Communicate98_Nov21

COMMUNICATE 98 Communicate. Collaborate.

Celebrate.

SERVANT LEADER SHIP

NOVEMBER 2021

DISTRICT 98

DISTRICT 98 LEADERSHIP TEAM 2021-22 Mukta Nadkar, DTM

District Director

Vishal Garg

Area Director, B1

Vinay Jain

Area Director, J3

Sapna Ohri, DTM

Program Quality Director

Vijaya Monteiro, DTM

Area Director, B2

Prathmesh Thanekar

Area Director, M1

Amandeep Singh, DTM Program Quality Director

Vrindavani Mulik

Area Director, B3

Nilesh Karande

Area Director, M2

Joy B. Hans, DTM

Program Quality Director

Pooja Daiya

Area Director, B4

Raj Bharat

Area Director, M3

Hardik Shah

Club Growth Director

Tanaya Sahu

Area Director, C1

Rohan Parakh

Area Director, M4

Sanjay R

Club Growth Director

Nishu Sharma

Area Director, C2

Riya Agrawal

Area Director, N1

Sandeep R Madasu

Club Growth Director

Varghese Vattathara

Area Director, C3

Gunjan Banarsi

Area Director, N2

Abbas Akbar, DTM

Administration Manager

Manish Kumar

Area Director, C4

Sapna Acharya

Area Director, N3

Pramod PB, DTM

Finance Manager

Himanshu Mahanta

Area Director, C5

Sakshi Bhuwal

Area Director, N4

Smita Mishra, DTM

Public Relations Manager

Kanchan Sonik, DTM

Area Director, D1

Sushil Pawar, DTM

Area Director, O1

Niteash Aggarwal, DTM Immediate Past District Director Tanay Rajwal

Area Director, D2

Deepika Kumari

Area Director, O2

Neha Bhatt, DTM

Division Director, A

Shreea Banerjee

Area Director, D3

Prashant Pote

Area Director, O3

Mohnish Dukhande

Division Director, B

Rahul Rashinkar

Area Director, D4

Unmesh Mohitkar

Area Director, O4

Milind Patwardhan

Division Director, C

Manasa Lakkakula

Area Director, E1

Aditya Saxena, DTM

Area Director, P1

Sanjukta Kundu, DTM

Division Director, D

Amulya Konda

Area Director, E2

Rabin Shetty

Area Director, P2

Kavitha Reddy, DTM

Division Director, E

Sai Santosh

Area Director, E3

Rajendra Waghmode

Area Director, P3

Shivani Singh

Division Director, F

Sunku Pruthvi

Area Director, E4

Sonia Cheulwar

Area Director, P4

Ravi Teja Peri

Division Director, G

Sivacharan Kollipara

Area Director, F1

Shubham Deshmukh

Area Director, P5

Haripriya Cherekar

Division Director, H

Swapna Pachala

Area Director, F2

Sriya Jambukar

Area Director, S1

Sakshi Shrivastava

Division Director, J

Kasturi Sydaiah

Area Director, F3

Poornima Thakur

Area Director, S2

Sunish Babu

Division Director, M

Jahanavi Rampalli

Area Director, F4

Ramanand Bhatt

Area Director, S3

Deepalika Kowar

Division Director, N

Charan Singh

Area Director, G1

Divya Iyer

Area Director, S4

Shaikh Shakil, DTM

Division Director, O

Alphamary Kuriachan

Area Director, G2

Ketkee Kamdar

Area Director, U1

Joylan Andrade

Division Director, P

Vamsi Yerrapragada

Area Director, G3

Dimple Mehta

Area Director, U2

Sunita Vinod

Division Director, S

Bhavana Tadiboina

Area Director, G4

Akshay Singh

Area Director, U3

Sanjan Shetty, DTM

Division Director, U

Vijay Kumar Bansal

Area Director, H1

Snehal Barve

Area Director, U4

Clyde Tellis

Division Director, W

Rishik Singh

Area Director, H2

Rajesh Kenkre

Area Director, W1

Rohin Sharma

Area Director, A1

Nivedita Rajurkar

Area Director, H3

Alvima Almeida

Area Director, W2

Utkarsh Dange

Area Director, A2

Nitya Sri Kalari

Area Director, H4

Anthony Gomes

Area Director, W3

Pinky Bahroos

Area Director, A3

Jayesh Kaushik

Area Director, J1

Pradnya Kosare

Area Director, W4

Nidhi Goel

Area Director, A4

Jyoti Bhat

Area Director, J2

Swapnil Jawale

Area Director, W5

Shailendra Singh

Logistics Manager

Ajit Limaye, DTM

Parliamentarian

INDEX

1 2 3

District Director's Address District Finance Manager's Address District Administration Manager's Address

4

Cross District Connect

6

Cover Story

8

District Officers Training Program - Rewind

10

Member Perspective

12

Prospective & New Clubs

13

Cross Culture Learnings

15

Member Achievements

17

Club Spotlight

DISTRICT 98

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

DISTRICT 98

What is common with Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr.? They have all considered people before self. That is what Servant Leadership is all about.

