Toastmasters International Division L Conference Magazine

STRETCH Division L Conference 2017

It is only when you decide to finally stretch yourself After several years of local employment in the Connect Contribute Conquer
that you could Conquer fear, connect with people Philippines, I have decided to try my chance
and Contribute something invaluable to the abroad. Coming to Jubail, my friends invited me All of us are potential champions if we choose to
community. to join Toastmasters. They said that I could become one. But let us not forget, that the rubber
overcome my fear of public speaking and band just like the human mind, unless stretched
For some, the rubber band maybe of little value in develop my leadership skills. This was way out and pose constant challenges, it will not temper
their day to day living. But for me the rubber band of my comfort zone. I could write, I could paint, itself! You have to keep it always on the alert
has taught me a valuable lesson. I could even write a little poetry! But I could just mode. You have to feed it with enough grist for
not speak on the stage. My immediate reaction the mill. It takes a lot of courage to do so, but
More than a decade ago, when I was in college, my was to say No! My mind was telling me that I once you are determined and committed, I assure
English professor asked me to act in Snow White should take the plunge, but my heart was not you success is guaranteed. But the moment you
and the Seven Dwarfs. I was thrilled and waited strong to accept the challenge. My mind took me loosen it, the mind becomes idle and weak!
eagerly to play the role of the handsome prince. to my professor’s words and I decided that I had
Instead, I was given the role of the dwarf! It appears to stretch! Finally, after a couple of sleepless Are you ready for the challenge? Are you
the professor was very impressed with my height! nights I said YES! I have never regretted that ready to stretch yourselves to your
With the dwarf role comes with a dwarf line. All I decision. Every time I ascend the stage, I keep maximum potential? Are you ready to take
had to do was to say just one line on the stage. “Oh telling myself “Yes, I can do this”. I do not this simple lesson from the humble rubber
how beautiful little Snow White is”. But when the hesitate and ponder on the outcomes. I stretch band?
time came for me to say these words, I choked, I my brains, I stretch my heart and I stretch
struggled and I sweated. There was a lump in my myself! And I have been completely Yes, is the only answer so you could
throat and I felt that my chest would explode! My transformed. I am now able to meet people and Conquer fear, connect with people and
knees were knocking at each other and I was share my ideas because of the confidence that Contribute something invaluable to the
terrified! All I could manage was to utter was a has come from stretching myself! Today, I am community.
gruff croak! My professor was shocked. realizing my dreams by actively participating in
Toastmasters undertakings, and taking every Ardee Flores, JFTC
After the play when I went to apologize, he smiled. opportunity to learn and develop my craft. And
“Look, he said, you are not stretching yourself”. in return, I am supporting newcomers to step out
Saying this, he whipped out a rubber band from his of their comfort zones and encourage them to
pocket and waved it in the air. “Does the rubber stretch themselves.
band work as it is?” “No” I answered. He then
stretched the rubber band and put it around a stack “When you want wisdom and insight as badly as
of books and tossed the bundle to a corner. The you want to breathe, it is then you shall have it”
books remained intact. The rubber band was said Socrates, the famous Greek philosopher.
holding them tight! “See” he said. “Now the rubber History tells us that the greatest people in the
band is working,” “Why?......because it has been world are the ones who have touched most lives.
stretched to its full capacity!” That incident had a They have helped others to find their voice and
telling effect on me and from that moment the shaped the lives of many. You will find that this
valuable lesson of the rubber band was imprinted in was possible only because these champions were
my heart. ready to stretch themselves. They did not fear,
they did not hesitate! They challenged the
I realized that if you have to be successful, you have horizon of human endurance.
to stretch! If you have to be of value, you must
stretch! If you have to realize your dreams, you
have to stretch!

