One of the requirements to become a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) is that of completing the Advanced Leader Silver (ALS) designation. One of the requirements for that latter designation is that of completing a High Performance Leadership (HPL) project, thereby earning the Leadership Excellence award.
The Toastmasters manual that I used for completing the HPL project required that I choose my own leadership project, organize a guidance committee, and meet with them thoughout the timeline of the project. In the process, it required that I present a speech at the beginning of the project to “Share My Vision” for the project. Similarly, it required that I present a second speech at the end of the project to “Present the Results”.
Nearing the end of my successful term as a Club Coach for the Running Hill Toastmasters Club (which was originally meeting in South Portland, Maine, at that time), an urgent situation had arisen for that club. Starting with the new fiscal year for the club on July 1, 2013, they would have to stop holding club meetings in their location at a large corporate insurance company. Responding to that urgency, I chose to solve that crisis as the focus of my HPL Project:
To Find a New Location for this Club to Meet.
On May 7, 2013, I presented the first of the two speeches in this project:
Sharing My Vision: To Find a New Location for this Club to Meet.
Soon afterward, this video was initially posted privately only for club members to view on the MarkHenkelSpeaker youtube channel.
On June 4, 2013, I presented the second of the two required speeches:
Presenting the Results: To Find a New Location for this Club to Meet.
This video was not posted online right away.
Two weeks later, on June 18, 2013, the club voted to approve my recommendations from this HPL Project. Starting July 1, 2013, the Running Hill Toastmasters Club would thereafter meet at 6:00pm on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at its new and even-better location in Scarborough – only 4 miles away from its former location.
On August 23, 2013, after the club successfully conducted its meetings three times at its new location, both of these videos were published publicly online to the MarkHenkelSpeaker youtube channel.
To view both speeches simultaneously, the videos have also been combined in a playlist:
High Performance Leadership (HPL) Project
Enjoy!
With the successful completion of this HPL Project, I was officially awarded the Leadership Excellence award on June 11, 2013. On June 18th, 2013, the Running Hill Toastmasters Club had achieved 9 of the 10 goals in the Distinguished Club, making it a President’s Distinguished Club for that year. As having helped the club achieve that status, that fulfilled the second requirement for the Advanced Leader Silver (ALS) designation, Successful Club Coach. On June 30, 2013, completing my term as Area 6 Governor in District 45, I finished the third and final requirement, serving one full year as a District officer. Hence, combining this newly-earned Advanced Leader Silver (ALS) designation with my prior-earned Advanced Communicato Gold (ACG) in June, 2012, that is how I qualified for this Summer’s announcement: July 1, 2013 – I am a DTM !