When ninety Toastmasters clubs convene for a day of Leadership training, a whole of great Communicating echoes throughout the arena.

Today, Plant Hall at the University of Tampa was our venue for a great conference.

My five panelists and our audience had to be thown out of our room to accomodate the next seminar because the questions, answers and discussions were fast paced, detailed and beneficial.

"Secret Ingredients for Success" was the Panel I put together and moderated, for officers of corporate clubs. 

Dan Marignoni from Progressus led the discussion by observing that employees who want to succeed and move up the ladder at work are the best members to start corporate clubs.  As a club mentor and a corporate recruiter, his opinion on moving clubs from conception to maturity is a professional comment on Toastmasters as leadership development.

Chip Lindsay from Wellcare next weighed in on the advancement of corporate goals through Toastmasters. As a corporate trainer for two decades, he convincingly argued that in lean times and bountiful ones companies advance employees who are their stars.  And Toastmasters is the place to make yourself shine by practicing the skills that our companies need from leaders.

Kimberly Cooper for Franklin Templeton followed up next with the team building benefits that clubs provide.  By utilizing the structured environment that is the Toastmasters meeting, walls that exist between departments and forward groups are more easily broken down. 

Matt Siewert from JPMorgan Chase discussed the involvement of executive level support that drives successful clubs Their buy in provides clout for moving clubs forward.  For example, the participation in Toastmasters as management development and a component in annual personnel review for career advancement. 

Vicki Wayne from Jabil discussed the growth of her club has come also from the rigorous pursuit of Toastmasters basics.  Old hands showing how to give speeches, offer excellent evaluations and the proper method of running meetings.  By putting foot in front of foot to master the basics, corporate clubs prosper because members gain valuable experience that reinforce how to succeed at our daily jobs.

As panel moderator, I am grateful for the thoughtful participation of the panelists and encourage the development of a Corporate Club Council, which was enthusiastically supported by numerous conference attendees.

I knew we had achieved our goal of disclosing the secrets of successful corporate clubs when three audience members said, "Lou, can you do this again but schedule two hours for the meeting?"

You're welcome.  And thank you for coming!