For a long time, I didn’t really see myself in leadership roles and never imagined I would be the person taking on that kind of responsibility.
Leadership felt like something for people who were more experienced or just naturally good at it, so I kept my focus on myself and what I could control.
I spent my time working on staying consistent, trying to get a little better every day, and showing up even on days when I didn’t feel like it, while setting goals, learning new skills, and slowly improving step by step.
There was no audience and no team depending on me, which gave me the space to focus on myself and really build a strong foundation.
Looking back now, I realize that phase helped me more than I expected because I learned how to stay consistent even when I didn’t feel motivated, how to manage my time while balancing work and learning, and how to get comfortable doing things that felt uncomfortable, like going to meetups alone or speaking up in rooms where I didn’t feel fully comfortable yet.
At the time, I didn’t think of any of this as leadership, but now I can see that I was actually learning how to lead myself.
Then I got nominated
When I joined Toastmasters International, my plan wasn’t very clear at the beginning, because I was still exploring what I needed and what would work best for me.
At first, I was actually looking for an in-person club since I thought that would be easier for me to connect and practice speaking, but while I was figuring that out, a leader, now my mentor, suggested that I join the Texas Tech Talk Toastmasters meeting for the time being so I could at least get started instead of waiting.
Since most of my career so far has been in an online setup, I realized that communicating clearly in that kind of environment is something I really need to get better at, and instead of avoiding it, I thought I might as well work on navigating it more intentionally.
I started paying closer attention to how people spoke, how meetings were structured, and how different roles contributed to the overall experience, and instead of just attending, I stayed a little longer after meetings, talked to more people, and tried to understand what was happening behind the scenes.
Then there was the District 50 Fall Conference, and for Texas Tech Talk members, it was free to attend, which made me think that since I was already planning to become a member at some point, I might as well join now, attend the conference, and get more involved.
At the same time, I still had it in mind that I would eventually find an in-person club and join that one later.
But that “later” never really came… yet.
I stayed, got more involved, and within two months, before I fully realized it, I was nominated to be Vice President of Membership.
I said no at first because I didn’t feel ready, I wasn’t sure what I would be doing, and I thought there were other people who would be better for the role.
But after talking it through and having a few discussions, I decided to give it a try.
As I started settling into the role, I paid closer attention to things I hadn’t noticed before, like how a guest feels when they join the meeting for the first time, how well they understand what is going on, and how comfortable they feel about coming back.
I realized that even small actions like following up after a meeting, acknowledging them when they join, and making sure they feel included in the conversation can shape how someone experiences the space.
I’m learning to navigate how to make guests feel welcome and, if they decide to become members, how to make the process smooth while encouraging them to stay involved.
Since I’ve learned how to lead myself, the transition into leading others, or even just helping guide them as they work toward their goals, has been really rewarding.
After stepping into that role, I was also nominated twice to be an Area Director, which I honestly didn’t expect, but at that point I already had a lot on my plate.
I also wanted to participate in the International Speech and Evaluation Contest, and according to Toastmasters rules, you can’t compete in those contests if you are serving as an Area Director, so I knew I wouldn’t be able to do both at the same time.
Because of that, I decided to decline and told myself that maybe I could take on that opportunity in the future.
After that, instead of moving to another club like I originally planned, I ended up renewing my membership again in March.
I’m still figuring things out as I go, and with the help of my mentors and fellow Toastmasters, I’m growing into the responsibility that comes with leadership.
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