Leadership Development

This path helps you build your skills as an effective communicator and leader. The projects on this path focus on learning how to manage time, as well as how to develop and implement a plan. Public speaking and leading a team are emphasized in all projects. This path culminates in the planning and execution of an event that will allow you to apply everything you learned.

Level One

Project 1 - Icebreaker

This foundational project is designed to introduce you to your club and the skills you need to begin your Toastmasters journey.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to introduce yourself to the club and learn the basic structure of a public speech.

Overview: Write and deliver a speech about any topic to introduce yourself to the club. Your speech may be humorous, informational, or any other style that appeals to you.

This project includes:

A 4- to 6-minute speech

Project 2 - Evaluation & Feedback

This project addresses the skills needed to give and receive feedback. You will learn about giving, receiving and applying feedback.

Purpose: This project comprises three assignments – the delivery of two speeches and an evaluation. The purpose of this project is to present a speech on any topic, receive feedback, and apply the feedback to the second speech.

Overview: Choose any topic for your first 5- to 7-minute speech. After your speech, carefully review your feedback. At a different club meeting, present a second 5- to 7-minute speech in which you incorporate feedback from your first speech. You may choose to present the same speech again or a new speech. Your second speech should reflect some or all of the feedback from your first speech. To complete this project, serve as an evaluator at a club meeting and deliver constructive feedback about another member’s presentation.

This project includes:

A 5- to 7-minute speech
Another 5 – 7 minute speech that incorporates feedback from the first speech
Serving as a speech evaluator

Project 3 - Research & Presenting

This project addresses topic selection strategies, suggestions for research and methods for producing a wellorganized speech.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to learn or review basic research methods and present a well-organized, well-researched speech on any topic.

Overview: Select a topic that you are not already familiar with or that you wish to learn more about. Be sure your topic is narrow enough to be an effective 5- to 7-minute speech. Research the topic and begin organizing the information, as described in this project. Practice your speech and continue to refine its organization. Present your speech at a club meeting.

This project includes:
Researching a topic
The Research Worksheet
The Speech Outline Worksheet
A 5- to 7-minute speech

Level Two

Project 1 - Managing Time

This project is designed to help you manage your time, discover time management techniques, and employ them in your speeches and daily life.

Purpose: Develop a 5- to 7-minute speech on any topic. As you develop your speech, record the time required for each task in order to help you determine how you can improve your time management strategies. Present your speech at a club meeting. Finally, submit the Project Completion Form to your vice president education.

Note: Every member in Toastmasters Pathways must complete this project.

This project includes:

The Time and Task Log
The Project Completion Form
A 5- to 7-minute speech

Project 2 - Understanding Your Leadership Style

This project is designed to introduce the different styles of leadership and help you identify your preferred style. Purpose: The purpose of this project is to identify your primary leadership style or styles. Overview: Complete the Discover Your Leadership Style questionnaire. Consider how your leadership style impacts the people around you and how you can adjust it to more effectively lead people with styles different from your own. Deliver a 5- to 7-minute speech at a club meeting to share some aspect of your leadership style or leadership styles in general. You may choose to discuss your style preferences when working with others, your style and how you can adapt it to situations, or leadership styles in general and how they impact a group. This project includes:

The Discover Your Leadership Style questionnaire
A 5- to 7-minute speech

Project 3 - Introduction to Toastmasters Mentoring

This project introduces the value of mentorship and the Toastmasters view of mentors and protégés.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to clearly define how Toastmasters envisions mentoring.

Overview: Write and present a 5- to 7-minute speech about a time when you were a protégé. Share the impact and importance of having a mentor. This speech is not a report on the content of this project.

Note: Every member in Toastmasters Pathways must complete this project.

This project includes:

A 5- to 7-minute speech

Level Three (Planning and Implementing + Two Electives)

Project 1 - Planning & Implementing

This project is designed to help you develop realistic plans to meet your objectives and to successfully monitor a project to completion.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice developing a plan and bringing that plan to fruition.