"Magic happens," agrees Pat Falotico, a former executive leader at IBM who is now CEO of the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership.

When the Sergeant At Arms opens a meeting, we read and pledge on our mission statement : We provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth.

We have recently expanded our business to United States of America and after 22 years as a Chartered Accountant running my own consultancy, I would give all the credit to my team because I learned the Art of Servant Leadership.

Thus, a supportive environment can only be created with the help of Servant Leadership.

Every role we take benefits us and the club, area, division and the district at the same time.

So, the next time you enter a meeting, try to help others in your capacity, it can be just a word of encouragement. You will be a servant leader.

"If serving is below you, then leadership is beyond you" - Bishop Dale C. Bronner

In fact, we can take the same learning outside the Toastmasters meeting room and apply at our workplaces, communities and families.

"Performance goes through the roof," says Art Barter, founder and CEO of the Servant Leadership Institute and CEO of Datron World Communications, Inc.

Dr. Nishant S Mehta, DTM Chief Editor, Communicate 98

DESIGNER OF THE MONTH The reason I joined Toastmasters was because it is "Where Leaders are made". During my experience in Toastmasters I learnt about the concept of Servant Leadership.

Tanisha Singh Capgemini Mumbai Toastmasters Club

At first I thought the phrase was an oxymoron, but with time I realised it is most effective philosophy of leadership. The goal of a leader is to serve and it is upto the leader to invert the pyramid of hierarchy.

I look forward to a fulfilling learning journey in Toastmasters and implementing all I learn to all my future endeavours.

COMMUNICATE 98 | NOVEMBER 2021

DISTRICT DIRECTOR'S ADDRESS

DISTRICT 98

Being a Servant Leader….

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."

- John Quincy Adams, Sixth President of the United States But there is more to becoming a servant leader…. it is not just about inspiring and getting results but about how we do it and how we get there. For me, serving selflessly is the most rewarding facet of being a leader. If I can put the needs of our members first, help them learn, develop as individuals and perform to their potential, that would be most satisfying. And that is what we should all strive to do every single day….. to elevate the confidence and competence of others.

It is not easy to conceptualize or become a servant leader overnight. There are scores of attributes, traits and skills that we need to develop. Amongst the many qualities that are required to be an exemplary servant leader, my top 3 are, Listening, being Aware and showing Empathy. I can teach, conduct workshops, lecture, be a role model and do other things to impress or wow the member.

But, if I do not LISTEN to issues, opinions and the needs of others, how can I lead? If I am not AWARE of the situation, problem, or of things that drive others, how can I lead? If I do not show EMPATHY, and make people feel good, special and important, how can I call myself a leader?

I did not learn servant leadership in school or at my workplace. I learnt it over many years from my mother-in-law. She inspired every member of the immediate and extended family to be the best we could. She did this by LISTENING and being fair to all, by being AWARE of the needs and relationships in the family and most importantly, by showing EMPATHY to those who needed it. She used these skills to strengthen and empower all around her so that we could go out and achieve, with self belief.

I have certainly learned a lot but need to practice even more. So let us ask ourselves, ‘Have those whom we’ve served, grown as persons? Have they become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely to become servant leaders?’ I hope the answer will be ‘YES’!

Mukta Nadkar, DTM District Director

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COMMUNICATE 98 | NOVEMBER 2021

01

DISTRICT FINANCE MANAGER'S MESSAGE

DISTRICT 98

Toastmasters & Servant Leadership I first came across the concept of “Servant Leadership” when I joined Toastmasters.

I am a person who has always been interested in understanding the intricacies of good leadership.

Even before I joined Toastmasters, I had read about the different prevalent corporate leadership styles and tried to inculcate them in my approach towards Team Management.

However, Toastmasters opened up an altogether different window that showcased a different perspective on leadership.

I was initially baffled to see people from different walks of life, engaged in different professions and in different levels of the corporate ladder, sharing responsibilities equally and working shoulder to shoulder without any need for titles. But once I embarked into the journey of developing my own leadership skills by taking up various roles in Toastmasters, I began to understand the true essence of Servant Leadership. Leaders in Toastmasters always believed the age old saying,

We rise by lifting others.

Toastmasters molded me into a servant leader.

However, the awesomeness of it really dawned on me when I saw the impact it has had on the team I lead. I could see my team members, who were earlier hesitant to share their apprehensions, challenges and success with me, transform to people who appeared really comfortable to work together with me, with a great sense of belonging for the work they do.

My leadership approach became a widely admired style within the organization and today I am seen as a leader with a different style to team building.

Pramod PB, DTM District Finance Manager

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COMMUNICATE 98 | NOVEMBER 2021

02

DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION MANAGER'S MESSAGE

DISTRICT 98

Finding your VOICE with Leadership First rule of leadership: everything is your fault.

- A Bug's Life Leadership is a funny thing. It starts when you are least ready, and ends maybe never. The ideology of a servant leader is a living paradox.

It’s about achieving a common goal, by leading a team, much of it from the back. We are all leaders in different capacities. Some of us lead at work, some at home, and some by our actions.

Hence, leadership is indispensable from our lives. We are leading, even at times when we are unaware of it.

