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Plugged In

Trust Your Gut When You Lead

By Jennifer Schmidt

I remember the first time I served as the Why is this leadership role important to you?
Toastmaster of the Day during a New Horizons
club meeting. I was so nervous because I What steps can I take to be successful in this
wanted to do my very best. I researched all the role?
roles, asked multiple questions, and checked in
with everyone prior to the meeting. I wanted How much time can I devote to this leadership
to make sure I was well prepared. I was over position?
prepared. The funny thing is, it didn’t matter
how prepared I was, I still made mistakes Who is a good role model I can talk to about
because the experience was new. But we still this new role?
had fun because I trusted my gut to keep the
meeting on track. When you ask these questions, know that your
gut will be brutally honest. As you work on
I’ve found my gut will always tell me the truth. new projects, you’ll learn what is the best fit for
If things aren’t quite right, it can’t be fooled. you.
When starting anything new, I’ve found that
even if I haven’t done a particular task before, Also, know that leadership comes in many
it doesn’t mean I can’t do it. Recently, a friend forms. This can include new meeting roles, an
reminded me that I wasn’t an expert in Canva officer position, leading a committee, working
when I first started using the design platform. on special projects, or competing in a contest.
It took time and practice to refine my skills. It could also mean going beyond the club level
But taking the time to explore Canva was to serve in Area or District positions. If you
necessary to learn advanced techniques. have any hesitation of trying something new,
but your gut is urging you to move forward, it’s
If you’re thinking about taking the lead and best to consider the following:
starting a new role in Toastmasters this year,
I would urge you to consider the following Perfection is not required - Everyone wants to
questions that will ultimately make your gut do their best when trying something new. But
happy. Such as: perfection isn’t necessary to achieve good
results. Remember when you volunteer to take
What leadership role will interest you the on a role, you’re halfway there. You said yes
most? when others didn’t step up.

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