Overview: Select any small-scale project, such as a family party, a short trip, a themed Toastmasters meeting, or any other event or project that requires planning. Develop and implement the plan, with or without help from others. At a club meeting, deliver a 2- to 3-minute report or a 5- to 7-minute speech about your experience. Submit the Project Completion Form to your vice president education to confirm you completed all planning resources.

This project includes:

Developing and implementing a plan for a small-scale project
The Project Plan resource
The Event Planning Worksheet
The Project Completion Form
A 2- to 3-minute report or 5- to 7-minute speech

Elective - Active Listening

This project covers the difference between hearing and listening, and steps for exploring the ways listening helps build strong, lasting connections. Purpose: The purpose of this project is to demonstrate your ability to listen to what others say. Overview: At a club meeting, fulfill the role of Topicsmaster. As Topicsmaster, comment on each speaker’s Table Topics® speech to demonstrate your active listening skills. For example, you might say, “Thank you. That was a compelling opinion on the benefits of gardening. I understand you feel strongly that everyone needs to spend some time doing something they love.” This project includes:

Serving as Topicsmaster at a club meeting

Elective - Connect With Storytelling

This project addresses storytelling techniques and descriptive skills to help make every speech relatable and interesting.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice using a story within a speech or giving a speech that is a story.

Overview: Choose an established story, a story about your life, or a fictional tale of your own creation. Deliver the 5- to 7-minute speech at a club meeting.

This project includes:

A 5- to 7-minute speech

Elective - Creating Effective Visual Aids

This project addresses effective methods for choosing the best visual aid for your presentation along with the creation and use of each type.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice selecting and using a variety of visual aids during a speech.

Overview: Choose a speech topic that lends itself well to using visual aids. Create at least one but no more than three visual aids to enhance your presentation. Deliver your 5- to 7-minute presentation at a club meeting.

This project includes:

Creating one to three visual aids
A 5- to 7-minute speech

Elective - Deliver Social Speeches

This project addresses the skills needed to compose a speech for a social occasion including a toast, eulogy, an acceptance speech and a speech praising an individual or group.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice delivering social speeches in front of your club members.

Overview: Develop two different social speeches—each 3 to 4 minutes—and present them at two separate club meetings. You may choose any two types of social speeches that appeal to you or that you would like to practice.

This project includes:

The Social Speech Basics resource
Two 3- to 4-minute speeches

Elective - Effective Body Language

This project focuses on how to recognize body language used when speaking publicly and how to use gestures to enhance speech content. Purpose: The purpose of this project is to deliver a speech with awareness of your intentional and unintentional body language, as well as to learn, practice, and refine how you use nonverbal communication when delivering a speech. Overview: Prepare a 5- to 7-minute speech on a topic that lends itself to expression through your movement and gestures. Video record your presentation and get feedback from your mentor or another reviewer before speaking to your club. If you do not have access to a recording device, perform your speech in front of a mirror and make adjustments before your scheduled speech. This project includes:

A 5- to 7-minute speech

Elective - Focus On The Positive

This project addresses strategies for improving your personal interactions by understanding the impact of your attitudes and thoughts on daily interactions. Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice being aware of your thoughts and feelings, as well as the impact of your responses on others. Overview: Keep a daily record of your moods and attitudes for a minimum of two weeks, noting when you feel positive or negative, your successes and efforts, and three things for which you are grateful. Record and evaluate any changes in your behavior or the behavior of those around you. At a club meeting, share some aspect of your experience. You may choose to schedule a 2-to 3-minute report or a 5-to 7-minute speech. After completing your speech, submit your signed Project Completion Form to your vice president education to indicate you completed the journal. This project includes:

Recording your daily moods and attitudes for a minimum of two weeks
A 2- to 3-minute report or a 5- to 7-minute speech
The Project Completion Form

Elective - Inspire Your Audience

This project addresses how to present a speech in an enthusiastic and inspiring fashion to establish a strong rapport with your audience.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice writing and delivering a speech that inspires others.

