TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL MISSION We empower individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders. CLUB MISSION We provide 2 supportive and positive earning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skis resuiting in greater seff-confidence and personel growth. TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL VALUES > Integrity » Respect » Service > Excellence A TOASTMASTER’S PROMISE Being a Toastmaster means more than simply making a commitment to selfdevelopment. Everyone who joins a Toastmasters club is making a commitment to the club, to its members ‘and to the organization as a whole. 2 COMPETENT LEADERSHIPTABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ‘ 4 Project |: Listening 26 Project 2: Critical Thinking... 10 Project 3 Giving Feedback . 4 Project 4 Time Management. 19 | Project 5: Planning and Implementation. . 25 Project Organization and Delegation. .. vee 29 | Project 7. Facilitation coe oss Sard Sra Project Motivation ese Project 9: Mentoring = we M6 Project 10: Team Buildi 50 ‘Appendix 57 Web Resources eerste xmas or Evaluate Your CU csassuicisevsseersevecssssneuien zi 2 Competent Leader Award Application........... ce 68 Project Completion Record. ........0.c00 cesses cece ressseeseesese ieee ee 64 WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE 3 Fa Llu. _-|||;|;;_.-"INTRODUCTION “But just what do we mean by ‘leadership?’ It would appear to be the capacity to look ahead, think ‘ahead, plan ahead, and then influence other people to go ahead on the plan.” ~ Ralph C. Smedley What makes a leader? There are many books and many different opinions on the subject. Ralph ‘Smedley, founder of Toastmasters International, believed that some people are born with the qualities ofa leader, just as some are born with a natural talent for music or sports. He also believed that people can discover their latent leadership talents by participating in the regular activities of a Toastmasters dub. You may intend to be one of the world’s great leaders in business or politics, or you may be a person who sometimes needs to motivate a group of people to work together to achieve a common goal. n either case, the projects in Competent Leadership (Item 265) will provide you with opportunities to bulld your leadership skils by serving in various Toastmasters meeting roles. By completing the projects in this manual, you can learn how to listen, think critically, pian, organize, manage time, facilitate, motivate, mentor, and build a team, HOW IT WORKS Each of the 10 projects in this manual focuses on a different leadership skill Each project ‘consists of two parts: a short, informative introduction to the skill and an assignment that’s designed to provide you with an opportunity to practice and lear an aspect of that skill. For ‘most projects, you can choose from a lst of several meeting roles to serve in; others require you ‘to help your club in other ways. While leadership skills can be learned in every meeting role, some meeting roles provide better learning experiences than others. You needn't complete the projects in order, although itis beneficial to do so. ‘As you complete the projects in this manual, keep the following requirements in mind: » You may only receive credit for one meeting role per meeting, For example, if you serve asa speech evaluator and a grammarian, you can earn credit for only one of these roles.¢ » Some roles fulfll the requirements for multiple projects, but cannot be used as credit toward multiple projects in one meeting. For example, you have the option to be a speech evaluator in four projects throughout the manual, but you can apply credit to only one of these projects per meeting, To receive this credit for all four projects, you ‘would need to serve as a speech evaluator four different times. ‘When you complete a project, a leadership evaluator will give you feedback. Just like @ speech evaluator, 2 leadership evaluator can be any club member, and he or she will provide a personal opinion of your performance in the leadership role, identifying strengths as well as suggestions forimprovement. THE REWARDS ARE MANY (Once you've completed all 10 projects in this manual and turned in your award application, you will receive the Competent Leader award. You will receive a certificate and, at your request, Toastmasters international will send a letter to your employer announcing your accomplishment, 4 COMPETENT LEADERSHIPBut that's only the beginning. Toastmasters offers two tracks to grow your skills. When YoU participate in the communication track to develop your presentation skills, you can be recognized as a Competent Communicator, Advanced Communicator Bronze, Advanced Communicator Silver, and Advanced Communicator Gold. When you participate in the lead ership track, you can be recognized as a Competent Leader, Advanced Leader Bronze, and ‘Advanced Leader Sliver. The tracks are not mutually exclusive, You can complete the manual at your own pace, and you can work in it at the same time you are working in Competent ‘Communication (Item 225) or the Advanced Communication Series manuals. * The ultimate recognition is the Distinguished Toastmaster award, given to those who have worked in both tracks and have received the Advanced Communicator Gold and Advanced Leader Silver awards. Fora list of available awards and the requirements for each, visit vw toastmastersony/Members/Mambet€xperlencefeicationalProgram/Cornmunicaonc and www:toastmasters.org/Members/MemberExperience/EducationalProgram/LeadershipTrack. HOW DO | GET STARTED? |. Ask your vice president education (VPE) for a mentor. An experienced fellow member will help you with your fist few assignments and answer any questions you may have as you begin working in the Toastmasters educational program. 