Elevate Your Leadership Potential: 3 Essential Benefits of Joining a Toastmasters Speech Club

Congratulations! You did it! You graduated from your undergraduate college! Great job! I'm sure while you were there, you participated in Student Association activities. Maybe you even led a student club. You're already an emerging leader. What's ahead for your leadership journey now that commencement is over, and you've turned in your cap and gown?

All great thing begin with a vision... a dream. - Estee Lauder

While you're considering your next steps for your Leadership Development Plan in your career, ask yourself if you're ready to take your leadership skills to the next level and become a more effective leader ?

If your answer is yes, whether resounding or with some timidity, joining a Toastmasters speech club nearby can be a transformative step in your leadership journey. Your local Toastmasters club offers a supportive environment for members to improve and refine your communication, public speaking, and leadership abilities. Read on to discover three essential benefits to your leadership adventure in Toastmasters:

1. Improve Your Networking Skills

Networking is a crucial skill for career advancement and professional growth. Toastmasters clubs provide a unique platform for members to improve your networking skills in a supportive environment. By interacting with other members, participating in club meetings, and attending workshops and events, members can enjoy multiple network benefits.

Pulling a good network together takes effort, sincerity and time. - Alan Collins, author Unwritten HR Rules.

You'll learn how to build meaningful professional relationships , expand your network naturally over time, and create new opportunities for career advancement. You'll have opportunities to cultivate those relationship in your home club as well as "beyond the club" in trainings and events from Learning Labs to Speech Contests. What you make of them is up to you. Everything is Toastmasters is self-paced.

2. Gain Confidence in Your Abilities

Confidence is key to effective leadership. Engaging and delivering prepared speech projects in your Toastmasters club offers a supportive and encouraging environment for members to cultivate and build confidence in your speaking and leadership abilities. Through regular speaking opportunities, constructive feedback, and leadership roles within the club, members can develop the confidence you need to speak up, take on new challenges, and lead with conviction.

Confidence is the most important single factor in this game, and no matter how great your natural talent, there is only one way to obtain and sustain it: work. - Jack Nicklaus

Over the weeks and months ahead, as you'll find your confidence growing and growing both in your Public Speaking Skills and skilled Effective Leadership as you grow in your running timely meetings. The enjoyment and laughter shared in your Toastmasters club fosters a self-assured confidence as well. You'll find that by the end of your first year, your confidence grew, as a by-product of all you accomplished, and look back in pride!

3. Develop Your Personal Brand

In today's competitive job market, having a strong personal brand is essential for career success. Your active participation as a member in your Toastmasters club provides you and all members with a platform to develop, present, gain valuable feedback, and refine your personal brand through public speaking and leadership opportunities. By delivering speeches, choosing meeting themes, taking on leadership roles, and participating in club activities, members create a personal brand. You can showcase your skills, expertise, and unique strengths. In so doing, this will help you stand out in your field and advance your careers.

Pro Tip: Print out every Path Level Certificate you earn and give a copy to your boss. Be sure the get added to your personnel file. When there are opportunities for advancement, your thick file of development and skills demonstrated places you at the front. Should you choose to pursue entrepreneurship , the skills you refine in Toastmasters involvement will elevate you for that endeavor as well!

In summary, joining a Toastmasters speech club is a strategic investment in your leadership potential. By improving your networking skills, gaining confidence in your abilities, and developing your personal brand, you can elevate your leadership skills and position yourself for success in your career. If you're ready to take the next step in your leadership journey, consider joining a Toastmasters club today.

Have you attended a Toastmasters Club meeting or Speech Contest yet? Share your perspective and how it has helped you elevate your leadership potential in the comments below!

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April Braswell is a Smith College alumna and an award-winning best Newport Beach Coach and Hypnotherapist . She is a Distinguished Toastmaster, a communication and leadership achievement only 1% of Toastmasters earn. She is thrilled to be honored as Division Director of the Year in Founders District for the 2022/23 Toastmasters International year. She's excited to be leading the next generation of Toastmasters leaders as the North Division Director in the 2023/24 Toastmasters year and is the Club Growth Director Elect in Founders District Toastmasters Trio in the 2024/25 year. If you are looking for a Toastmasters Club, she is happy to assist you in finding one which is a perfect fit for you. You're welcome to PM to assist you in doing so. Follow me here on LinkedIn .