Dear Fellow members,
Distinguished guests,
Happy new year!
We all had an unforgettable 2020 - there were a lot of things we should remember for 2020. Right? The Pandemic, the lock-down, changing a job, finding a new boy friend or girl friend, taking an important examination, etc.
For myself, I should remember that I joined Yulife Toastmasters club on the 1st of July, did my first Ice Breaker on July the 5th, got my first mentee on 18th October, finished my 1st Pathways level 4 on 17th December.
At last, to my surprise, I became the President of Yulife Toastmasters Club on 20th December. Thanks to all the members who haven’t campaigned against me.
Although serving my club has been a joy and a privilege that I am grateful for every single day, although I am very honored to be able to be an officer, the role of club President is foreign to me.
I have fear and I have anxiety.
Have you ever felt fearful and anxious when you were pushed to a totally new position? I guess we all have. Fear and anxiety are typical for our first time journey just as we deliver our Ice Breaker speech in front the audience.
What should we do in this situation? I choose to be bold.
BOLD means brave, fearless in the face of danger.
Don’t be afraid. Yulife club is safe. I guarantee that as the president. We are all encouraged to do new things here and learn from the evaluations we receive. All we need is to be bold.
BOLD means
Build it
Own it
Lead it
Deliver it.
- Build it
In the past, when we want something, we build it. Nowadays, we buy it. However, there are things we cannot buy. For example, we cannot buy love, relationships, we cannot even buy communication and leadership skills. We have to build it.
Fortunately, the founders have built the Yulife Toastmasters club as a stage for us to practice public speaking skills and improve leadership skills.
We need build it further - either as club officers, meeting roletakers, or by inviting friends coming to our club, or by simply joining the meetings personally. Little by little, We are building a better club.
- Own it
To build it is just the beginning. Ownership is the next step. We are all here to practice our public speaking skills. Ownership gives us true responsibility to move forward.
We own ourselves to start our Pathways, and we own ourselves to master our own ideas. Whenever we deliver our thoughts clearly, we improve the meeting quality in our club. Whenever we show our confidence on the stage, we become the owner of our club.
- Lead it
When we become the owner, we become the natural leader.
To me, leadership starts with a commitment to principles. Communication skills, and public speaking skills in particular, are a wild card to be leaders.
If we can articulate our ideas well in public and people will shower us with credibility, we will be the leader.
- Deliver it
Last but not least, we deliver what we build, what we own and what we lead.
In many situations, when we’re the ones with the boldness to speak up, our ideas rise to the top.
Whether we are inspiring a group, presenting a solution to a problem, or simply facilitating a discussion, our voice gets to be powerful. We deliver the impact through our communication skills.
All in all, we all needed to be bold: build it, own it, lead it and deliver it. Regardless of where our speaking skills are on the spectrum, the best time to take the next step is right now.
Be bold.
Thank you.