Leadership Through Communication
Communication is a core leadership raison d’être. Leaders need to be skilled communicators in communities and groups, at the organizational level, and many times on international platforms. Leaders must think, express ideas, and share information with confidence. Effective communication critically intertwines with effective leadership. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has offered a wonderful platform to hone […]
Learning as an Area Director
It is said that if you want something in life, you have to lose one thing or the other. However, at Toastmasters it’s the other way around. If you are learning something then learning becomes multiplied two-fold of what you’re currently learning. You do not lose anything. Such has been my journey as the Area […]
Why Lead at Your Club?
Leaders create impact and can form a sphere of influence even when not in a leadership role or a ‘position’. Yet, as we practice and learn leadership skills, taking up a position is the safest bet to accelerate the learning process. That is what I have learned and experienced, at Toastmasters. Even before I joined […]
Appraising Area A1
When I agreed to lead Area A1, which comprises Bodhi, Everest, and Reliance Toastmasters Club, I knew this was going to be a challenge. I made my area visit to these clubs on 11-13 August 2019. Each is very different; each has its strengths and weaknesses. Everest has many members who are in councils in […]
Consolidation, Creation, and Camaraderie
The journey of the Toastmasters movement in Nepal moves forward each year with greater assurance and stability. With this comes the need to be better organized and prepared to ensure that a greater number of people benefit from joining Toastmasters. This means that each collective level of Toastmasters in Nepal i.e. clubs, areas, division, and […]
Reflections of an Area Director
Having joined Toastmasters over a decade ago, I had several opportunities to become a leader, but at that moment improving my speaking skills and attending as many meetings as possible was my main priority. This consistency and exposure led me to start a new club focused mainly on the Tourism industry. I thoroughly enjoyed the […]
Rediscovering the Connection
Meeting like-minded people with a keen interest in learning and leadership, and listening to speeches from the heart has been my most fulfilling experience as a Toastmaster. My role as an Area Director has enabled me to rediscover that crucial connection with clubs. Attending club meetings of different clubs have made me realize how unique […]
This is a Start
My niece’s random paintings have been motivating me for months now. Her color-stained hands, dirty palette with inter-mixed colors and a montage of random colors splashed on the white sheet of paper, look beautiful to me. She is not a virtuoso at her work, but she embellishes her zeal on the tip of her brush […]
Stepping Out of My Bubble
Change can be scary, but you know what’s scarier? Allowing fear to stop you from growing, evolving and progressing. I can still recall a day from grade 10 when I could not utter a single word in front of the entire class when the teacher asked me to present on a given topic. I could […]
Lessons from Toastmasters Meetings
I always believed public speaking wasn’t my cup of tea. While the fear of public speaking tainted my confidence, I met people who enjoyed it without any fear, anxiety, or alarm. I always wondered how they managed it. Before joining Toastmasters, I did not participate in public speaking platforms apart from classroom presentations. However, I […]