My tryst with leadership has been a funny one, especially this year as the District Administration Manager for District 98. All these learnings can be put in 1 phrase – Find your V.O.I.C.E. Vocalize your thoughts: As a leader, it is very important to speak your thoughts and to present your opinions. One may not always be right, but that does not make you wrong. Hence, speak up. At the end of the day you will be happy you did.

Initiate Initiatives: An aspect that becomes the crux of leadership, is to look at things differently and initiate new initiatives. Travel paths untraveled and set new examples. It’s always easy to do what’s been happening this far, but it’s often difficult to scratch the surface and reinvent the wheel and sometimes, that makes all the difference.

Critique: When you embrace leadership, criticism comes with it uninvited. One cannot make everyone happy, as we are not Maggi.

But the world will forget all the good you have done, and remember the one small error that may have happened.

Embrace the 2 C’s: As a leader, one needs to learn how to embrace the 2 most important aspects of leadership: changes and challenges. Embracing to changes may sound difficult at times, but then the butterfly is the prettiest part of the caterpillar. On the other hand challenges sometimes are crucial too, both in terms of situations and people.

That’s my 2 cents on finding my V.O.I.C.E with leadership. At the end of the day, it’s less about you, more about the TEAM!

Organize You: When you lead, you become the center for yourself and for your team.

Hence, it is very important to be organized, both in your thoughts and in your work. I believe in being organized as an individual and that helps me serve my team and people well.

Abbas Akbar, DTM District Administration Manager

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03

CROSS-DISTRICT CONNECT

DISTRICT 98

In conversation with

Sravanthi Vallampati, DTM District Director (2019-2020), District 10

Tell us about your Journey in Toastmasters & Professional Life I stumbled upon Toastmasters as I looked for a public speaking program for my daughter when she was in middle school. Little did I know that I had hit a jackpot! ☺ My journey with Toastmasters started in February 2013. I have since rediscovered myself and developed a keen appreciation for all aspects that help make me the person I am today. At the heart my journey is joy – joy that is a culmination of two dimensions that Toastmasters offers: empowering education program and immersive human experience. I just gave my Ice Breaker for my seventh path (Team Collaboration) and am working towards my 4th DTM. Outside of Toastmasters, I am a working mother of two daughters, both Toastmasters, who likes a good challenge as much as she does sitting idle, just admiring the world around her. Work in IT Management flexes me in ways I did not know I needed to or could flex, but my Toastmasters’ learning keeps me nimble and resilient.

What are the leadership?

characteristics

of

servant

I’d like to begin by sharing what Servant Leadership is not: it is not about control, power, or politics, it is not about ceding responsibility, and surely, it is not about accolades and celebrity.

It is an honest approach to immersing ourselves in a people-first attitude to develop, empower, and elevate those whom we lead to unlock potential and create a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Over the years, I have learned from observation and mentorship that servant leadership starts with an unselfish mindset and continually works towards an end that nurtures a culture of respect, trust, and harmony. I believe that servant leaders are both servants and leaders because leadership demands service as much as it does vision, character, and competence to lean in and lead with courage and purpose.

COMMUNICATE 98 | NOVEMBER 2021

04

CROSS DISTRICT CONNECT

DISTRICT 98

How can we be good servant leaders in Toastmasters?

Toastmasters offers the perfect model for servant leadership. If you flip through the first couple of pages of any of our Leadership Handbooks you will see how evident it is that at the top of our hierarchy is the member, the beating heart of the toastmasters’ experience. It is for the service, empowerment, and achievement of the member’s goals that leaders fall into their respective places, and in return enjoy the extraordinary rewards of agility, commitment, harmony, loyalty, productivity, and trust, to name a few.

As members of this amazing organization that facilitates servant leadership with the right amount of structural foundation, we can each strive, with or without a leadership title, to serve our members when we take time to listen to their stories, learn about their needs, and lead with sensitivity and empathy. We also have countless opportunities to further member development while honing our leadership skills via roles at the club, area, division, district, region, and beyond.

The multiplier effect of our leadership learning ultimately helps our clubs and districts shine! I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities to connect and be of service, now even beyond my home district as a virtual member or guest!

What are the challenges of Servant Leadership?

The top five that come to my mind are: Decreased direction and motivation due to lack of perceived accountability and rigor Servant fatigue due to the leader operating at an extreme level of empathy Lack of focus on organizational priorities due to member-first mindset Promotion of artificial harmony over courageous debate due to fear of conflict Insufficient attention to priorities and results due to lack of accountability

Servant leadership, although soft and indirect on the surface, is not for the faint at heart. It takes an extraordinary level of self-awareness, strength of character, and support network for servant leaders to come through for those who look up to them.

To be effective leaders, it important to understand the traits that are natural to us and blend in a healthy dose of servant leadership. The beauty of servant leadership is that it complements other styles. For e.g., mine is a mix of Affiliative and Coaching leadership styles which could be complemented as easily by the tenets of servant leadership as other styles such as Authoritative, Autocratic, Democratic, Pacesetting, or Laissez-Faire.

What is your message for D98 Leaders?

