Famous Toastmasters

[Midcitytoastmasters]

If you scan the list of famous Toastmasters, you will see actors,
former astronauts, CEOs and politicians. Among the latter group, you
will see Linda Lingle, the governor of Hawaii.

She joined Toastmasters in the early 1980s, when serving as a member
of the Maui County Council in Hawaii. She also helped start a
Toastmasters club at the Maui County government when she was elected
mayor of that county. Governor Lingle has spoken often about the
benefits of Toastmasters and credits the program for much of her
success in politics.

The two-term Republican governor encourages local political candidates
and party leaders to polish their speaking skills by joining a
Toastmasters club. To answer her call, the Hawaii Republican Party
(HRP) officially chartered the HRP Toastmasters in January 2010. As
the Honolulu-based club became firmly established over the next six
months, its members invited Governor Lingle to speak at the club’s
first Open House – and were thrilled when she accepted their
invitation.

More than 50 guests attended the meeting in downtown Honolulu. The
audience included Toastmasters leaders in Hawaii, such as District 49
Governor Anne Myers, Toastmasters from local clubs, and Republican
Party leaders and candidates in Hawaii.

Unabashed Toastmasters Supporter
Governor Lingle greeted the audience with a warm “Aloha!” and said,
“It’s not a secret that when it comes to Toastmasters, I am an
unabashed supporter and participant.”

The governor went on to outline the top three benefits she gained from
the organization – benefits that not only helped her ascend to the
highest political office in Hawaii but that anyone can acquire as a
Toastmaster:

Benefit #1: Gaining Confidence in Your Skills
The governor explained that confidence comes from practicing, and
ultimately mastering, the speaking skills learned in Toastmasters.

The first skill is to always consider your audience when giving a
speech. “The speech is not about you, it is about them,” she said,
noting that she has learned to adjust her speeches to accommodate her
audiences. “I make adjustments because some people like to hear a
fiery kind of speech, but some people are too overwhelmed by that –
they would like something a little calmer. You’re not changing your
message, but how you deliver it can change from group to group. It’s a
respect for your audience that I think is so important.”

The other skill is to know when to stop talking. Speakers often have
difficulty wrapping up their speeches if they fail to prepare their
conclusions in advance of taking the stage. This doesn’t mean that the
ending can’t be altered or adjusted for a particular situation. A
speaker needs to be “a little bit flexible, but [he or she] still
needs to know how to wrap up,” Lingle said.

Benefit #2: Interaction with Club Members
Toastmasters clubs offer a supportive environment for growth, and all
members are trying to improve themselves and help each other in the
process, the governor said. Giving speeches and being evaluated in
this kind of environment helps you improve: “You don’t have to worry
that people are going to laugh at you if you make a mistake. Instead,
they’re going to help you to recognize how you can be better.”

Benefit #3 Learning to Think Clearly
Toastmasters teaches people how to think in a clear and logical manner
so they can properly convey what they mean to their audiences. “You
can’t get up in front of your fellow Toastmasters if you haven’t
thought about your speech in advance,” she noted.

Concluding her speech, Governor Lingle reiterated just how important
Toastmasters has been to her. “I have a deep and abiding love for this
organization and I encourage everyone who is even thinking about
running for office to join Toastmasters.”

Condensed from “Hawaii Governor Touts Toastmasters” in the December
2010 issue of the Toastmaster magazine.