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other matters to deal with when I demanded to it in terms of “rising to the challenge.” It was
know why the crossing guards weren’t in trouble
for being late. And thus began my journey in
leadership.
I must have learned some of my leadership
skills from my mother. When I was eight years
old, I wanted to be a Cub Scout. We had a Boy
Scout Troop at my school, but no Cub Scout
Pack. I told my mother I wanted to join Cub
Scouts, so she made calls, wrote letters and did
what it took to start a Pack at the school. Keep
in mind that this was long before the Internet,
so it was not a trivial task—kind of like starting
a Toastmasters Club. I didn’t realize how much
effort it took until many years later. I went on
to be a Boy Scout and Explorer Scout, which all
turned out to be incredible learning experiences
for both life and leadership skills.
Throughout school, the military, my career,
and more recently, Toastmasters, I often found
myself in leadership roles. I never thought about
more of that “seeing something that needed
to be done” thing that I mentioned earlier.
However, don’t let me mislead you—I don’t
have some kind of hidden super power of self-
motivation. Many of my leadership roles have
happened because I said “Yes” when someone
asked me. We just elected our new Trio and
Division Directors, who now have the huge task
of filling dozens of Area Director and other
leadership roles for the coming year. They
might even ask you! I urge you to consider the
opportunities and say “Yes” when they ask you
to rise to the challenge.
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