Continue to operate from the seat of humanity – let yourselves be fully human while allowing others to be the same. It is only then that you can leverage your strengths and succeed as one, not because we do not have vulnerabilities, but because our collective strength has far outweighed our shortcomings. It is through exploring our humanity that we give this leadership experience a soul and elevate it to an art.

I want all my friends in District 98 to know that they are leaders – they have within them the capacity to embrace their true selves, live by our core values of integrity, respect, service, and excellence, and realize their potential through self-awareness and humility, and in doing so, enable others too.

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05

COVER STORY

DISTRICT 98

WHERE LEADERS

ARE MADE - Covered by Madhuri Vadari

Literally speaking, with more than 15,400 clubs worldwide and seven officer positions for each club, that’s potentially 107,800 leaders – that why it’s said Toastmasters is the place “Where Leaders are Made”!

As many clubs all in the district are gearing up to elect club officers for the new semi-annual term, we try to unravel how the journey from a member to a club leader and beyond can be transformational.

Interestingly, every member’s initial focus is on becoming a confident speaker and communicator, while Leadership is considered the final step in the journey. However, to become a club officer, you just have to be a member in good standing. Although, the roles vary in terms of time commitment and skill sets, no prior experience is required to take up any Club officer role.

Vandana Mehta from Rajkot Toastmasters Club, a newbie to Toastmasters, was just getting settled when she was shouldered with the responsibility of VP Education of her home club.

Reflecting on her accidental role Vandana ponders, “As VPED there are lots of hats one has to wear. There were lot of areas to focus on for the club’s smooth functioning. Now that tables had turned, rather than saying this was missing I had to hold all corners and join them together.”

Serving as club officer, enhances your confidence as a speaker and provides a platform to practice and strengthen your leadership skills in a supportive environment.

Garvit Sharma from Deloitte Hyderabad Toastmasters Club shares his journey as a VP Membership. “In 3 words – VPM role is about Purpose, Networking, and Influencing. As I understood the true value of Toastmasters, I learnt the most important skill in the corporate world. I was able to use my networking skills to add members. If you understand the purpose of toastmasters and use your networking skills - you can be a very successful VP- Membership.”

Neha Verma of Oracle Hyderabad Toastmasters club shares her experience as a VP Public Relations. She says " I learnt to use Canva to promote club meeting marketing. Using Canva I was able to create posters using existing templates as well as I am able to create new templates from scratch by following Toastmasters Brand guidelines". It helped her to develop a new skill set which has not only helped her in her toastmaster journey but also in her professional journey.

The success of a Club is a collective effort. Each role is equally important with its own share of learnings. Pravina Bharija of RG Orators Toastmasters Club, Jamnagar, states “Being a Treasurer of a community club comes with its own Challenges. Budget approvals and renewals tested my tenacity but enhanced my negotiation and motivational skills, while bringing down costs and maintaining transparency in handling the expenses augmented my organizational skills. Eventually, the role endowed me with the confidence to takeover as the President of our Club.”

COMMUNICATE 98 | NOVEMBER 2021

06

COVER STORY

DISTRICT 98

Hargun Singh Kochhar of Raipur Toastmasters Club believes that the journey of an ExCom member is not only fun but engaging in various different aspects. His stint as the Secretary of his club taught him that the minutest of the minute is what one needs to focus on to be a leader in a true sense. He states that all club officers not only have a responsibility but a duty towards satisfying the Club’s motto – to provide a supportive and positive learning environment.

Nivedita Rajurkar whose leadership journey started with an ExCom role of Club Secretary vouches that, “Collaborating with other officers, keeping track of documents and maintaining them, as well as interacting with members not only improved my planning and presentation skills but also instilled in me the confidence to be a Trainer at the Club Officer Training Program (COTP).”

Abilash D, from Deloitte Hyderabad Toastmasters Club shares his experience as Sergeant At Arms (SAA). “When I started with Toastmasters, I was a shy, introverted person struggling to talk to people in the club. Then I took up the role of SAA. As a SAA, I had to talk to various people inside/outside of his club as part of the meeting prep, start and set the tone for every meeting, voice my opinions during the excom meetings etc. Within months I grew into a confident and a known face inside/outside the club - taking on more responsibilities and delivering on them.”

I also learnt how to be an active listener when others put forth their grievances, ideas, arguments or opinions. And finally, I learnt conflict management, how to agree to disagree and only choose what lies in the best interest of the club & its members.”

Doubtlessly, the biggest reward of being a leader in Toastmasters is strengthening your confidence. Whether you are the President, VP Education, VP Membership, VP Public Relations, Club Secretary, Treasurer or the Sergeant at Arms, you get to brainstorm with your fellow officers on ways to improve your club and also have opportunity to network with people outside your own department (as in corporate clubs) or those who work for other companies (in Community clubs).

Toastmaster Clubs have the ability to change members’ lives. By taking on a leadership role, you not only enhance your skills, you become a Better Person and a Better Leader. Challenge yourself to Make a world of difference by making a difference in yourself! Take that first step outside your comfort zone and see the way it changes “YOU”.

Let the journey Begin!

