The Journey Day 93

On Tuesday October 1st the Frontier Division Speech contest was held. What a fantastic event it was! We had 6 contestants for the Table Topics contest and 6 contestants for the Humorous speech contest. We packed the facilities with guests, contestants and helpers from across District 6. There were even a number of Toastmaster dignitaries there to enjoy the festivities.

As Division governor I have the task of putting together this contest. However it could not be possible with out great helpers and quality contestants. Leaders must always find those people who have the vision to take things to the next level. Whether you are leading a project at work, coordinating a special event or leading a department the most difficult thing in leadership is making sure you have quality people surrounding you.

The six area governors for the Frontier Division put on fantastic contests and sent quality contestants to the next level (The division contest). A big thank you to my 6 area governors, Ed Mason 21, Ellen Brockmann 22, Judi Holloway 23, Teri Recht 24, Jay Redington 25, Janice Janes 26. I have a great leadership team.

I will be sending a formal video thank you to all those who helped at the contest. I want to thank my Toastmaster Dan Grundtner for a job well done. Also the contest chair Cathy Olson who coordinated a great feast of food and helped with some finishing touches on the contest.

Most of all congratulations to the top three in each contest for giving a great Table Topics Response and a wonderful humorous speech.

Table Topics: 

3rd Place: Noel Field                                      



2nd Place: Stephanie Morse-Noland

1st Place: Brian Nordling

Brian Nordling, The Trio and me



Ashley Melville, The Trio and me



Humorous Speech:

3rd Place: Jason Sonnek

2nd Place: Jeffrey Fish

1st Place: Ashley Melville

Leadership isn't easy but it can be if you surround yourself with quality individuals who make leading easy. The first three months as Frontier Division Governor has not been easy but it has been fun and we are working to make new leaders in District 6.

The Journey Day 77

Contest season has begun all across District 6 Toastmasters. Clubs are finishing their contests and the Areas are conducting theirs. One Division contest has finished and nine more lay ahead in the coming weeks. The culmination is a trip to Thunder Bay for the District 6 Humorous and Table Topics contest.

In the Frontier Division Area 26 completed their contest on Wednesday evening. It was a fun and exciting contest. The winner of the Table Topics contest was Stephanie Morse-Nolund and the winner of the Humorous contest was Sonja Froyen. All contestants did an excellent job. A big thanks you to Janice Janes the Area 26 governor for a great contest.

The Frontier Division has three more area contests this week. Tuesday is area 24, Wednesday is area 21 and Thursday is area 23. It will be agreat week for the Frontier Division as three more areas crown their representatives for the Division Contest.

The division contest will be held on October 1st at Deluxe Corporation. Please join in the celebration as we crown the best of the Frontier Division.

The Journey Day 62

It has been a long time since I last wrote about my journey as the Frontier Division Governor for District 6 Toastmasters. We have been in the throes of officer training and is has been a hectic month of August. August 31st spells the end of officer training and it is time to evaluate how the Frontier Division did in getting their officers trained.

I want to first commend my Area Governors for a job well done on training officers. They did a great job and they also encouraged and club officers to attend. Our goal in the Frontier Division was to be 7 for 7 for every club in the Division. I know what you are saying, "That is a tall and almost impossible task". It may seeem daunting but we thought we could do it. If we couldn't reach taht goal maybe we could get all the clubs to have at least four trained so they wouldn't lose their DCP point.

How did we do? These numbers may change as some final day numbers and adjustments may be made. As it stands now the Frontier Division did quite well. We have 30 clubs in the Frontier Division. Of these 30 clubs 20 of them were 7 of 7 officers trained that is 66%, awesome job! Of the 30 clubs 28 of them had 4 or more officerss trained only two failed to get the required number of 4 officers trained, this is 93% of the clubs had four or more officers trained, great job! We had 210 officers that needed training 184 of them received training that is 88% of the officers trained in the Frontier Division.

As you can see it was successful in our efforts to train the officers however there is room for improvement. For the second round of officer training we will be shooting for 100% across the board in the Frontier Division. The next round is from December - February.

As we enter into September we are gearing up for contest time. Humorous and Table topics are the contests this fall. Look for more on that later.

Congratulations Area Governors on a job well done with officer training.

