The Competent Leadership manual features 10 projects, which you complete while serving in various meeting roles and participating in other club activities such as helping with a newsletter or getting involved with a membership building campaign.  An evaluator will give you feedback on each project, helping you to improve.

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Listening is an important leadership skill.  Good listeners help you acquire information, enabling you to identify and clarify issues, make decisions, resolve conflict and be creative.  Listening skills also play a major role in team-building.  You can learn to be a better listener by following a few simple suggestions.

Develop and practice listening skills by serving in any three of these four roles:

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A leader gathers information, then analyzes, interprets and understands it before acting.  Critical thinkers question what they read and hear, then determine the quality of a piece of information and use logical reasoning to reach conclusions.  Critical thinkers make better decisions.  You can learn to think more critically by following a few suggestions.

Develop and practice critical-thinking skills by serving in any two of these three roles:

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Team members need to know what they are doing well, what they are not doing well and how they can improve.  Giving performance feedback is a necessary leadership function.  When done properly, feedback can relieve stress, improve interpersonal relationships and promote trust and respect for leaders and team members.

Develop and practice feedback skills by serving in these three roles:

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Time management helps leaders make the most of the time available to them.  You can budget your time and accomplish projects and tasks efficiently by identifying long-term and short-term goals, make a daily to-do list, prioritize the list, make a schedule, delegate when possible, leave time for unexpected tasks, and manage interruptions.

Develop and practice time-management skills by serving as timer PLUS any one of these four roles:

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A plan provides direction for the leader and the team.  The planning process involves setting goals and objectives and preparing plans and schedules to accomplish them.  The process forces leaders to look beyond their everyday activities and think about what they want to happen in the future.  Involving team members in the process will encourage their commitment.

Develop and practice planning and implementation skills by serving in any three of these four roles:

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Leaders must ensure the team is organized and capable of accomplishing goals and objectives, and they must provide the structure in which the team will operate.  Delegation also plays a major role.  A leader should accomplish functions that only he or she has the knowledge and authority to do and delegate all other tasks to team members.

Develop and practice organization and delegation skills by serving in any one of these roles:

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A facilitator establishes the structure the team needs to function effectively, ensures the structure is working and removes obstacles that may be impeding progress.  A facilitator also resolves conflicts which are inevitable any time two or more people are required to work together.  Good facilitation skills can help the group reach a resolution.

Develop and practice facilitation skills by serving in any two of these four roles:

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A motivated team will overcome obstacles of all types to achieve its goals.  A leader creates and maintains an environment where team members are likely to become motivated.  Leaders find out what motivates team members, then develop reward systems that match what team members value.  They also look for ways to reward team members for doing the right things.

Develop and practice motivational skills by serving in three of these roles, at least one of which is marked with an asterisk:

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A mentor recognizes an individual who has less experience and cultivates that person's potential and talents and helps him or her succeed.  Leaders also are mentors.  You can be a mentor by offering someone opportunities for skill development, helping the person recognize areas needing work, providing helpful advice, being a role model, and encouraging the person to think for himself or herself.

Develop and practice mentoring skills by serving in one of these three roles:

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Teams offer great benefits.  Team members have a variety of knowledge and skills, which results in more creativity and greater productivity.  When a good team is in place, a leader has more time to devote to leadership issues.  Team members must be carefully chosen and trained and encouraged to openly discuss issues with you and among themselves.

Develop and practice team-building skills by serving as both Toastmaster and General Evaluator, or by serving in one of these roles:

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