Vaishali Rai of Raipur Toastmasters Club, points out how her role as the President of her Club helped her harness her communication skills. “It made me choose my words wisely as words have incredible power to make people’s hearts soar or sore.

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07

DISTRICT OFFICERS TRAINING PROGRAM Mumbai/Zoom, 26-28 Nov

DISTRICT 98

District 98 leaders converged at Mumbai for a Hybrid District Officers Training Program and District Executive Meeting from 26th to 28th Nov. It was a brilliantly organized event, with amazing activities, impactful trainings, and lots of fun. Our District Leaders share their experiences.

Human beings are born with a powerful urge to learning. What makes special about learning is the journey. My journey to Mumbai for DOTP was enriching. The best part is to witness all the leaders of district 98 under one roof.

The DOTP for me, beyond the learning, was finding out how tall the people are than what they look on Zoom!

However, one of the exciting parts for me was meeting the Eloquence 2021 team with whom I had hundreds of hours invested online on zoom but never had met physically to date!

The overall DOTP was indeed exhilarating for me - it being the first-ever training (in a physical setting) I have ever attended in Toastmasters, it was beyond what I thought a training would be. The constant getting on the floor to dance, the fantastic opportunity to collaborate with fellow leaders on various fun activities and the getting out of comfort zone to interact and work towards a unified goal were some of my favorite things!

2 Learnings I took back with me from DOTP: 1. Training: Relevant content with engaging activities scheduled to enlighten the leaders about their responsibilities kept squeezing every possible ounce of learning.

2. Networking: Socializing with more than 65+ Toastmaster across over 3 days and having intellectual conversations building insatiable curiosity towards leadership.

It was a rejuvenating experience!

- Raviteja Peri (Division Director,G)

- Tanay Rajwal (Area Director,D2)

COMMUNICATE 98 | NOVEMBER 2021

08

DISTRICT OFFICERS TRAINING PROGRAM Mumbai/Zoom, 26-28 Nov

The joy and excitement of hosting 70+ officers for the first ever in-person DOTP in the current program year cannot be described in words. While, a lot of us had our reservations, everyone was excited to meet people outside Zoom. We are glad that as the Host City we were able to help everyone have a good learning and fun experience in Mumbai. As the organizing team we had our inhibitions given limited past experience and the hybrid challenges, but the team led by Joylan and Mohnish pulled it off with much finesse and grace. The happiness and flood of photos are a testimony of the fact that everyone had a good time – which ensured I had a good night’s sleep the Sunday after. With god’s grace – no untoward incident has been reported, we all are now looking forward to the next meeting.

DISTRICT 98

The 3 days of DOTP was a pleasure. It started with the energy infused through team warm-ups and interactive mind engaging sessions on Day1. Amazingly Day 2 continued to follow the same energized ambiance and added to the wonderful experience and learning! I particularly loved the in between activities to Rev up the team spirits. Day 3 started with the excitement of photoshoot and fellowships; as we continued our sessions. In all loved the energy, the communion and the learnings that we experienced in these 3 days of Leadership connect! Lived it and loved it!

- Sanjukta Kundu, DTM (Division Director,D)

- Hardik Shah (Club Growth Director) DOTP - District Officer Training Program was an eyeopener for the opportunities Leadership unfolds in the journey.

Toastmasters International is the place where Leaders are made, because of such wonderful trainings and sessions. The agenda was planned around 2 and a half days. Learn with fun was the core of all the sessions.

MUMBAIIII - ye sitaro ki nagri hai (the city of stars) And ours stars (officers of D98) just lit the city even more brighter. The 3 days of DOTP got over too soon, An amalgamation of thought provoking practical sessions where we learned to take some important tricks and tips to implement and work on to execute our strategies in building new clubs, leaders and growing the community stronger and sustainable; the scrumptious meal with blend of networking opportunities over a starter or a dessert made some bonds for lifetime; we explored the streets of Mumbai and some important monuments at the night, Dotp’s are the time where you don’t feel sleepy and where your nights are your mornings :p The fun and frolic that was all around those 3 days will remain special and unforgettable which every district officer would have carried to their way back home!

A big thank you to all the hosts of Mumbai team for making our experience a memorable one

I personally loved the session on Leadership from Joy Hans, as it added to my learnings and how do I improve in the journey ahead. Leaning the art of crucial communication and breaking the barriers and reaching your leadership for any assistance is a choice away. The District handbook and the sessions on the tools and techniques helped us to understand the bigger why. The cherry on cake was the recognitions on the work we as Area Directors have done.

-Kanchan Sonik, DTM (Area Director,D1)

District Officers Training Program is where all leaders from various geography meet at one epicenter. The connect, the moments we share are priceless. It is a place of fun and learning.

We enrich our journey by learning from their experiences.

- Neha Bhatt, DTM (Division Director,A)

COMMUNICATE 98 | NOVEMBER 2021

- Sanjan Shetty, DTM (Division Director,U)

09

MEMBER PERSPECTIVE

DISTRICT 98

Service Matters, Titles Don’t Leading by example makes all the difference.

This is one of the humblest leadership styles

Leadership can assumed to be either a choice or by chance.

