Page 11 - September 2020 Voices

plan to earn your Distinguished Toastmaster I fell victim to one such person who convinced
award, you will need to serve a year as a “District” me to participate in a scheme that involved

officer, which typically starts at the Area Director breaking the lock off a garage, and “borrowing”
level. By the way, we currently have four open a government vehicle that was then used in a
positions for Area Directors. Let me know if you drag race against my 1967 Chevelle. That got
are interested in learning more about that, or the local police involved, who arrested us and

wish to be considered for next year. turned us over to the base Commanding Officer.
Getting back to the Civil Tongues Anniversary He was not amused by the knock on his door at
celebration, the speech I prepared for that was 2:00 AM. Let’s just say that things did not end
about leadership. I spoke about the difference well. It seems that some people with earned

between “formal authority” and “earned authority use their powers for evil. I DID win
authority,” which I learned about in both the race, though.
college management courses and when I did Relating this back to Toastmasters, you may
my Toastmasters High Performance Leadership recognize people in your club who have earned

project. Formal authority is automatically authority. Some of them held previous officer
conferred by rank or title. Basically, anyone who roles, and some of them always decline when
is higher up the organizational chart than you asked to run. One way to make use of their
can tell you what to do. I certainly learned all natural-born leadership ability is to get them

about that during four years in the Coast Guard. involved on committees. Don’t let their skills and
I also learned about earned authority, which falls talent be wasted when they can motivate others
outside the chain of command. Every where I to do things for the club. It’s a win for everyone.
was stationed, there was at least one person who In closing, my thoughts are with all of you out

could motivate others to do things, even though there, as we cope with masks, social distancing,
that person had no formal authority. I suppose smoke, and wildfires. Please be safe.
these are the people that are now known as
“influencers” on social media.

VOICES! | SEPTEMBER 2020 11