Overview: Select a topic with the intent of inspiring your audience and prepare a 5- to 7-minute speech for your club.

This project includes:

A 5- to 7-minute speech

Elective - Know Your Sense of Humour

This project focuses on understanding what makes you laugh and how to share that with an audience. Purpose: The purpose of this project is to begin developing a collection of humorous stories and to present a speech that includes humor. Overview: Give a 5- to 7-minute speech on a topic of your choosing. Your speech should include at least one anecdote or story intended to entertain or bring humor into your presentation. This project includes:

A 5- to 7-minute speech

Elective - Make Connections Through Networking

This project focuses on how to network effectively and understanding the importance of being a professional ally to people in your network.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to develop and practice a personal strategy for building connections through networking.

Overview: Prepare for and attend a networking event. After the event, present a 5- to 7-minute speech to your club. Your speech can include a story or stories about your experience, a description of what you learned, or a discussion on the benefits of networking. Your speech may be personal to you or informational about networking. If you attend a non-Toastmasters event, you must sign the Project Completion Form and give it to your vice president education.

This project includes:

The Prepare to Network resource
Attending a networking event
The Project Completion Form
A 5- to 7-minute speech

Elective - Prepare For An Interview

This project addresses the skills you need to identify and speak about personal strengths and present yourself well in an interview of any type.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice the skills needed to present yourself well in an interview.

Overview: Determine which type of interview you would like to practice, such as a job or expert interview. Prepare by reviewing your skills and abilities. Complete the resources in the project and give them to your interviewer before your presentation. You determine which member of your club interviews you, but your interviewer must be someone other than your evaluator. In a 5- to 7-minute role-play presentation at a club meeting, practice answering interview questions to promote your skills, abilities, and experience.

This project includes:

The Identifying Your Skills Worksheet
The Interviewer Instructions resource
A 5- to 7-minute role-play interview at a club meeting

Elective - Understand Vocal Variety

This project addresses the importance of vocal variety when giving a speech and provides activities to develop and nurture its use.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice using vocal variety to enhance a speech.

Overview: Learn or review the importance of vocal variety. Use the exercises in this project to improve your vocal variety skills. Then, present a 5- to 7-minute speech on any topic at a club meeting. The primary focus of the evaluation is your vocal variety.

This project includes:

A 5- to 7-minute speech

Elective - Using Descriptive Language

This project addresses the difference between literal and figurative language along with how to determine when to use each to create vivid descriptions.Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice writing a speech with an emphasis on adding language to increase interest and impact. Overview: You may speak on any topic. Develop a 5- to 7-minute speech describing the topic in detail and present it at your club meeting. This project includes:

A 5- to 7-minute speech

Elective - Using Presentation Software

This project addresses the use of presentation software—from identifying topics that benefit from the use of technology to effective slide design and presentation.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to introduce or review basic presentation software strategies for creating and using slides to support or enhance a speech.

Overview: Select a speech topic that lends well to a visual presentation using technology. Use the content of this project and your own research to help you develop your slides. Give a 5- to 7-minute speech using the slides
you developed. Your speech can be humorous, demonstrative, or informational, and it may include stories or anecdotes.

This project includes:

Developing presentation slides
A 5- to 7-minute speech

Level Four (Leading Your Team + One Elective)

Project 1 - Leading Your Team

This project is designed to help you accomplish a task while leading a small group and give you the opportunity to practice basic skills of leadership.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to lead a small team to the completion of a project.

Overview: Build a team of two to four people and lead your team to the completion of a project of your design. After you accomplish the project, present a 5- to 7-minute speech about you or your experience leading your team. Your speech may be humorous, informational, or any other format that appeals to you. Your project can be any of the following (coordinate with your vice presidents marketing and public relations):

- A club-specific project, such as hosting an open house, organizing a speech contest, or coordinating a membership-building campaign.
- A non-Toastmasters specific project that helps the greater good, such as organizing volunteers for a charity, collecting food for community members in need, etc. (Keep in mind that you’re doing this as a private individual and not in the name of Toastmasters.)
- A work-related group or team project.