Servant leaders transform the positive qualities of servitude into strong leadership qualities. They ensure that there is high engagement, keep their followers motivated and are driven by ethics.

There are some who consider themselves leaders, but I consider them 'TRADERS'. Service means nothing to them. It’s always 'What’s in it for me?'

On the other side, we have some shining bright and always positive 'Servant Leaders', the ones who may not make a lot of noise but ensure that they take their people with them.

Service and leadership go hand-in-hand, and the best leader is one who doesn’t make others feel that they are being led. In the words of the great philosopher Lau Tzu:

“A leader is best when people barely know he/she exists, when his/her work is done, his/her aim fulfilled, they will say: We did it ourselves.”

Borrowing from the tag line of a product mentioned in a famous advertisement: “It’s different, Boss!” there is a clear distinction in Service Leaders. Besides being service-oriented, these leaders are always selfless, aim to serve, respect everyone and focus on developing others.

Servant leaders focus on developing others, Look at our organization! It’s all about members.

Leaders serve and move on, but the essence of service stays and is passed on from leader to leader.

We have first-hand experiences of how service leadership is effective, be it providing support, motivating people or carrying people on their shoulders, Toastmasters embodies servant leadership across levels. Our focus on members is the essence of what drives leaders across the hierarchy. Service is in our DNA, and no one can take it away from us.

They are great story tellers. They do not hard-sell, they influence.

Servant leaders have some amazing qualities that are easily transferable and learnable. They lead by example and ensure that they protect the interest of their followers. They are willing to roll up their sleeves and show 'How it can be done, together' instead of screaming out and dictating 'Here's how it should be done.'

Servant leaders are exceptional listeners, they can empathize with others and are committed to the growth of others, providing all the necessary support to ensure that others succeed.

COMMUNICATE 98 | OCTOBER 2021

10

MEMBER PERSPECTIVE I am blessed to have worked with some outstanding Servant Leaders across levels.

There are many who come to mind, but the one I wish to mention is Jai Prakash Chaurasia, DTM, past Division Governor based in Mumbai. JP embodies every element that you can find on Google about servant leadership. He is softspoken and knows how to take people along to get work done.

I had the honour to have him as part of my team and despite the passing years, there is only one personality who stands out for me – JP! For him, it was never about the title. He always wanted to make a difference, his attitude to serve even when there were naysayers made him the most loved leader. JP’s goodwill and ability to start a sentence with “No problem” helped us tide over many tough situations. His calm and composed demeanour is simply worth emulating.

DISTRICT 98

We are awed by celebrities, poster leaders, and want to be like them. However, I encourage you to imbibe the characteristics that JP has and you will grow faster as well as into a better leader.

We all begin our leadership journeys somewhere, but we can learn to serve. It starts with sharing, creating an impact and in many cases knowing what 'Not to do'.

Remember in the end “Service Matters, titles don’t!”

Dr. Brillian S. K, DTM, PRA Bombay Toastmasters Club

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Call for District Leadership Nominations 2022-2023 It is the time of year when we begin preparations for building our Leadership Team for the year 2022-23.

This year is even more critical as our District will split into 3 Districts; namely, D98, D125 and D126.

Nominations are invited for the posts of District Director, Program Quality Director, Club Director and Division Directors of respective geographies.

Nominations will close on 9th January 2022.

IPDD Niteash Agarwaal, DTM, has been appointed as the DLC Chair.

For more details, please check for an email from District Communications dated 9th Dec or speak to your Area Director.

COMMUNICATE 98 | NOVEMBER 2021

11

PROSPECTIVE & NEW CLUBS

Orange City Toastmasters Club DIVISION N Nagpur Contact: Deepalika Kowar- 7420 904451 Sapna Acharya- 85848 32151 Kolshet Toastmasters Club DIVISION M Mumbai Contact: Ramanathan N.S. - 88794 98694 Rohan Parakh - 96198 18414

Ghatkopar Toastmasters Club DIVISION U

Mumbai

Contact: Sanjan Shetty- 97694 46292 Ketkee Kamdar- 98335 24556

Chalk & Duster Toastmasters Club Mumbai Contact: Kartik Srinivasan - 98929 78833 Raj Bharat - 81086 16240 DIVISION M

Pride Toastmasters Club DIVISION U Mumbai Contact: Avantika Narayan -98336 55216 Dimple Mehta- 98700 34109

Cocanada Toastmasters Club DIVISION F

Kakinada

Contact: Lasya- 91335 57887 Subhash- 98852 32661 Bilingual Hindi-English Toastmasters Club

Clowning Glory Toastmasters DIVISION S Mumbai Contact: Ramanand- 99206 51204 Sunita- 98201 85976 The Millennial's Toastmasters Club DIVISION S

DISTRICT 98

Mumbai

Contact: Muskaan- 81696 68570 Poornima- 73973 70200

DIVISION J

Jamnagar

Contact: Deepali Parikh -99989 86982 Jyoti Bhat- 78386 13506

Charismatic Speakers Toastmasters Club DIVISION A

Bhopal

Contact: Pinky Bahroos -9974117798

Know of a prospective club you'd like to be spotlighted?

