Page 22 - Voices.May.2016

SUCCESSFUL CLUB
Lake Oswego Toastmasters’ Secret to Making C
by Linda Hartling, ACB, CL, President, Lake Oswego Toastmasters
We are living in an age of rapid change —
social change, economic change, political change
and more! Thankfully, Toastmasters offers us the
skills to help make change great. Lake Oswego
Toastmasters (LOTM) has logged more than
60 years of navigating the challenge of change.
In recent years, this included one of the most
demanding club challenges, changing meeting
locations — a type of change that changes
everything!
One key secret of LOTM’s endurance in the
face of major change is mutually supportive
leadership. This is the type of leadership exem-
plified in the efforts of Chris Swanson, currently
referred to as our “Perfect Past President.” He has
been one of the most important unsung super
heroes throughout times of intense change for
LOTM, a Toastmaster master of resilience and
persistence.
The role of the immediate Past President
is rarely recognized as a key ingredient in club
success. Yet, past presidents are crucial to gener-
ating the collaboration and continuity to help
take the pain out of change. Chris Swanson is
the living example of this type of leadership.
Building on his skills as an award-winning
speaker, a broadly experienced club officer and
a two-term club president, he continues to serve
the success of LOTM in his role as Past President.
In a recent Toastmaster Magazine article,
The Essence of Great Leadership, Terry St. Marie
describes 10 qualities that make a highly effective
leader, including positivity, purpose, empathy,
humility, trust, relentlessness and persistence.
Past President Chris Swanson is a relational role
model of these qualities, and much more.
In particular, St. Marie emphasized the
importance of leadership that crosses “the bridge
from ‘I’ to ‘We’ — It can’t be about you. It’s about
a team.” Chris Swanson helps LOTM cross that
bridge at every meeting. He charms us with his
humor and humility, while never exuding a big
ego or dominating the spotlight. Even if one tries
22 VoluVmoelu2mIsesu2eIs7su- FeE1B1R-UMARAYY 2016
to give him the credit he deserves, he comically
resists, stating, “He prefers to remain a mystery
… a figure out of myth, whose existence, while
never truly understood, is never doubted.”
Yet the job of being a highly effective Past
President is no mystery. “There is no ‘super’
power,” notes Swanson. “Realize that your job
isn’t to ‘lead’; it is to offer advice and knowledge
to the current officers to help them make good
decisions.” To become the most productive Past
President, Swanson offers this indispensable tip:
“Trust the club.”
Past Presidents are an enormous source of
institutional memory for any club. They know
what policies and initiatives have worked, or
haven’t worked. They carry the club history
as well as a deep understanding of club tradi-
tions and practices. Throughout the year, they
offer vital guidance for planning club activities,
including membership campaigns, leadership
trainings, speaking workshops, club contests
and other events.
Most of all, during times of rapid change,
Toastmaster Past Presidents are a central resource
for inspiration, education and action. They are
one of the greatest unacknowledged secrets to
club success. It is no secret to LOTM members
that Past President Chris Swanson is the type of
leader we need to see in the world today. He is a
leader who helps everyone make change great.