Are you ready for a challenge? I invite you all to BE the CEO in Toastmasters, and by being it, empower others to be it, too. So what's involved, and how can we all take this role?  

Let me start with my qualifications. A few years back I was DG, that's true. It's also true that I share my life with the IPDG, a CEO, himself, in various companies. And in fact I am also the CEO in my facilitation company. But the CEO of this article I had much earlier and I think it's what made all the others possible.  

World Champion Toastmasters speaker Craig Valetine has said:

There are three kinds of people
People that make things happen
People that let things happen and
People who are just left wondering...what's happening ?

Which one are you now, and where would you like to be? 

I myself personally know what all three feel like. I've visited each stage at least once in my Toastmaster's journey. At the time I first joined I was single, and a hospital speech pathologist working mostly with children. Now, 15 years later, I am in the second decade of a happy marriage, a toastmaster veteran, past DG and  professionally I'm a facilitator, working with corporate leaders to create their desired change. What if I told you that I think it was the Toastmasters CEO that was behind these changes, and more?  

C- Commitment
People join Toastmasters for a thousand different reasons. These reasons that we take action on are our commitments. For some it's sharpening communication skills, or making friends, becoming a better leader, becoming a world champion speaker or expanding our comfort zone. Commitment to something brings people to Toastmasters. Joining is commitment in action. What commitment brought you to our organization? What keeps you here? What commitments are you ready to act on now in your life? Before you read on, take a moment and write at least 3 in the margin of this article.

E- Enthusiasm
This is the engine that drives action and balances commitment. Action, in turn creates movement toward a goal/vision and that movement creates more … enthusiasm! Sometimes we are enthusiastic about taking personal challenges. At other times, it comes from the joy of supporting others. Enthusiasm self-generates … AND it's contagious. When you have it, people around you will feel it, and they themselves will start to take action. Try it. Let your enthusiasm show. Take a moment now and remind yourself of what powers you right now in your life, where does your enthusiasm fuel come from? After you write 3, and remind yourself to show your enthusiasm, you can keep reading. 

O-Opportunities
Toastmasters is a self-empowered self-organized and self-paced group of people. Opportunities are everywhere for us to make things happen, to learn and to grow. However, opportunities also have a way of disappearing if you don't reach out and grab them, even (especially!) when at first they look like a challenge or threat. When you are invited to be an officer, take the challenge! When opportunity beckons you, say “yes”. Maybe after this term you want to run for president, and area governor next year. I invite you to trust that opportunities are presented to you with good intention. Just grab them. And you don't need to wait for opportunities to come knocking, you can create them  wherever your enthusiasm and commitment direct!! Make every challenge an opportunity to expand your comfort zone. Ask for and take feedback as your road to succeed.  

These three, the Commitment, Enthusiasm and Opportunities naturally stand together, like Toastmasters themselves. They work interdependently. Beware of enthusiasm without commitment. Like a wildfire, it can passionately burn everywhere and exhaust us. However, when the seed of commitment is present, enthusiasm becomes like needed warmth and sun. Commitment without enthusiasm is no fun, a heavy burden. And if one only has commitment and enthusiasm but no opportunities, then it's like a heart and breath with no body to connect it. Today you can make a point of meeting not just new people, but new opportunities.  

Commitment, Enthusiasm and Opportunities, the 3 fit together. They make the CEO in Toastmasters. BE the CEO in Toastmasters by sharing your own C's E's and O's. Then watch them grow and help us all continue to grow together. 

Jorie Wu, DTM, PDG