Elective - Building a Social Media Presence

This project addresses how best to use different types of online communication. You will create and maintain an online profile to promote yourself or an organization. Purpose: The purpose of this project is to apply your understanding of social media to enhance an established or new social media presence. Overview: Use this project and your own research to build a new social media presence or enhance an existing presence. You may focus on a personal goal (such as connecting with old friends or promoting a blog) or on a professional goal (such as promoting a business or organization). Use the tools you identify as best for you and your purpose. After you achieve your goal, deliver a 5- to 7-minute speech to your club about your results, experience, and the benefits of social media. Submit the Project Completion Form to your vice president education to receive credit for completing the project. Note: With the vice president public relation’s approval, you may choose to create a social media presence for your Toastmasters club. This project includes:

Establishing or enhancing a social media presence
The Project Completion Form
A 5- to 7-minute speech

Elective - Create a Podcast

This project addresses the skills you need to develop a podcast, create interesting content and organize a cohesive program. You will learn how to record and upload it to the internet. Purpose: The purpose of this project is to introduce you to the skills needed to organize and present a podcast. Overview: Use this project and your own research to create a podcast. Record a minimum of 60 minutes of content. You are free to divide the episodes as you choose. Each separate episode must be at least 10 minutes, but may be longer if it fits your topic and style. After you record all content, play a 5- to 10-minute segment in your club. Introduce the segment in a 2- to 3-minute speech.. This project includes:

Recording 60 minutes of podcast content
A 2- to 3-minute introduction speech

Elective - Manage Online Meetings

This project addresses how to effectively conduct online meetings and webinars, prepare and organize necessary visual aids, and lead with confidence. Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice facilitating an online meeting or leading a webinar. Overview: Conduct a 20- to 25-minute online meeting with fellow Toastmasters or a 20- to 25-minute webinar with visual aids for fellow Toastmasters. You determine the topic of your meeting or webinar. Research and use software that best fits your needs and geographic area. Invite your evaluator to participate in the online meeting or webinar. If you complete your assignment with non-Toastmasters, you must receive approval from the vice president education and invite your evaluator to attend. This project includes:

The Online Meeting Agenda resource
The Online Meeting Basics resource
Planning and conducting a 20- to 25-minute online meeting or webinar

Elective - Manage Projects Successfully

This project focuses on skills needed to effectively manage a project, develop rapport with stakeholders and cultivate strong relationships with a team.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice developing a plan, building a team, and fulfilling the plan with the help of your team.

Overview: Form a team of three to four people and choose a project. Create a plan for your project and present the plan to your club in a 2- to 3-minute speech. Work with your team to complete your project. Present a 5- to 7-minute speech about your experience. This speech may be humorous, informational, or any type of speech that appeals to you. It should not be a report about the content of this project, but a reflection of your experience applying what you learned.

Note: When considering projects to complete, refer to future projects on your path. You may be able to use the assignment in this project to help you prepare for the completion of an upcoming project.

This project includes:

Building a team
Creating a project plan
The Project Plan resource
A 2- to 3-minute speech about your plan
Completing the plan with your team
A 5- to 7-minute speech about your experience

Elective - Managing a Difficult Audience

This project covers common behaviors of difficult audience members and how to address each behavior in a calm, effective and professional way. Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice the skills needed to address audience challenges when you present outside of your Toastmasters club. Overview: Prepare a 5- to 7-minute speech on a topic of your choosing. You may write a new speech or use a speech you presented previously. You will be evaluated on the way you manage audience disruptions, not the content of your speech. Before your club meeting, send the Role Play Assignments resource to the Toastmaster and vice president education. As you present your speech, respond to different types of difficult audience members that disrupt you. The process of speaking and responding to audience members will take 12 to 15 minutes. This project includes:

