃Determine current organizing and delegating skills
􀂃Identify aspects of organizing and delegating
􀂃Practice organizing and delegating skills

•Assignment:
􀂃Perform 1 of the 6 following tasks
􀂃Be evaluated on that task
􀂃6 tasks are:
􀂃Help organize a club speech contest
􀂃Help organize a club special event
􀂃Help organize a club membership campaign
􀂃Help organize a club PR campaign
􀂃Help establish a club newsletter
􀂃Help create a significant part of the club web-site

Project 7 -Facilitation Skills

•Strong leaders facilitate teamwork
􀂃Build a strong team
􀂃Creates a structure in this team
􀂃Removes obstacles to effectiveness
•Facilitation requires the facilitator to
􀂃Clarify tasks
􀂃Define team members’roles
􀂃Plan meetings and projects
􀂃Help the team make decisions
􀂃Encourage team members to cooperate
􀂃Resolve conflict

•Facilitation involves
􀂃Observing to team member dynamics
􀂃Listening to how people cooperate
􀂃Asking the right questions
􀂃Keeping the team focused on its objectives
•Building consensus is the most critical aspect of facilitating
􀂃All ideas are considered making decisions the best
􀂃Team members look forward to working together
􀂃Team members support each other

• Building consensus requires:
􀂃Identifying the crucial issues
􀂃Explaining the process for arriving at a consensus
􀂃Opening the group for discussion
􀂃Identifying priorities for the group
􀂃Identifying areas of agreement
􀂃Identifying areas of concern
􀂃Soliciting new ideas and comments
􀂃Discussing new ideas presented
􀂃Moving forward to a consensus resolution

• Objectives:
􀂃Determine current facilitation skills
􀂃Identify aspects of facilitation
􀂃Practice facilitation skills
• Assignment:
􀂃Perform 2 of the 4 following tasks
􀂃Be evaluated on those tasks
􀂃4 tasks are:
􀂃Toastmaster
􀂃General evaluator
􀂃Table topics master
􀂃Befriend a guest at a club meeting

Project 8 -Motivating People

• Powerful motivators include the following ideas:
 - Leaders must be credible and have integrity
 - Leaders are expected to act like leaders
 - Most people
   - Want to feel important
   - Want to enjoy the company of others they work with
   - Like to do meaningful work
   - Like to learn new skills
   - Prefer to be challenged
   - Prefer to take on greater responsibility
   - Expect their work to be appreciated
   - Expect to receive public recognition
   - Expect to be promoted within an organization
 - Rewards are more effective than punishments
 - Misusing rewards demotivates people

• How to motivate using rewards:
 - Recognize results as early as possible
 - Match the reward to the work
 - Reward only the desired behavior
 - Explain why some behavior is not acceptable
• Objectives:
 - Determine current skills in motivating others
 - Identify aspects of motivating others
 - Practice motivating skills

•Assignment:
 - Perform 1 of the 2 following tasks
 - Be evaluated on that task
 - 2 tasks are:
 - Lead a membership campaign
 - Lead a public relations campaign
 - Perform 2 of the 3 following tasks
 - Be evaluated on those tasks
 - 3 tasks are:
 - Toastmaster
 - Speech evaluator
 - General evaluator

Project 9 –Mentoring

• Characteristics of mentors:
 - Available and accessible
 - Patient
 - Sensitive
 - Respectful
 - Respected
 - Flexible
 - Knowledgeable
 - Confident
 - Good at listening
 - Concerned about others

• Strategies of successful mentors:
 - Offer learning opportunities
 - Help the mentee identify weaknesses
 - Diplomatically provide useful advice
 - Be a positive role model
 - Encourage people to become independent

• Objectives:
 - Determine current mentoring skills
 - Identify steps for being a strong mentor
 - Practice mentoring skills
• Assignment:
 - Mentor one of three types of members
 - Be evaluated by that member as his / her mentor
 - 3 types of members are:
 - New member
 - Existing member
 - Member working on an advanced project

Project 10 –Team Building

• Building teams is challenging but important work
 - Select team members carefully
 - Establish team goals
 - Establish guidelines for working together
 - Develop a plan of action
 - Determine performance measurement mechanism
 - Continuously build trust and camaraderie
 - Foster collaboration, cooperation, communication and teamwork among members
 - Encourage teams members to move towards the team goals

• Objectives:
 - Determine current team building skills
 - Identify steps for being a strong team builder
 - Practice team building skills

• Assignment:

 - Perform 1 of the 2 following roles􀂃Be evaluated on those tasks
 - 2 roles are:
 - Toastmaster
 - General evaluator
 - Perform 1 of the 6 following roles:
 - Be evaluated on those tasks
 - 6 roles are:
 - Membership campaign chairman
 - Public relations campaign chairman
 - Speech contest chairman
 - Special event chairman
 - Newsletter editor
 - Webmaster