Persuasive Influence
This path helps you build your skills as an innovative communicator and leader. The projects on this path focus on how to negotiate a positive outcome together with building strong interpersonal communication and public speaking skills. Each project emphasizes developing leadership skills to use in complex situations, as well as creating innovative solutions to challenges. This path culminates in a “High Performance Leadership” project of your design.
LEVEL 1 - Mastering Fundamentals
Project 1 - Icebreaker
Project 2 - Evaluation and Feedback
■ 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 - Researching & Presenting
■ The Research Worksheet
■ The Speech Outline Worksheet
■ A 5- to 7-minute speech
LEVEL 2 - Learning Your Style
Project 1 - Understanding Your Leadership Style
■ The Discover Your Leadership Style questionnaire
Project 2 - Active Listening
■ Serving as Topicsmaster at a club meeting
Project 3 - Introduction to Toastmasters Mentoring
■ A 5- to 7-minute speech
LEVEL THREE - Increasing Knowledge
(Complete Project 1 + Two Electives)
Project 1 - Understanding Conflict Resolution
■ A conflict resolution video activity
■ A 5- to 7-minute speech
Elective - Connect With Storytelling
■ A 5- to 7-minute speech
Elective - Connect With Your Audience
■ A 5- to 7-minute speech
Elective - Creating Effective Visual Aids
■ Creating one to three visual aids
■ A 5- to 7-minute speech
Elective - Deliver Social Speeches
■ The Social Speech Basics resource
■ Two 3- to 4-minute speeches
Elective - Focus On The Positive
■ 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
■ A 5- to 7-minute speech
Elective - Know Your Sense of Humor
■ A 5- to 7-minute speech
Elective - Making Connections Through Networking
■ The Prepare to Network resource
■ Attending a networking event
■ The Project Completion Form
■ A 5- to 7-minute speech
Elective - Prepare For An Interview
■ 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
■ A 5- to 7-minute speech
Elective - Using Descriptive Language
■ A 5- to 7-minute speech
Elective - Using Presentation Software
■ Developing presentation slides
■ A 5- to 7-minute speech
Elective - Effective Body Language
■ A 5- to 7-minute speech
LEVEL FOUR - Building Skills
(Complete Project 1 + One Elective)
Project 1 - Leading in Difficult Situations
■ Designing a detailed project plan
■ The Project Plan resource
■ The Project Plan Overview resource
■ The Plan Disruption Ideas resource
■ A 5- to 7-minute speech to share your plan
■ An impromptu speech to present solutions to disruptions
Elective - Building A Social Media Presence
■ Establishing or enhancing a social media presence
■ The Project Completion Form
■ A 5- to 7-minute speech
Elective - Create A Podcast
■ Recording 60 minutes of podcast content
■ A 2- to 3-minute introduction speech
Elective - Manage Online Meetings
■ 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
■ 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 - Public Relations Strategies
■ Creating a public relations strategy
■ A 5- to 7-minute speech
Elective - Question and Answer Session
■ A 5-to 7-minute speech
■ A question-and-answer session after the speech
Elective - Write A Compelling Blog
■ 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
Elective - Manage a Difficult Audience
■ A role play assignment for club members
■ A 5- to 7-minute speech
LEVEL FIVE - Demonstrating Expertise
(Complete Project 1 + One Elective)
Elective - Ethical Leadership
■ The Ethical Framework resource
■ Organizing and moderating a panel discussion as well as a question-and-answer session
Project 1 - High Performance Leadership
■ 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
■ 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
■ 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
■ Planning and moderating a 20- to 40-minute panel discussion
■ The Panelist Basics resource
■ The Project Completion Form
Elective - Prepare to Speak Professionally
■ The Speech Outline Worksheet
■ An 18- to 22-minute keynote-style speech
Path Completion
Reflect On Your Path
■ The Your Toastmasters Journey resource
■ A 10- to 12-minute speech