A meaningful “Why?” moment
A meaningful moment in my life was seeing my younger brother Barry struggle to speak his name. When he was with me, he was funny, lively and had plenty to say. We would play together, squabble together and get into mischief together. And he had a stammer that seemed to take his voice away sometimes. I can remember one time watching his confidence drain away as he tried to say his name to an older relative. The relative looked scary and my brother my brother’s eyes filled with sadness. It is a moment that makes me sad and frustrated that all the wonderfulness of him couldn’t shine through.
This moment is part of why I choose to lead here in Toastmasters. To give my time and energy, when there could be so many other ways to contribute in the world. I just can’t accept that people can have so much richness and possibility locked inside them but can’t get the words out. It really matters to me to play my role in a community where we help people bring their voices out into the world.
Leadership renewal time
April in Toastmasters is the beginning of a time of growth and change. Thousands of newly elected and appointed club leaders and hundreds of District officers are emerging all over the world, getting ready for the new year starting in July.
It is an amazing achievement to have such a volume of leadership transition each year, so much revitalising, learning and planning. No wonder we talk about Toastmasters being a place where leaders are made.
Reflecting on a “Why?” moment
One of the things I am fascinated about is how stories and narratives can be a helpful tool to us as leaders, especially at times of change. Here I would like to share one key technique that I find useful.
Think about a moment in your life that shows you why you choose to lead in Toastmasters today. It could be any time, from childhood long before you had even heard of our organisation, to something more recent.
What was going on in your life back then? What happened in that moment? Who was there? What did it mean to you?
Reflecting and Connecting
Reflecting back on moments like this can help us reconnect with our reasons for keeping going and giving our best.
Sharing these moments with others helps grow connection and builds the supportive community around us.
Think of the people you will be leading with in this coming year. Perhaps they have had moments like this too. Exploring such moments together offers an opportunity to discover the unique stories we have inside each of us, and the shared stores we have in common. This connection can sustain us as we move forward to lead together.
Over to you
As you prepare to move forward into your new Toastmaters leadership role, consider reflecting on this.
- What is your moment?
- What does it mean to you?
- Who could you share this moment with?
Good luck! I’m cheering you on 😊
