Leadership Advice From Toastmasters

Toastmasters is a great organization – especially if you’re interested in developing your public speaking skills.  I like their magazine, The Toastmaster, too.  It is filled with interesting articles on things other than public speaking.

A recent article in The Toastmaster listed Seven Traits of Effective Leaders.

1. Make others feel important.  Listen to the people you lead.  Emphasize their strengths and contributions. 
2. Promote a vision.  Make sure that the people you lead, know where you’re leading them.  Tell them why where you’re going will be beneficial to them.
3. Follow the golden rule.  Treat the people you lead the way you like to be treated.  Never abuse any of the people you lead.
4. Admit your mistakes.  If the people you lead think you’re covering up your own errors, they’ll hide their mistakes too – and that will inevitably lead to problems down the road.
5. Criticize others only in private.  Public praise encourages high performance.  Public criticism embarrasses and alienates the people you lead.
6. Stay close to the action. Be visible.  Talk to the people you lead.  Let them know you are interested in them and what they are doing.  You will gain new insights into your operations by staying close to the people you lead.
7. Use people’s competitive drive.  Set goals and reward the people you lead when they meet them.  Celebrate successes, learn from failures.

Pretty good leadership common sense advice from Toastmasters.  Use it and you’ll become a common sense leader.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for reading.  Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense.  Check out my other blog: www.SuccessCommonSense.com for common sense advice on becoming the life and career star you are meant to be.

I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand – my fundraising page is still open.  Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.

Comments

[Public Speaking courses]

I too am a member of Toastmasters, adn have been for 13 years.

There are certinally some great articles in teh Toastmaster Mag. Pitty they are all so USA focused. I'm glad that they have finally realised that Toastmasters is an international Organisation and have deceided to have teh International conference in Australia in 2010. That's my home town!!! See you there.

Cheers

[Public Speaking courses]

Sorry, I should ahve said Toastmasters is coming to Sydney Australia (not just Australia). Sydney is my home town.

Some interesting facts obout Toastmasters: I was talking to David Brooks (1990 World Champ of Public speaking last year) and I asked him how many districts are in Texas. He told me there were about 2 and a half. I then asked him if he knew how big Australia was. He said he did not know. When I then told him that Texas fitted into my District (D73) 5 and a half times he nearly fell off his seat. Then there are the other 2 districts that are in Australia. While not as big, one is about twice the size of Texas. Not THAT is BIG!!!!

See you in Sydney.

Cheers