The D21 Spring Conference is full of events. One of the more prestigious events is the Officer Elections. Read on and you’ll hear the thinking of one of our District Leaders – you might just be inspired.
At Conference time there is a real energy in the air as the new Executive team gets elected and announced.
Many Toasties are running for District office; one of them is Gene Vickers. He aspires to be on the District Executive as Lieutenant Governor of Education and Training.
Run against me!
His message is he wants several other leaders to run against him for the position. Now that may sound odd, to invite competition. Gene reasons if we have several great leaders in the district, then shouldn’t they be running for the Executive?
Ok!
Gene is fairly qualified. He’s been around, as the saying goes. Currently he’s our New Club Coordinator for District 21. Previously he’s been an Area Governor and Division Governor. Not to mention the Club Executive roles he’s taken on.
Growing into leadership roles
Just as we all do, Gene also has a personal Toastmaster’s story. He covers some of his story in his latest speech titled “Getting to Yes.”
It’s about overcoming that knee-jerk reaction of saying ‘no’ when being asked to serve on the executive at any level. Saying yes to Toastmasters didn’t always come easy for Gene.
Gene was first introduced by a friend who said ‘come to Toastmasters.’ Gene replied ‘no.’ After several ‘no’s’, he relented and said yes.
Then Gene took the next step. He joined. He recalls his first meeting was surreal. “The speakers were unbelieveable. Like really good.” When table topics came up he said to himself that if he could ever be that good it’d be something. He experienced something many of us experience in our first meetings – the wow factor. He was wow’d.
In his 2nd meeting he was put into a role. Within 3 months he was VP of Education for this Club. Then came the invitation. Would he step up and be Area Governor? “No way” was his reply. He was scared of the executive role knowing that it takes a lot of time. But he kept getting asked again and again. The way he tells the story he says “seven times I was asked and six times I said no.” What changed his mind?
The key to getting a ‘yes’ from your candidate
“I was told I was the best person for the job.” Gene says that exact phrase was the magic. “There’s something about being told you’re the best person for the job that makes you fold up like a cheap tent and say yes.”
Continue reading tomorrow to find out more…
Stay well, until tomorrow,
Linda
