Aeronautical Center Deputy Director, Kevin O'Connor participated in a recent meeting of the FAA Toastmasters Club #5467. During this meeting, a record number of members (five) were presented with the Competent Leadership Award.

Leadership takes practice. In Toastmasters, members learn leadership skills by organizing and conducting meetings and completing projects. The projects address skills such as listening, planning, motivating, team building, and giving members the opportunity to practice those skills. Just as Toastmasters members can improve their communication by public speaking, they learn leadership skills by leading.

The Competent Leadership Award is the first achievement level in the Toastmaster’s International Leadership Development Program and was created in 1969. It is comprised of ten projects that members must complete to demonstrate basic leadership skills. The Competent Leadership projects include active listening, critical thinking, giving feedback, time management, planning, organizing, facilitation, motivation, mentoring and team building. Tasks are required to be performed in each project. A total of 45 tasks are required for the Competent Leadership Award. Some of the functions include filling meeting roles and performing different leadership assignments. All tasks are formally evaluated by fellow Toastmasters members.

For most members, it takes 2-3 years to complete this Leadership Program, and on average each Toastmasters Club will have two members achieve the award per year. It is one of the most difficult awards to achieve in Toastmasters due to the number of leadership tasks required. All of the tasks involved relate directly to leadership functions in business and teams. The Competent Leadership Award is the first step in the Toastmaster’s leadership training program and is a significant achievement in the professional development of a Toastmasters member.

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches communication and leadership skills through a worldwide network of more than 15,900 clubs in 142 countries. In Oklahoma, District 16, there are over 90 Toastmasters clubs.

The FAA Toastmasters Club #5467 meets regularly each Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. in HQ Bldg. Room 148 near Einstein’s Bagels. For more information about the event and club, please visit FAA Toastmasters or contact the club’s Vice-President of Membership, Dale Sickels.