2. Ask your VPE to schedule you to serve in your first meeting role. The sooner you begin participating in the club, the faster you will learn, Also ask the VPE to orient you to the club. During this orientation, the VPE will explain how the club operates, the learning opportunities the club provides, and your responsibilities as a member. You wil discuss your goals and how the club can help you achieve them. 3. Begin preparing for your first meeting role. Work with your mentor to prepare for your first meeting role, following the project guidelines. Preparation will help you overcome any nervousness you may have and make you a better leader. 4, Bring Competent Leadership (Item 265) to every meeting. Fulfiling meeting roles is part of being @ Toastmaster, and you'll achieve your Competent Leader award in less time if you get credit for each role you fulfill, Even if you're not scheduled for a meeting role, you ‘may be asked to fil in for 3 member who is absent. USING THE PROJECT COMPLETION RECORD The Project Completion Record at the back of the manual serves two purposes:it provides an easy reference to the project requirements in Competent Leadership (ern 265), and a way for the VPE to sign off on your projects as you complete them, When you have completed all 10 projects in this manual, send a copy of this form along with a copy of the Competent Leader ‘Award Application (tern 1227) to World Headquarters to receive your Competent Leader certificate. (Detailed instructions for submitting your application to World Headquarters appear on the Competent Leader Award Application (Item 1227). READ BEFORE YOU BEGIN iis important that you read each project carefully before you embark on each assignment. | | } WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE 5p> PROJECT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Listening'sanimportant leadership. skil that enables youto acquire Infomation identify and dary sues, make decsions, and resolve confit. Listening ki aso ply a major role inteambuiling. You can learn tobe a beter istener by following afew simple suggestions OBJECTIVES > Evaluate your ability tolisten, > Identify and apply effective Istening stil. 6 COMPETENT LEADERSHIP. LISTENING Listening is an important leadership skill Through good listening, you can acquire Information, identify and clarify issues, make decisions, and resolve conflict. A leader’ listening skill play a major role in team building. Leaders must be able to connect with thelr teams, showing concern for them and their work. This connection is accomplished through listening to what team members think, to their plans, and to their ideas, When they believe you are listening to them, team members fee! important and respected. In turn, they trust and respect you and perform to the best of thei abilities. HOW WELL DO YOU LISTEN? In order to evaluate your current ability to listen, determine how often you can honestly make the following statements, After you've completed this entire project, repeat the exercise to measure your progress. Always Sometimes _ Never focus mi attention on the speaker and don't think about anything els. {do not anticipate what the speakers going to say before she actualy says I. 3 2 1 {Wait until the speaker has finshed to formulate my response. 3 2 1 Took the speaker in the eye, nod my head, and smile while listening to show the speaker Im interested. 3 2 1 [do not perform ather tasks while sorneone talking to me. 3 2 1 TTisten carefully tothe speaker even when |dlsagree with what ssa. When the speaker has finished, | summarize what he said to ensure understood correctly. 3 2 1 {ask questions when Tam not sure about something the speaker said 3 2 1 Scoring: Add the circled numbers. fyou scored 22:24 points, congratulations! Youre an ‘excellent listener. fyou scored 17-21 points, your skis ate good, but they may need some attention. iFyou scored I6 points or fewes its time to make some improvements, HOW TO LISTEN While listening may seem like it should be easy to do, it can be very difficult, often requiring more mental effort than speaking To learn to listen better:Keep an open mind. Avoid making assumptions and judgments before the speaker finishes, 2, Maintain eye contact. Give the speaker your full attention. 3, Watch your body language. Relax. Uncioss your arms and legs, and refrain from tapping your fingers or ‘making other nervous ‘gestures. Instead, lean toward the speaker and nod and smile when appropriate, 4, Listen for key ideas and full understanding, Seek out and remember the speaker's main ideas and points, For example, if the speaker Is relaying the reasons why a major project is being delayed, listen carefully for each specific reason. 