Share with us at newsletter@district98.org

12

CROSS-CULTURE LEARNINGS

DISTRICT 98

With distance not being a constraint anymore, our members share their experiences attending meetings at International Clubs “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness” ― Mark Twain In Pandemic, I took advantage of online meetings and attended meetings in different clubs across India and other countries. The journey has helped me break those shackles of perceived notions.

It helped me to identify and work on improving my rate of speech and clarity of language. I got to learn different practices in club meetings, hear some great speeches and evaluations. Some clubs started their meeting with a prayer while others started with a national anthem. Some clubs had round robin evaluations, some had round robin introduction, some used Pecha Kucha technique in Table topics.

I had the fortune to attend clubs from 140 countries. From a club in Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, USA, Indonesia, Japan to a club in Guinee, Belarus, Latvia, State of Palestine, Montserrat, Burkina Faso, Mali, Myanmar and many more, it has been an amazing journey of more than 500 plus club with lots of learnings, bonding and friendship.

I have had the good fortune of attending Club meetings in Paris, Vancouver, Singapore and Muscat. I have been very warmly received and welcomed at each meeting. The meeting structure is almost the same everywhere. The clubs in Singapore were using technology more adeptly when I visited them. The clubs in Vancouver and Paris were in community set up and meetings were extremely well conducted; no member took up two roles. Agenda was shared with all via email before the meeting. It was a great moment for networking for me.

Mayuri Assudani,DTM Loyal Toastmasters Club

I learnt that it is just these barriers of borders that divide us, otherwise every person has dreams and desire to grow. Today I can proudly say that I have realized the true meaning of 𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐲!

I got an opportunity to attend cross-division and cross-district meetings. The first thing I observed was consistency and commitment to provide a supportive environment and helping each member to grow. The second aspect I liked was belongingness and I never felt that I was from another club which helped me to do my best in the role that I had taken. Listening to stories from great leaders through their speeches, educational sessions and panel discussions always gave me immense pleasure and a bundle of learnings to take away. At the end of the day, it made me feel motivated and inspired to do my best and lastly to improve myself.

Raghunadha Raju Sarikonda,DTM Golden Falcon Toastmasters

Sirisha Pammi Oracle Hyderabad Toastmasters Club

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COMMUNICATE 98 | NOVEMBER 2021

13

CROSS-CULTURE LEARNINGS

World is small if you decide to explore and it started with the first joint meeting of Pimpri Toastmaster club and Karachi Toastmaster club which also gave me an opportunity to attend Karachi Toastmasters Club in District 122. I took part in the Table topic session and stood out as best table topic speaker of that meeting. This opened the doors for me to attend various club meetings from different districts like Ajmer Toastmasters Club, Vicencza Toastmasters Club, Italy, London Toastmaster Club and also take various role like Grammarian, General Evaluator, time role and also Tally Counter for contest in District 41.

DISTRICT 98

Toastmasters has connected me to different people of different countries with diverse background through one common link. There may be difference in dialect, culture, and appearance of members but the mission and vision of all clubs is same. The desire to grow is same. I made some true friends through these meetings.

Hrishikesh Gokhale Pimpri Toastmasters Club

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DESIGN OF THE MONTH! Congratulations !!

Venkata B. Pradeep Xlrators Miyapur Toastmasters Club

COMMUNICATE 98 98 || NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 2021 COMMUNICATE 2021

08 13

CLUB MILESTONES

MILESTONES

DISTRICT 98

&ANNIVERSARIES

10th

Oracle Hyderabad Toastmasters Club

OHTM celebrated its 10th anniversary and milestone meeting #230 on 11th November 2021.

PHOTO CAPTION CONTEST

COMMUNICATE 98 | NOVEMBER 2021

14

MEMBER ACHIEVEMENTS

DISTRICT 98

DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER

Congratulations on your persistent and tenacious efforts to achieve the highest accomplishment in Toastmasters!

Sanjukta Kundu Kharadi Toastmasters Club

TRIPLE CROWN AWARDEES Congratulations on achieving three (or more) educational levels in the year.

Bahroos, Pinky Mohan Cheulwar, Sonia Manoj Deshpande, Pawan Dhiman, Sakshi Gade, Adarsh Prudhvi sai Garg, Sandeep Jain, Anjali Dharmendra Jain, Pragya Jawale, Swapnil Jivrajani Naina Kamble, Swapnil

Kochhar, Hargun Singh Deepinder Singh Mishra, Sangita Monteiro, Vijaya Naiksatam, Swarangi Prabhu Gaonkar, Venkatesh Rahatekar, Manish S Rajurkar, Nivedita Shah, Deep Madhukant Sinha,Himanshu Wani, Krutika Wariar, Sudha

COMMUNICATE 98 | NOVEMBER 2021

15

TOASTMASTERS TRIVIA Do you think you know Toastmasters without a doubt?

Take this quiz and let’s find out!

Presenting the Toastmasters Trivia: 11 Months ~ 11 rounds ~ 55 questions.

Answer 5 questions correctly every month and at the end of 11 rounds, stand a chance to win exciting prizes from District 98!

