Questions From Members

Thanks to all the members who submitted questions online for the International President’s response. Here are just a few, along with answers from Deepak Menon.

Is communication by way of speech-making more important than written communication?

Joi H.

St. Albans, New York, U.S.

Communication in any form is important; learning to communicate effectively through speech is vital. Written communication allows the writer to ponder over the subject matter and edit the communication until it meets with our satisfaction. Oral communication requires an agile mind, fluency of tongue and the ability to hold the interest of the audience—essential skills we learn in Toastmasters.

How can a new club president motivate new officers and new members?

Monique Thompson

USAA Leaders • Mooresville, North Carolina, U.S.

The president’s vision lays the foundation for the club’s future success, and for the growth of members and leaders. He or she should help officers understand their roles, be a mentor, encourage teamwork—all these make for a vibrant, productive club. Dive into this role. What could be more satisfying than seeing members achieving all they want from Toastmasters?

How has your leadership style changed over 17 years?

Kelmikis Mitchell

Revenue Toastmasters • Union City, Georgia, U.S.

It has undergone a significant change. My early leadership style was based on self-reliance; I thought I could fulfill all my leadership responsibilities on my own. I was a lone player. But as I climbed the district leadership ladder, I realized I could only be successful as a leader if I worked with a team by effective delegation of responsibilities. Toastmasters transformed me into a team player!

What modern leader do you admire as a public speaker?

Lisa Cole

Collins Club • Palm Bay, Florida, U.S.

A modern day leader who has captured the attention of the world through his charisma and public relations skills is the present Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi. He is a leader worth emulating for the public speaking skills he displays.

How would you advise me if I want to become Toastmasters International President one day?

Akbar Sunnaadawala

Wisdom Toastmasters • Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Excel in every leadership role that comes your way; use every opportunity to gain skills, knowledge and experience. Understand the organization and have a strategic vision for its future—all these can help ensure that you can one day be a successful International President.

What is one question you always wanted to be asked?

Malgorzata Jargan

Helsinki, Finland

This is the one question I have never been asked and has never occurred to me! Usually I am asked questions about the organization or about my leadership journey, but never about my life as a member before I started on the leadership track. The experiences as a member and all that I gained in that capacity is what propelled me into leadership.

What is a day in the life of a Toastmasters president like?”

Brian Melket

Fitchburg, Massachusetts, U.S.

The day starts early, sometimes as early as 3:00 a.m.! There are meetings to attend or conduct from those early hours of the day; messages and emails to respond to from members around the world and from the Board; time spent on preparation for Board meetings and committee work; fulfilling mentoring responsibilities; liaising with the Chief Executive Officer; monitoring and tracking the organization’s progress throughout the world and working with the Region Advisors in ensuring that every district receives the support it deserves. This is in addition to the president being hard pressed in finding time to fulfill their own professional and personal commitments! And then there is the travel…

With all this pressure, attending and actively participating in club meetings provides much needed relaxation for the president!

As Toastmasters ambassadors, what can we do, rather than just speaking, to demonstrate the height and depth of leadership to various corporations across different industries and truly justify our tagline, ‘Where Leaders are Made?’

Tarun B.

New Delhi, India

To demonstrate the power of Toastmasters to the corporate world, it would be wonderful to gather testimonials from corporate leaders who have experienced Toastmasters. Success stories of Toastmasters members in corporate clubs and their growth and development as leaders in their organizations can make for excellent marketing tools to enable the corporate world to understand that Toastmasters is truly where leaders are made!