5, Rephrase what the speaker is saying, Show the speaker you understand what he is say- ing and allow him to clarify if you are missing the point. For example, say something like, “if | understand correctly, the main reason for the delay is the design change’ 6. Ask questions. Confirm your understanding and get more information: ‘Why was the previous design inadequate?” ‘How much will the design changes cost?" 7. Evaluate. When the speaker is finished, think carefully about what he said before you respond, YOUR ASSIGNMENT Apply the behaviors of @ good listener by performing any three of the following roles (each at a different meeting). » Speech evaluator ~~ » Table Topics” speaker » Ah-Counter » Grammarian Learn about these roles at www.toastmasters.org/meetingroles. WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE 7EVALUATION GUIDE FOR LISTENING Note to the Evaluator: Please read the project carefully before the meeting. Offer comments and specific recommendations about the performance of the role, focusing on the information provided in this project. IF any aspect of the role was performed outside of the meeting, conduct an interview to gain the details you need for a complete evaluation. Speech Evaluator Evaluator Date ‘The speech evaluator engaged the speaker, using eye contact and \ other nonverbal behavior to show interest. 3 2 1 The speech evaluator devoted his or her entire attention to the i speaker and did not perform other tasks while the speaker was taking, 3 2 1 The speech evaluator summarized the content of the speech and/or repeated key phrases from the speech in his or her evaluation, 3 2 1 ‘Assess the speech evaluator’s behavior as a listener, What specific behaviors demonstrated that the evaluator understood the speaker's ideas? Did the evaluator remember the speaker's main ideas and points? Table Topics Speaker Evaluator Date Outstanding Average _Needs Work The speaker devoted his or her entire attention to the Topicsmaster and did not perform other tasks while the Topicsmaster was talking. a 2 1 The speaker demonstrated complete understanding of the topic, 3 2 1 ‘The speaker listened politely to all other Table Topics speakers, 3 2 a Assess the speaker's behavior as a listener. Did the Table Topics speakers body language indicate that he or she wos listening to the Topicsmaster as the topic was delivered? How did the Table Topics speaker's answer demonstrate his comprehension of the topic? 8 COMPETENT LEADERSHIPAh-Counter Evaluator Date Outstanding Average Needs Work The Ah-Counter devoted his or her entire attention to all speakers and did not perform other tasks while the speakers were talking 3 2 1 The Ah-Counter’s reports clearly demonstrated that he or she listened intently toall speakers during the meeting 3 2 1 The Ah-Counter’s body language clearly demonstrated that he or she listened to all speakers during the meeting, 3 2 1 Assess the Ah-Counters behavior as a listener. What body language cues did the Ah-Counter use to show he or she was ‘istening? What other listening behaviors did the Ah-Counter demonstrate during the meeting? Grammarian Evaluator Date Dutstanding Average Needs Work The grammarien demonstrated good listening skils by repeating key phrases the speakers used when delivering his or her report. 3 2 i The grammarian noted each instance that the word of the day or a derivative was used correctly during the meeting, 3 2 1 The grammarian remained alert during the meeting, He or she displayed acute awareness during the meeting and identified and clarified all distinctive grammar usage. 3 2 1 ‘Assess the grammarian’s behavior asa listener. Did the grammarian identify and repeat key phrases used by the speakers? What specific behaviors indicated that he or she was listening for the word of the day and distinctive grammar usage? WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE a — °aera 10 (COMPETENT LEADERSHIP PROJECT 2 CRITICAL THINKING ‘A successful leader gathers information, then carefully analyzes, interprets, and understands it before acting. This process is called critical thinking, Critical thinking is about how to approach problems, questions, and issues. HOW WELL DO YOU THINK CRITICALLY? To evaluate your critical thinking skils, determine how often you can honestly make the following statements. After you've completed this entire project, repeat the exercise to measure your progress. ‘Always Sometimes Never When confronted witha problem, Ispend time gathering information about it from several sources. 