Division L Conference 2017

The making of communicators cum leaders Connect Contribute Conquer

The stages and processes involved in delivering Hakeem Olafemi O Toastmasters Club is not just about speaking; it is
successful speeches at Toastmasters meetings or any (President, JTI Toastmasters Club) communication. It goes beyond being proficient
contests is undoubtedly a long painstaking one. Apart in English language or any other language for that
from a member’s special interest in following the matter. Communication plays significant roles in
lifelong journey of communication competence and our lives. It also involves the ability to speak
leadership, the processes involved in the publicly. Public speaking enhances self-
conceptualization of ideas, taking notes of such ideas, confidence. The successful entrepreneur, Richard
preparation and rehearsals, up to the point of delivery Branson, maintains that: “communication makes
require a great deal of determination, persistence and the world go round. It facilitates human
patience. In the course of doing all these, the typical connections, and allows us to learn, grow and
Toastmaster is simultaneously achieving certain skills progress. It’s not just about speaking or reading,
and life feats. This sounds great! but understanding what is being said – and in
One of such skills involves brainstorming. No good some cases what is not being said”. Part of the
speech can be delivered without the speaker undergoing features of ‘what is not being said’, mentioned
intensive thought process and serious mental here, fits well with what we call ‘body language’.
engagement. The speaker has to think deeply about the Leadership is another important skill taught and
message he wants to pass across as well as the best way nurtured in Toastmasters. By taking up different
to put his ideas forward to the admiration of the roles at different (club) levels, including
audience. Similarly, every speech (prepared speeches, organizing meetings and contests; a
in particular) usually has specific moral dimensions Toastmaster’s leadership qualities and other
which are built on what are generally acceptable as related sub-skills develops the ability to stand the
moral standard. The speaker tries to understand and various challenges of life.
demonstrate known conventions and other human Put simply, Toastmasters is a distinguished entity
values. He tries to streamline the speech to teach, to learning and acquiring communication and
motivate, to inculcate values, ethics and morality needed leadership skills garnished with other
to overcome life challenges, and they are all put forward professional skills and positive attitude as
within the realm of the speaker’s life experiences. The enumerated above. This dynamism is well-
speaker, thus, becomes a moral philosopher of a kind. articulated in JTI Toastmasters Club despite its
Depending on the background of the toastmaster, uniqueness of being an institutional club. The
another important skill acquirable through the business Club is unique not only due to its consistency and
of public speechmaking is writing. Definitely, award- participation at higher levels but also because its
winning speeches won’t stop at the level of membership comprises teachers and students;
brainstorming such speeches, it must have been written where teachers create the required positive
down. And when ideas are written down, they become learning and social environment for student
firmly ingrained in the mental faculty. Writing is not a members to improve their (pubic) speaking,
one-time endeavor. Aside from the initial draft, a good communication and leadership skills.
piece of writing must have undergone modification and
re-modifications involving adding and removing ideas,
proofreading and editing.

What leaders can learn from endurance athletes?

Every​ l​ eader​ w​ ants​ ​to​ g​ row​ t​ heir​ b​ usiness, ​ Division L Conference 2017 Connect Contribute Conquer
​but​ ​many​ ​aren’t​ ​sure​ ​how​ t​ o​ ​do​ ​it. How​ d​ o
you​ d​ eliver​ ​the​ p​ erformance​ ​you​ n​ eed​ ​short 2. Know​ ​when​ y​ ou’ve​ h​ it​ ​your​ ​maximum​ ​capacity 4. Exert,​ ​then​ r​ ecover
-term​ w​ hile​ ​transforming​ t​ he​ b​ usiness​ ​for Growing​ ​a​ ​business​ ​is​ h​ ard​ w​ ork​-- it’s​ a​ ​
the​ ​long-term? ​And​ h​ ow​ d​ o​ ​you​ d​ o​ ​it​ i​ n​ ​a​ A​ ​business​ i​ s​ ​like​ ​a​ b​ ody​ ​with​ ​real​ ​and​ ​imagined​ m​ arathon,​ n​ ot​ a​ ​ s​ print!​ G​ rowth​ l​ eaders​
​way​ ​that​ d​ oesn’t​ k​ ill​ ​everybody​ ​around​ ​limits. Endurance​ a​ thletes​ ​push​ t​ heir bodies​ a​ s​ f​ ar​ c​ onserve their​ ​own​ ​and​ ​their​ p​ eople’s​ e​ nergy​
​you? ​and​ ​as​ ​fast​ ​as​ t​ hey​ w​ ill​ g​ o​ ​without​ i​ njury, and t​ o​ ​sustain​ l​ ong-term​ g​ rowth​ b​ y​ t​ aking​ t​ ime​ t​ o
The answer is to become a “growth leader,” sometimes this can be uncomfortable. G​ rowth​ balance​ t​ he​ ​right​ e​ xertion​ w​ ith​ t​ he​ ​right​ t​ ype​
a term I’ve coined to describe leaders who l​ eaders​ p​ ush​ t​ heir business​ t​ o​ i​ ts​ m​ aximum​ c​ apacity​ ​of​ ​recovery.​ T​ his​ ​way​ t​ hey​ ​avoid​ ​boom-splat​
b​ ut​ n​ o​ ​further​ u​ ntil​ ​they​ ​have​ b​ uilt​ ​the​ c​ apabilities​ t​ o ​cycles​ a​ nd the potential for burnout. An
systematically increase their capacity for sustain​ g​ rowth​ ​without​ r​ isking​ i​ njury​ t​ o​ t​ he​ b​ usiness​ exhausted sales team can’t be passionate
a​ nd​ i​ ts​ p​ eople. about their work; the team needs to recover
profitable growth while at the same time What does injury look like? In a body, sprinting all after big deals in the same way muscles need
the time without building endurance muscles might rest and nourishment between hard workouts
driving execution of the current business. produce a stress fracture or torn calf. In a business, it in order to perform at their best.
Today, growth​ ​leaders​ a​ re​ f​ inding​ ​the​ might be mistakes, like a safety incident, that TM Udayakumar Selvam
​answers​ ​in​ a​ n​ ​unlikely​ p​ lace -- endurance​ Stage Management Committee Chair
​training. Arabian Toastmasters club