The Journey, Day 24

I held my first Frontier Division Council meeting on Wednesday 7/24. I spent the first 30-40 minutes training on how to put on a contest. Thanks to some previous material other Toastmasters had created I only had to create my powerpoint with my perspective and use the information previously created.

We then spent the remaining 50-60 minutes talking about challenges and how each of the area governors are doing with their areas. We talked about the contest dates. The Frontier Division contest is on 10/1 and all the areas need to have theirs done before that date. We also talked about officer training. All officers from each club within the District should get trained and the Division and Area Governors do the training.

Part of being a leader is making sure those you lead are well trained and ready for their leadership roles. The Frontier Division will work as a team to make sure we service all the clubs and their members within the Frontier Division.

Looking forward to my continued journey. I have six excellent area governors and I am excited to work with all six of them.

Looking forward to helping them out with some officer training, coming up Monday and then throughout August.

The Journey, Day 20

I spent Saturday at the District 6 TLI (Toastmasters Leadership Institute). I got the opportunity to training the VP Education officers. Had a lot of fun telling them about the DCP (Distinguished Club Program). I handed out index cards and those who didn't have a card had to put the group in order of the DCP points. I think they had a lot of fun learning about the DCP this way.

I really enjoyed the keynote speaker, Roger Revak. He did a great job and it was a great speech on taking your Toastmaster talents outside of your club.

I also took in an education session on a program called "Strive, Revive and Thrive". A proven program that helps clubs grow and stay strong.

Also attended the awards luncheon.

As division governor you are expected to attend as many of these district events as possible. that is a good thing it helps grow your leadership skills and gives you an opprotunity to share your knowledge and network with other Toastmasters.

I'll be back blogging on day 24 of my journey.

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The Journey Day 2

Now that you may have listened to my speech on my vision for the Frontier Division you may be wondering just what a Division Governor does? The hirearchy within the Toastmaster structure is as follows.

District - Within the district there are 10 Divisions

Division - Within Each Division there are 4-7 Areas
Area - Within each area there are 4-6 clubs
Club - each club should strive for 20 members but there is an average of about 14 members per club.

As Division Governor I oversee 6 area governors. I mentor and train my area governors. I conduct 2 Division Contests each year and I work with my  area governors to find new clubs and help build up and grow existing clubs. I also conduct and help area cgovernors conduct officer training.

Today I met with one of my area governors to discuss his plans for his area. Looking forward to my final three one on ones that I am having I had two of them last week and one today.

On Day two I found out that all the clubs in the Frontier Division earned their first point in the DCP program by turning in their officer lists. Congratulation Frontier Division clubs for 100%.

The Journey Begins

Today, July 1st starts my 365 day journey through the Frontier. Not the final Frontier but the Frontier Division in District 6 Toastmasters. I am starting my year as Frontier Division Governor and looking forward to it. The year for me didn't start today it started a while back when I made the decision to run for Frontier Division Governor. Then I thought about my vision and what I wanted to accomplish as division governor. I decided that this year I will journal my journey and I want to welcome all of you along for the trip. Check back frequently for updates on how the journey is going.

To kick off the Toastmaster New Year I have attached a link to my vision speech I gave. I hope you enjoy it. Frontier Division Speech

Lessons from Dad

I wrote and gave this speech last fall. This is honor of my dad on fathers day!

It was Thanksgiving Day 2002 and my wife, kids and I had just arrived at my in-laws house to celebrate Thanksgiving. You could smell the turkey and hear the sound of football in the background along with young cousins jabbering about the fun they were about to have. I just settled down on the couch when the phone rang thinking nothing about it until my brother-in-law tells me the phone is for me. Someone calling me at my in-laws is not a good sign especially on a holiday. It was my oldest sister and the moment she spoke I knew it wasn’t good news. She went to pick up my dad for Thanksgiving dinner and found him dead in his bed. He passed away the way he always wanted to go, in his sleep. It didn’t make it any easier for the rest of us. My mom had passed away 6 years earlier on New Years Eve so it was now left to the three of us to be the leaders of the family. The drive that day from Andover to Eagan was the quietest and longest drive my wife and I had ever taken.