A role play assignment for club members
A 5- to 7-minute speech

Elective - Public Relations Strategies

This project focuses on how to promote awareness of an organization, formulate a public relations strategy and use various public relations tactics. Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice the skills needed to effectively use public relations strategies for any group or situation. Overview: Create a public relations plan for a real or hypothetical group or situation. If it involves your club, it must be hypothetical unless you communicate with the vice president public relations and club president. Share your plan in a 5- to 7-minute speech at a club meeting. This speech is not a report on the content of this project, but an example of how you will or might apply what you learned. This project includes:

Creating a public relations strategy
A 5- to 7-minute speech

Elective - Question & Answer Session

This project addresses how to prepare to answer questions and provide information clearly, concisely and with confidence. Purpose: The purpose of this project is to learn about and practice facilitating a question-and-answer session. Overview: Select a topic of which you are particularly knowledgeable. Prepare and deliver a speech on this topic, followed by a question-and-answer session. Together, the speech and question-and-answer session must be 15 to 20 minutes. Use your time effectively to ensure both segments are completed. This project includes:

A 5-to 7-minute speech
A question-and-answer session after the speech

Elective - Write a Compelling Blog

This project addresses the basics of developing a compelling blog and successfully engaging a readership. Purpose: The purpose of this project is to review or introduce the skills needed to write and maintain a blog. Overview: Post a minimum of eight blog posts in one month. Your blog may be new or one you have already established. You must receive approval from the vice president education to blog on behalf of your club. Deliver a 2- to 3-minute speech at a club meeting about the impact of your blogging experience. You may choose to have your blog evaluated by members of the club. Submit your signed Project Completion Form to the vice president education to receive credit for this project. This project includes:

Maintaining a blog and posting at least eight times in one month
The Blog Evaluation Form
The Project Completion Form
A 2- to 3-minute speech

Level Five (Manage Successful Events + One Elective + Reflect On Your Path)

Project 1 - Manage Successful Events

This project is designed to give you tools to coordinate an event. It includes steps for managing the unexpected, leading a team and creating positive outcomes.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice planning, organizing, leading, and implementing an event

Overview: Plan, coordinate, and complete an event of your choosing. Tools for planning all aspects of an event are included in this project. After you complete the event, present a 5- to 7-minute speech in your club. Share the impact of the planning process, your team, and the organization for which the event was held. Your speech may be humorous, informational, or any style that appeals to you. It is not a report on the content of this project.

This project includes:

Planning, organizing, and implementing an event of your choosing
The Event Planning Worksheet
The Write a Communication Plan resource
A 5- to 7-minute speech

Project 2 - Reflect On Your Path

This project is designed to give you an opportunity to share your experience at the end of your path.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to reflect on your growth during the completion of an entire path.

Overview: At a club meeting, present a 10- to 12-minute speech to share your experience completing your path. Use this as an opportunity to reflect on how far you have come, summarize the skills you have learned and developed, and to celebrate your achievements. Your speech can be humorous, informational, or any style that that appeals to you and supports your speech content.

This project includes:

The Your Toastmasters Journey resource
A 10- to 12-minute speech

Elective - Ethical Leadership

This project addresses the importance of recognizing the effect of decisions that impact ethics, best practices for making ethical decisions and developing an ethical framework.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to develop a clear understanding of your own ethical framework and create an opportunity for others to hear about and discuss ethics in your organization or community.

Overview: Define an ethical framework for yourself. To do this, you may need to complete personal research beyond the contents of this project. Then, organize and moderate a 20- to 40-minute panel discussion about ethics, followed by a question-and-answer session. If you have never facilitated a panel discussion, review the “Moderate a Panel Discussion” elective project.