3 2 i {ask questions to get more information, 3 2 1 examine bales, assumptions, and opinions and weigh them against facts 3 z i Irefrain from making judgments or decisions unt Ive considered all facts 3 2 1 Itty tosee the merits af others opinions even they are iferent from mine, 2 1 [enjoy finding new solutions to problems 3 2 1 Scoring: Add the circled numbers. fyou scored 17-18 points, congratulations! Your eritieal- thinking skis are excellent. F you scarec 12-16 points, your skills ae good, but they may need some attention you scored 11 points or fewer it's time to make some improvements, CRITICAL THINKING Critical thinkers question what they read and hear. They determine the quality, merits, and faults of an idea and can distinguish between fact and opinion. They Use logical reasoning and analysis to reach conclusions. Critical thinkers consider information in several ways: » They interpret the meaning of experiences, situations, data and judgments. Citical thinkers can paraphrase someone else's ideas, ecognize how some- one is feeling from the look on their face, or lrify the meaning of a graph or chart. > Critical thinkers identify and analyze relationships between events, statements, concepts, and situations. For example, they can recognize the differences and similarities in two newspaper accounts of the same event.> They assess credibility by determining the logical strenath of a statement, description, or interpretation and judging if the evidence supports the conclusion being drawn. » Critical thinkers infer by forming hypotheses and deducing the consequences of data cor events. For example, they use reasoning to determine the consequences of a certain course of action before moving forward. HOW TO THINK CRITICALLY i > Be informed. Collect information from numerous sources. The Intemet, books, magazines, Journals, newspapers, videos, and CDs are good sources of information, Consulting with colleagues and employees also is useful. » Refrain from making decisions too early. Make sure you have all the facts, and allow yourself time to think about them, Quick decisions may lead to regrets, » Keep an open mind. You may find information that changes your perspective of the problem. » Ask questions. Do not make assumptions. Probing questions that begin with “why” or how" help you get more information. “Why do you believe this is the reason?" “How does this system work?” » Be honest about yourself. Acknowledge your biases, and avoid let- ting them influence you. » Weigh opinions against facts. 82 wary of placing more value on opinions than on facts. Someone may tell you they are in favor of a proposal, but their reasons for it may be based on personal biases rather than facts » Be persistent. The entire process takes time, and you may encounter difficulties. Don't give up. » Be organized, Sort the information you collect, and devise criteria for evaluating it. Write down important points or things you would like to investigate further. » Consider and analyze all options. This is the most important part of critica thinking, Only after analyzing the options can you decide which one is best. YOUR ASSIGNMENT Apply the citical-thinking practices discussed in this project by performing any two of the following roles (each at a different meeting) » Speech evaluator » Grammarian > General Evaluator . Leain more about these roles at www.toastmasters.org/meetingroles. WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE 11EVALUATION GUIDE FOR CRITICAL THINKING Note to the Evaluator: Please read the project carefully before the meeting. Offer comments and specific recommendations about the performance of the role, focusing on the information provided in this project. fany aspect of the role was performed outside of the wieeting, conduct an interview to help you in your evaluation, Speech Evaluator Evaluator Date Outstanding Average Needs Work ‘The speech evaluator demonstrated understanding of the speaker's ideas 3 2 1 ‘The evaluators appraisal of the speech was well organized, 3 2 1 ‘The evaluator showed insight into the speakers feelings about his or her topic. 3 2 1 Evaluate the critical-thinking practices the speech evaluator used. How did the evaluator demonstrate his or her understanding of the speaker's ideas? How did the evaluator reveal that he or she had gained insight into the speaker's point of view? Did the evaluator analyze the speech and/or the speaker's presentation style? Grammarian Evaluator Date Outstanding Average Needs Work ‘The grammarian addressed specific issues relating to grammar 3 2 1 The grammarian demonstrated good critical thinking skis 3 2 1 The grammarian provided wel-informed suggestions for improvement. 3 2 1 How did the grammarian go about clarifying grammar issues? What specific suggestions did the grammarian provide that demonstrated his or her knowledge of English grammar? 12 COMPETENTLEADERSHIPGeneral Evaluator Evaluator Date Dutstanding Average The General Evaluator demonstrated a clear understanding of a successful Needs Work club meeting 2 1 ‘The General Evaluator’s appraisal of the meeting was well organized 2 1 Allevaluators for the meeting were well prepared due to the preparation of the general evaluator. 3 2 1 ‘The General Evaluator offered specific suggestions to help clarify what is needed for the club to become more successful and useful to members. 3 2 1 Did the General Evaluator comment on the quality of the meeting's evaluations, such as whether they were positive and helpful and pointed the way to improvement? What other suggestions did the General Evaluator make to ensure the club is meeting the needs of each member? WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE 3