How Toastmasters Shaped My Leadership Journey

Stepping Into the New Year with Purpose

At the start of 2025, I was a member of just one club, Calgary Talking Toastmasters, and serving as Division C Director with a fantastic team of Area Directors. We began the year deep in preparations for the Division C Contest and our Circle of Gold event. I knew I couldn’t pull off these projects alone, so I leaned on fellow leaders across the District. They offered ideas, encouragement and support, and I did the same for them. That back-and-forth reminded me how leadership in Toastmasters rarely happens in isolation. It grows through collaboration and shared effort.

Contest Season: Where Courage Takes Center Stage

The contest season, running from January to May, provided me with numerous opportunities to meet members across the District. Watching speakers progress from club to area to division was both inspiring and energizing. If you’ve never attended a contest, go. You’ll see courage, creativity and growth on full display, and you’ll walk away with new respect for what members bring to the stage.

Joining After Five: Leadership Through Connection

By spring, I joined my second club: After Five Toastmasters. Every club teaches you something different, and this one reminded me how leadership starts with connection. It’s a small, close-knit group, and we bonded over stories of settling into life in Canada. Week after week, we laughed, compared experiences and learned from one another. Their commitment and heart taught me as much about leadership as any project ever could.

Discovering My Next Level at CATS

Then came my third club: Calgary Advanced Toastmasters (CATS). When I joined Toastmasters in 2020, an advanced club felt far out of reach. Last year, I realized it was time to stretch again. CATS is filled with members who have shaped District 42 in meaningful ways. Their experience raises the bar for everyone in the room. Being part of this club has helped me rethink what growth looks like and how leadership evolves when you surround yourself with people who expect more from themselves and each other. If you want a club that challenges you in the best possible way, visit CATS. You may discover your next level there too.

A New Challenge: District Administration Manager

I had promised myself a quieter year after serving as Division C Director, but leadership tends to appear where it’s needed. I stepped into the Administration Manager role for the District, and the learning curve was steep. I made plenty of mistakes and learned to laugh at most of them. More importantly, I learned to let go of the idea that I had to get everything right the first time. Leadership is as much about grace and curiosity as it is about structure.

Guiding Future Voices: The Youth Leadership Program

And because the year wasn’t full enough, I took on a Youth Leadership Program in November. A former colleague organized the group and invited me to facilitate, which also gave my almost-12-year-old twins, Ariana and Parker, the chance to participate. Seeing young people discover their voice alongside my own child has been one of the most rewarding leadership experiences of the year.

Why I Keep Saying Yes to Growth

Speaking with confidence, learning from others and lifting others as you grow – this is what Toastmasters leadership looks like. It’s why I stay, and it’s why I keep taking that next step, even when it scares me a little.

Elaine Balante
D42 Administrative Manager