This project includes:

The Ethical Framework resource
Organizing and moderating a panel discussion as well as a question-and-answer session

Elective - High Performance Leadership

The focus of this project is to design and complete a project with well-defined goals, lead a team and be accountable to a guidance committee.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to apply your leadership and planning knowledge to develop a project plan, organize a guidance committee, and implement your plan with the help of a team.

Overview: Select a project to complete with a team of at least three other members. Form a guidance committee and meet at least five times through the duration of the project. Deliver a 5-to 7-minute speech at a club meeting to introduce your plan and vision. After you implement the plan, deliver a second 5- to 7-minute speech at a club meeting to share your experience developing and completing your plan.

This project includes:

Selecting, leading, and completing a project with a team
Forming and meeting with a guidance committee at least five times
The Guidance Committee Introduction resource
The Meeting Agenda resource
The Project Plan Overview resource
The Project Plan resource
The Vision Plan resource
The Event Planning Worksheet
The 360° Evaluation resource
Two 5- to 7-minute speeches

Elective - Leading in Your Volunteer Organization

This project focuses on the skills required to lead in a volunteer organization and the importance of recognition and reward in motivating volunteers.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to apply the skills needed to successfully lead in a volunteer organization.

Overview: Serve in a leadership role in Toastmasters or another volunteer organization for at least six months. You may complete this project based on your employment, but a volunteer organization is preferable. Ask members of the organization to complete a 360° evaluation of your leadership skills. Create a succession plan to aid in the transition after you leave your position of leadership. After your six-month term, deliver a 5- to 7-minute speech at a club meeting to reflect on your personal experience.

This project includes

Serving in a volunteer leadership role for a minimum of six months
Conducting a 360° evaluation of your leadership skills
Creating a succession plan
The Succession Plan resource
The 360° Evaluation resource
A 5- to 7-minute speech

Elective - Lessons Learned

The focus of this project is to design and complete a project with well-defined goals, lead a team and be accountable to a guidance committee.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to apply your leadership and planning knowledge to develop a project plan, organize a guidance committee, and implement your plan with the help of a team.

This project includes:

Selecting, leading, and completing a project with a team
Forming and meeting with a guidance committee at least five times
The Guidance Committee Introduction resource
The Meeting Agenda resource
The Project Plan Overview resource
The Project Plan resource
The Vision Plan resource
The Event Planning Worksheet
The 360° Evaluation resource
Two 5- to 7-minute speeches

Elective - Moderate a Panel Discussion

This project addresses the skills needed to successfully moderate a panel discussion and how to be an effective participant on a panel.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to apply your skills as a public speaker and leader to facilitate a panel discussion.

Overview: Plan and moderate a 20- to 40-minute panel discussion. The panel discussion can be on any topic and may take place at a club meeting or outside of Toastmasters with the approval of your vice president education. Toastmasters who participate as panelists do not receive credit in Toastmasters Pathways. When you have the opportunity, volunteer to act as a panelist for another member completing this project.

This project includes:

Planning and moderating a 20- to 40-minute panel discussion
The Panelist Basics resource
The Project Completion Form

Elective - Prepare to Speak Professionally

This project is designed to help you define the attributes of professional speakers and apply that understanding to your own skills as a speaker.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice developing and presenting a longer speech

Overview: Write and present an 18- to 22-minute keynote-style speech. Exemplify the point of view or message you would convey as a professional-level speaker. You may choose to use visual aids if they fit your speech and your style. Your speech may be humorous, informational, or any style that appeals to you and supports your speech content. If you receive advance approval from the vice president education, you may present your speech to a non- Toastmasters group.

This project includes:

The Speech Outline Worksheet
An 18- to 22-minute keynote-style speech

Ready to Aim Higher?

Completion of this path puts you well on the way to achieving Toastmasters highest honour – the Distinguished Toastmaster Award. To reach that goal, you need to:

complete one more path
serve a term as a club officer
serve a term as a district officer
become a club mentor or club coach
be a club sponsor, conduct a Speechcraft Course or Youth Leadership Program
complete a DTM project

Good luck with your journey!