Endurance​ ​athletes​ ​know​ how to​ ​push​ damages the brand. Samsung, for example, was
​themselves​ t​ o​ t​ heir​ m​ ax​ ​but​ ​to​ ​not​ o​ verdo​ ​it​ "growing" way too fast when it developed the
o​ r risk injury. Using​ r​ estraint​ ​in​ a​ ​ s​ mart​ Galaxy Note 7. It tried to cram too much
w​ ay​ h​ elps​ ​them​ g​ et​ ​it​ ​right. Growth leaders functionality into the device without proper safety
measures. The result was batteries catching fire, a
use the concept of intelligent restraint to global recall and a substantial financial loss.

perform today and transform their business 3. Routines​ b​ eat​ s​ trengths
for tomorrow. Here​ ​are​
​fourI​ ntelligent​restraint​ ​practices​ ​successful Ultra-athletes​ ​know​ t​ hat​ ​focusing​ o​ n​ ​their​
growth​ ​leaders​ ​usef​ or long-term success: s​ trengths​ a​ lone​ ​limits​ ​their​ g​ rowth. They discipline​

1. Find​ ​the​ r​ ight​ p​ ace

Like​ ​every​ ​athlete​ h​ as​ ​their​ o​ wn​ ​ideal​ p​ ace​ t​ hemselves​ t​ o​ ​focus​ o​ n​ ​what’s​ n​ eeded​ t​ o​ ​win. ​not​
f​ or​ ​training, ​ every​ b​ usiness​ ​has​ ​its​ ​own​ i​ deal j​ ust​ w​ hat​ t​ hey​ a​ re​ ​good​ ​at.

pace​ f​ or​ ​growth. G​ rowth​ l​ eaders​ ​know​ Growth​ l​ eaders​ f​ ocus​ ​on​ ​what’s​ r​ eally​ ​needed​ f​ or​
s​ ometimes​ y​ ou​ n​ eed​ t​ o​ ​build​ ​up​ ​speed​ ​to​ ​the​ ​future​ ​and​ c​ reate​ n​ ew​ ​routines​ ​so they​ ​can​
a​ void getting​ ​left​ i​ n​ t​ he​ d​ ust, ​ ​and​ o​ ther​ t​ imes​ ​respond​ t​ o​ c​ hanging​ ​customer​ ​needs​ ​and​
​you​ n​ eed​ ​to​ ​slow​ d​ own, c​ onserve​ e​ nergy and​ ​competitors. Routines trigger small behavior
​prepare​ f​ or​ ​the​ f​ uture. Each time I train for a
long-distance race -- whether it’s a half changes that add up to big growth changes.

Triathletes might create a routine to make sure

ironman or a 100-kilometer run in Mongolia - they sequence swimming, biking and then

- I rediscover the importance of pace for the running. A growth leader might create a routine to

race and for my training. If I train at too slow spend an hour per week talking to a different

a pace, I fail to build the speed and strength I customer to build outside-in thinking into the way

need for the race. If I train at too fast a pace, he or she does business.

I get injured or burn out.

AREA CONTEST Division L Conference 2017

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