This isn’t about my dad’s death it is about the legacy he left behind. Despite the fact that my dad wasn’t your proto typical dad who took me to sporting events or played catch with me. I'm the one who turned him on to sports but we had a lot of fun times together. There are some great lessons I learned from him. Sometimes many of those lessons aren’t realized until someone passes away and we are well into our adult years. That is how it was for me. The three major lessons I learned from my father over those years we were on this earth together are INTEGRITY, DEDICATION and FAITH.

INTEGRITY:

My dad didn’t grow up wealthy and he didn’t think he was that smart, but one thing he had was integrity. He obtained his GED and then enlisted in the service and spent part of World War II in northern Africa. Once married he was dedicated to providing the best for his family he got a job as a customer service rep for a trucking company and stayed there until he retired. But it wasn’t the only job he had he also was elected the treasurer of the company credit union and stayed in that role even after he retired. I said earlier that he didn’t think he was the smartest but it was his integrity that helped him be successful at what he did. There wasn’t anyone else that the credit union would rather have had as treasurer than my dad. He was able to provide a comfortable life for his family. We were never without and the partnership he formed with my mom (his wife) for almost 50 years made our little life on 34th Avenue in Minneapolis almost Ozzie and Harriet like.

DEDICATION:

My dad had dedication. Not only was he dedicated to providing for his family he was dedicated in everything he did. He knew that despite everything and anything that can happen, you must remain strong, dedicated and you must persevere through every storm in life. He never gave up until his heart gave out and then it was peaceful and restful because he knew he was dedicated to his family and his life. I remember a time when my dad got up for work he usually drove but this particular day there was a snow storm so he decided to take the bus. He could have easily stayed home and said it was too bad out there, but he was dedicated. He walked to the bus stop and waited, and waited, and waited but the bus wasn’t coming so he started walking. He was dedicated to get to work. He knew at some point the bus would catch up to him. It never did, he made it all the way to work walking in a snow storm only to get there and find all the doors locked. That is true dedication to his job. He was the only one to make it to work that day.

FAITH:

My dad had unwavering faith for his fellow man and especially for God. He always looked to find the best in people and seemed to always be friends with everyone. Sometimes this can be a detriment because people may take advantage of you. This wasn’t the case for my dad he was too well liked to be taken advantage of. It was his faith in God that really defined him and helped shape who I am today. I believe that when people are getting close to the end of their time on the earth they can sense it and know their time is short. I think that was the case for my dad. What does this have to do with faith? He told me something about two months before he passed away. He said “ I pray for all the grand kids everyday because I need to know they will be safe when I leave”. Instead of praying for himself he unselfishly was praying for others, true faith in action.

My dad George Andersen born on George Washington’s Birthday and died on Thanksgiving. That is fitting for a man who presidentially led his family and died giving thanks to God for the life he led. He continues to lead today by guiding me with the legacy he left through his integrity, dedication and faith.

I love you and miss you dad

I'm Back

I have been away from blogging for a while. We moved to a new house in February and about that time I started working a second job. Sometimes as a leader you have to do things for a season that you might not normally do. I am going to try to blog more but you may not see it on a consistent basis. I will try it once a week but with the number of things I have going on that may not always be the case.

As I said earlier Leaders have to do things for a season and sometimes they do things to grow their leadership and expand their circle of influence. On Saturday I was elected to be the Frontier Division Governor for District 6 Toastmasters. We had a great time at the dinner and International speech contest. I am looking forward to my growth as a leader by being the Frontier Division Governor for the 2013-2014 Toastmaster year.

Look for more blogs in the coming weeks on other things leaders can do to expand their influence and grow their leadership.

Opportunity versus Risk

I am watch the show "The Men Who Built America" on the History channel and they were talking about JP Morgan investing money in an unproven commodity, electricity. They said that JP Morgan saw opportunity where others saw risk.

Any time a leader is about to invest time, money or energy into a venture they want to weigh the risk and reward of that venture. They need to determine if the opportunity far outweighs the risk that is involved. JP Morgan was a banking man and he didn't find success by investing in bad ventures. When he saw Edison's light bulb he knew that the opportunity was too great to pass up when compared to the minimal risk. We still to this day use the Edison light bulb and electricity so JP Morgan seized that opportunity and it paid off.

Pay offs don't always occur you have to make sure what you are investing in seems worthwhile and will establish itself as a strong comsumer commodity. For instance if someone approached you to invest in a new business they were starting you would have to ask a few questions before leaping up and investing.