Mail them to newsletter@district98.org

DISTRICT 98

ANSWERS TO UNSCRAMBLE

1. Cynosure 2. Intrigue 3. Cozen 4. Criterion 5. Ephemeral Shaded Word : Mentoring

TRIVIA #5 1. What year did founder Ralph Smedley begin working full-time with Toastmasters?

2. What percentage of Toastmasters’ current members are women?

3. When did Toastmasters begin the Accredited Speaker Program?

4. Where was the first Toastmasters Club outside of North America founded?

5. Which Asian city hosted Toastmasters’ first international convention held outside North America?

TRIVIA LEADERBOARD 1. Mayuri Assudani 2. Bhumi Panjwani 3. Akshay Singh 4. Jyoti Bhat

Winner: Akshay Singh ANSWERS TO TRIVIA #4 1. First official Toastmasters Convention was held in - Anaheim, California (in 1930) 2. The DTM award was introduced in 1970 3. Name of book written by Ralph Smedlley which elucidates 25 ways to build a speech is Speech Engineering 4. In 1962, the Basic Training manual was translated into two languages – Spanish and French 5. In 2020, Toastmasters International announced a strategic alliance with – Rotary International

COMMUNICATE 98 | NOVEMBER 2021

16

CLUB SPOTLIGHT DIV A

Investis Digital India (7854559), Vadodara Tuesday,04:00 PM (2nd & 4th) President: Srikanth Swaminathan

DISTRICT 98

DIV B

DB Mumbai Toastmasters Club (5235362), Mumbai Saturday, 03:30 PM President: Laxmy Simon

Vatt Thi Gujarati Toastmasters Club (7842705), Vadodara Saturday,06:30 PM ((2nd & 4th) President: Shveta Brahmbhatt

DIV C

Infosys Pune Toastmasters Club (916446), Pune Wednesday, 05:00 PM President: Deeksha Khurana

DIV D

Aundh Toastmasters Club (7239392), Pune Sunday, 03:00 PM President: Adithya Narayan

DIV E

Elan Toastmasters Hyderabad (1272701), Hyderabad Saturday, 03:00 PM (1st & 3rd) President: Vijay Bansal

Vision Toastmasters (991226), Hyderabad Sunday, 10:00AM (Bi-Weekly) President: Sreeni

DIV F

ADP Hyderabad Toastmasters (1466666), Hyderabad Wednesday, 04:00PM President: Venkata Harish Kumar Roots Toastmasters (5030861), Hyderabad Thursday, 04:00PM President: Anikheth Goud

DIV H

CKM Toastmasters (7722776), Hyderabad Friday,04:00PM (Bi- Weekly) President: Hargundeep

Corporate Club

Wonders of Women Toastmasters Club (7780150), Pune Sunday,03:00PM President: Prasanti Kolla AllState Toastmasters Club (6006628), Pune Saturday,03:00PM President:

Microsoft Hyderabad Toastmasters (1390103), Hyderabad Friday, 04:30 PM (Alternate) President: Manohar

DIV G

Eminent Toastmasters Club (2854357), Mumbai Thursday, 11:00 AM President: Nazir Sumara

Vijayawada Toastmasters Club (7913211), Vijayawada Saturday, 06:30PM President: Sainadh Gupta S.R.K.R. Toastmasters Club (7327622), Bhimavaram Thursday, 06:00PM President: Gayatri

College Club

Community Club

Get in touch with the clubs at Toastmasters International - Find a Club COMMUNICATE 98 | NOVEMBER 2021

17

CLUB SPOTLIGHT DIV J

DIV N

DIV P

DIV U

Gandhinagar Toastmasters Club (7636059), Gandhinagar Sunday,10:30AM President: Akanksha Verma

SSIPMT Spellbinders (7185394), Raipur Friday,04:00 PM President: Sakshi Bhuwal

Toastmasters Club of Pune (1141787), Pune Saturday,05:00PM President: Prasad Sovani

Thane Toastmasters Club (2017422), Mumbai Sunday,11:00 AM President: Aneesh Ramachandra

Corporate Club

DISTRICT 98

DIV M

DIV O

DIV S

DIV W

UBS Mumbai Toastmasters Club (6881120), Navi Mumbai Friday, 11:30AM (1st & 3rd) President: Amit Bajaj

SGAS Toastmasters (6885728), Pune Thursday,05:00 PM President: Thomas Christopher

Mumbai Toastmasters (993448), Mumbai Sunday,10:45AM President: Divya Iyer

GOA YMCA Toastmasters Club (1214543), Mumbai Tuesday,07:00 PM President: Runa Menezes

College Club

Community Club

Get in touch with the clubs at Toastmasters International - Find a Club COMMUNICATE 98 | NOVEMBER 2021

18

MEET THE TEAM PR MANAGER

DISTRICT 98

CHIEF EDITOR

Smita Mishra, DTM

Nishant Mehta, DTM

CONTENT MANAGERS

Meenal Bale

Madhuri Vadari

Venkatraman B

DESIGNER

Tanisha Singh COMMUNICATE 98 | NOVEMBER 2021

Vinod Basalalli