Leadership types - Builder, Maintainer & Destroyer

This is the copy of the speech made at the OTP on 22nd Jan 2012 (@ Virtusa)

I welcome all of you to the first major event of Division G in the year 2012. Happy new year to all of you.

Congratulations to all the new leaders of our clubs!

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” a beautiful quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson.

(Also read: 3Ps of a leader by Prof. Debashis Chatterjee)

What kind of leader you would like to be? There are 3 types of leaders in this world:

1) You give them a vacant land ... they involve a number of people and build a beautiful castle, plant trees, develop gardens. They do things that benefit NOT only the current generation, but also the rest of the generations to come. They are the Builders.

2) You give them a vacant land; they put a fence around it. They protect the land. They pay daily visits and make sure that NO HARM is done to it. However, the vacant land, continues to remain vacant. They are the Maintainers.

3) You give them a vacant land. They don't do anything with it. They don't care about the land. They let weeds grow. They let people dump garbage and waste into it. The land becomes a dump yard. People don't love to visit the land, because it stinks. They are the Destroyers.

Toastmasters, the club is a vacant land given to you today. What kind of leader you want to be - builder, maintainer or destroyer?! What do you want to do with the club - build, maintain or destroy?!

You may ask, "What do I get by spending time in building the club"? NOTHING. Toastmasters is a voluntary organization... you don't get paid for your service, you aren't going to lose your promotion if you don't do your job, you aren't going to lose your pay hike or bonus when you fail here.

However, if you are able to get members to attend meetings, where you aren't getting paid... if you are able to motivate your members to complete their CCs/CLs, when you aren't getting paid... if you are able to build a successful club, when you aren't getting paid...

With all the skills and experience that you gain here, imagine the difference you would make at your workplace where you are getting paid. Where you are getting paid - to build a great product, where you are getting paid to build great teams … where you are getting paid to bring the best out of people.

What toastmasters can DO to you, is largely dependent on what you DO to toastmasters.

(Also read: Importance of Communication when leading without a title)

Today’s training program will help you become a great builder. With the skills that you gain today, I’m sure you’ll convert our clubs into castles… a place where everyone would like to visit, join and discover their real communication and leadership potential.