Opening Doors – enabling, empowering and delegating in your team. Part 3 of 3
The next opportunities gave me the remaining tools I needed to enable and empower.
Continued from Part 2….
I had really thrown myself into this personal development side of life and was enjoying it immensely. It was not long before I was asked to apply for the role of Area Director which gave me oversight of 5 clubs (and approximately 120 members). This brought in the new dynamic of trusting people I barely knew to undertake tasks towards a joint goal. Whilst this was tricky at first I soon found my stride and saw the similarities between this and working with remote teams in my job. I found I was able to help new people grow into leadership roles by using those mentoring skills I had learned all those years ago. I didn’t have to tell them how to do something I could just tell them the outcome I desired. My job was to guide them, check in with them and ensure they felt supported and encouraged. I made myself available and approachable – some needed more help than others but I soon learned to tap into their working styles quickly.
I also learned the power of persuasion. It’s amazing how influential you can become when you say quietly to someone “I can see you doing X. I think you’d be really great at that, why don’t you give it a try?”
The pinnacle of my leadership training to date with Toastmasters was being asked to serve on the District Leadership Team as Administration Manager. Our small team of seven people led the 5000+ members in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland and England (North of London) through their own leadership and public speaking training journeys to help more and more people walk through open doors. The role came with travel, networking, operating at a senior level and ensuing all milestones were reached on time and within budget.
Hmmm doesn’t that sound familiar? – that was what I was doing as a Project Manager!
The skills I learned have also enabled me to spread my wings further. I have started my own business as a communications specialist helping Autistic adults at work/ in to work and I deliver keynotes on the Transition from Follower to Leader and also on Autism in the workplace.
I put on the very first TEDxTelford in 2018 with 15 live speakers and 100 people in the audience and am organising a second one. I was able to lead the organising team, coach the speakers, MC the event and get everything done in good time and inside budget and we sold out a week prior to the event.
In January 2018 I achieved the highest award for all my work in Toastmasters International and can now call myself a Distinguished Toastmaster. Without doubt Toastmasters has been instrumental in my personal development and has opened many doors for me in terms of work and relationships. I believe that in becoming self-aware I have become a nicer person to be around and I have a very full and happy life.
Sam Warner 07973 490150 Email: sam@get-your-message-across.com
Sam’s website: www.get-your-message-across.com
www.toastmasters.org www.shropshirespeakers.org.uk www.ludlowspeakers.org.uk
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