Innovative Leadership

Trish Blackwelder, DTM
“Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

Steve Jobs, Co-Founder Apple Computers

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A Toastmaster since 1995, Trish worked behind the scenes in District 3 for a number of years to get familiar with the inner workings of leadership within the Toastmasters program before stepping forward to take her first definitive leadership role as Club Officer Training Chairman in 2001.

Since then, Trish has continued to be active in leadership in the District and Regional levels. She has become a passionate supporter of Toastmasters as a leadership training program, raising awareness and defining transferable leadership opportunities for Toastmasters members.

I’ve been called a ‘natural born leader’ all my life, but in 2000 when I read these words – ‘leadership cannot be learned in a day, it takes practice’ – I knew then that even natural born leaders need a place to refine and hone their leadership skills in order to become great leaders. As a Toastmaster working behind the scenes in the District, I saw so many practical leadership opportunities beyond the basic leadership track, but I hardly ever heard people talking about them. I decided then to make it my personal mission to not only talk about them, but find innovative ways to take advantage of them. Personalizing the Toastmasters program to meet each member’s personal development plan is one of the best ways to retain and grow our members.

Trish Blackwelder, DTM

For more information about the Toastmasters program for the state of Arizona, please visit the Arizona Toastmasters website at www.aztoastmasters.org

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