Identifying Prospective Leaders

They're out there.

To be successful, districts must have mission-focused leaders at all levels. Excellent leaders are necessary to motivate district officers and others to achieve club, area, division and district goals.

Each year, the district has a new leadership team. Searching for people who will make great district leaders is every district officer’s job. Many Toastmasters can benefit from a district leadership experience and are just waiting to be encouraged. Serving as district leaders can develop and improve their leadership and communication skills and make them more competitive in their careers. Following are some strategies districts can use to ensure they have a pool of good leaders in the future:

  • Encourage club and district officers to move on to the next level
  • Sell the benefits of leadership
  • Share success stories
  • Explain leaders’ duties
  • Encourage use of the High Performance Leadership program and other Toastmasters International materials
  • Seek out potential leaders
  • Identify strengths of current leaders
  • Recognize current leaders and give special attention to area governors
  • Use district conferences to promote leadership
  • Mentor members
  • Encourage a focus on quality-centered leadership responsibilities and elimination of activities not related to the critical-success factors
  • Encourage current area governors and division governors to acquire assistants and ask the assistants to consider serving as district officers
  • Ask current area governors and division governors to look for people who would be willing to replace them next year
  • Look for potential future leaders at club-officer training
  • Promote achievement of Competent Leader and Advanced Leader awards in Toastmasters International’s leadership track
  • Ask former district leaders to be available as mentors to new district leaders
  • Encourage area governors to look for future leaders during club visits and list names on the Area Report of Club Visit forms. Follow-up and contact the people listed
  • Ask people to serve as district leaders and, if they are unable to serve, ask them to suggest someone who will be able to serve