You might ask:

• Has this ever been done before?
• Is there a long lasting need for this product or commodity?
• Is the appeal for this widespread or isolated?
• What is the ROI (Rate of Investment)?

There are other questions you might ask but these four should give you a good indication if it is worth your time and money to invest. If you do decide to invest I hope the payoff is successful and if not wait for the next big thing and look to invest in that.

13 in 13 the Final 6

Last time I blogged I gave you the first 7 of my 13 life changing habits for 2013. The nice thing about life changing habits is that you don't have to make the changes all at once. They will occur over time. As long as I have made the steps and I am working on those life changing habits in 2013 I am successful.

Here are 8 - 13. Read my previous blog for 1-7.

These first two may seem like they contradict each other but they really don't and I explain.

8.  Follow more and lead less - In some situations you have to be a follower and not a leader. That is how we learn and grow.
9.  Lead more and follow less - In other situations you have to lead more especially in areas of your expertise.
10.  Pray more worry less - Instead of worrying about things it is better to pray about them and let God be in control.
11.  Work more efficiently - Make better use of my working hours by finding ways to be more efficient.
12.  Work more and Play more - If I am working more efficiently I can generate more income and working more efficiently will help me play more and spend more time with family.
13.  Continue to improve my communication skills - I am a member of Toastmasters and I will continue to challenge myself to improve those communication skills whether they are speaking, listening or evaluating.

Create your own list of 13 in 13 and share if you so desire. Check back often to my blog as I will periodically check in on how I am doing with my 13 in 13.

Don't forget this blog focuses on Leadership but it also addresses the issue of leisureship and things for self improvement away from your leadership role.

13 in 13 Revisited

Last time I mentioned that I had decided this year instead of coming up with empty resolutions I wanted to focus on some simple changes. Changes that will happen over a period of time and not necessarily overnight. Each of these can be personal in nature or leadership in nature, since this is a leadership blog. I decided to present it in the format of 13 in 13. This is 13 changes I will make in 2013. I was inspired by my daughter last year who did a 12 in 12 but I have always liked a bakers dozen so I am going with 13.

Here are the 13 things I will change or do differently in 2013. Throughout the year I will expound on these and let you know how I am doing. I challenge you to create your own list.

1.  Read more watch less - I want to read more books, articles, papers etc and watch less inane television.
2.  Walk more sit less - I want to get more active from this sedentary
3.  Give more spend less - Self explanatory
4.  Save more spend less - Self explanatory
5.  Eat healthier - Avoid those sweets even though I love them
6.  Declutter - Rid my life of things that clutter it. Get back to a simpler time when the basics were all that we needed.
7.  React more procrastinate less - I want to be more reactionary and visionary than procrastinating the things that need to get done.

I'll share the remaining 6 tomorrow.

Leadership Fiscal Cliff

Have you survived the fiscal cliff? Maybe you are sick and tired of all the talk about the fiscal cliff. If you are one of those people maybe you can at least read what I have to say about leadership lessons from the fiscal cliff.

The one main lesson we can learn from all of the fiscal cliff negotiations is a little bit of compromise. A great leader is willing to compromise but not willing to back down on their own principles. Unfortunately that is not what we saw in the fiscal cliff negotiations. Instead President Obama expected everyone to cave in to his demands and He wasn’t willing to compromise. On the other hand the Republicans compromised on the taxes but they didn’t stand firm on expecting spending cuts.

Leadership must be give and take willing to give in but expecting the others to give in as well. That is what working together is all about and that is what makes great leaders. Washington is filled with people who are not leaders just self serving freeloaders believing they know what is best for America.

We may not have gone over the fiscal cliff but the leadership abilities of those in Washington have completely fallen off the cliff. If you want to be a great leader work on your compromising skills but remember to stand firm on your principles.

America will be approaching the fiscal cliff again let’s see how Washington reacts next time.

13 in 13

Last year my daughter did something on her blog called 12 in 12. Instead of setting resolutions or goals she came up with 12 things that she would do differently.

I was inspired by her 12 in 12 and decided to do my own 13 in 13 this year. I am going to focus on leadership growth and personal growth.

The next time I blog I will share my 13 in 13.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Keep following this blog in 2013 for new and exciting information on Leadership and Leisureship. In the coming weeks look for a recap of some of my favorites from 2012 and a look into the future of this blog.