DELEGATE TO

EMPOWER
The Leadership
Excellence Series

WHERE LEADERS
ARE MADE
 DELEGATE TO
EMPOWER

The Leadership
­Excellence Series

© 2016 Toastmasters International. All rights reserved. Toastmasters

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Toastmasters International t­ rademarks and copyrights are the sole property
of Toastmasters International and may be used only with permission.
WHERE LEADERS
ARE MADE
Rev. 8/2016     Item 315A www.toastmasters.org
 THE LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE SERIES
Toastmasters International’s The Leadership Excellence Series is a set of presentations addressing the
subject of leadership. Members will learn about the skills they will need to be successful leaders
inside and outside of Toastmasters.
Presentations in The Leadership Excellence Series may be offered by any club member and
require 10 to 15 minutes to present.

CONDUCTING THE PRESENTATION

“Delegate to Empower” discusses how to effectively assign tasks and responsibilities to team
members. This product consists of four parts:

Definition and explanation of the presentation

Guidelines for your introduction to the audience
Outline for the development of your speech
CD of a PowerPoint presentation to be viewed along with your speech

In Your Own Words

The outline is not a script and should not be read word-for-word. Instead, use the
document as a guide for presenting the material in your own words and with your
own narrative style. The outline is a structure on which to build your presentation.
Use the points of the outline to develop your speech, but be the author of your
own oration.

Here are some tips on using this outline to develop and deliver your presentation:

Study the outline carefully. Familiarize yourself with the general structure. Preparation is the
key to a successful presentation.
Use the outline to build your own speech using your own words. Prepare a set of notes
indicating where you wish to pause, gesture, or add special verbal emphasis. Highlight key
words or sentences to help you present the material most effectively.
Be expressive when delivering your speech. Use all of the presentation skills you have learned
as a Toastmaster including vocal variety and gestures.

USING VISUAL AIDS EFFECTIVELY

Visual aids add interest to any presentation and help your audience retain information. You are
encouraged to use them. If you plan to use the PowerPoint slides for this presentation as visual aids,
you will need a data projector, a laptop computer, a table to support them, and a screen for view-
ing. In the outline, there are indications for placement of the PowerPoint slides. Each is numbered.
For example, V1 refers to the first visual.
Please note that the first slide in the PowerPoint show is a title slide and is not included in this
numbering system.

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 If you cannot arrange for projection equipment but still would like to use visuals, you may copy
the material on the visuals onto a flipchart. Do this before the presentation. Use a heavy marking
pen that does not seep through the paper, and write on every third or fourth page so succeeding
visuals will not show through. Also, make your letters large and heavy with plenty of space
between them.
Follow these tips when using visual aids:

Set them up and test them before the meeting begins. Place them so they are easily visible
to listeners. Place your projector so it projects a large, high, undistorted image on the screen.
Focus the image.
Bring spare equipment, including a projector bulb, extension cord, extra marking pens, etc.
Display your visuals only when they are needed. If you are using a flipchart, flip the page back
out of view when you are finished with it.
Remember not to stand between the screen or flipchart and your audience or you will block
their view.
Maintain eye contact with your listeners. Do not talk to the screen or flipchart. If you must turn
your back to point out something, pause as you point it out, and then resume speaking only
after you are once again facing your audience.

EVALUATION AND THE ADVANCED LEADER BRONZE (ALB) AWARD

Because this is an outlined presentation, for presenting it you will not receive credit toward com-
pleting a manual speech project, but you may receive credit toward your Advanced Leader Bronze
(ALB) award. Ask your vice president education to assign an evaluator for your presentation.
Conducting any two presentations from The Successful Club Series and/or The Leadership
Excellence Series is one component of qualification for ALB recognition. For further details, please
view the Toastmasters International website: www.toastmasters.org/membereducation.

THE LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE SERIES • DELEGATE TO EMPOWER   3

 DELEGATE TO EMPOWER
Introducing the Presenter

TIPS FOR THE PRESENTER: WRITE YOUR INTRODUCTION

All prepared speeches in Toastmasters require an introduction. A proper introduction of you and
your speech is important to the success of your presentation. Use the following as a guide in writing
your introduction:

Include the purpose of The Leadership Excellence Series.

Explain why “Delegate to Empower” is important for a Toastmasters club, stating the purpose
and one or more objectives of your presentation.
Incorporate some background about yourself.
Read When You’re the Introducer (Item 1167E) for further details on giving a proper
introduction.
Give your finished introduction to the person who will be introducing you.

TIPS FOR THE INTRODUCER

Ask the presenter any clarifying questions.

Rehearse the introduction.

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DELEGATE TO EMPOWER
Outline

INTRODUCTION
Leaders cannot accomplish goals alone. Others may need to act on the leader’s behalf. A leader
relies on others to do some of the necessary work. There’s only a limited amount that you can do,
however hard you work, the number of people you can help is limited, your success is limited.

WHAT IS DELEGATION? V1
Delegation is the process of transferring the responsibility for a specific activity or task from one
person to another and empowering that individual to accomplish a specific goal.
Leaders achieve their goals not by working harder and longer, but by delegating their work to
others. When leaders delegate, they empower themselves and they empower their team members.
When the number of people you can help is limited, your success is limited. Everyone benefits.
Delegation is an important part of our Toastmasters Club. Our President delegates responsibilities to
our other officers. Meeting roles such as Toastmaster and evaluator are delegated to Club members.

BARRIERS TO DELEGATION V2
Sometimes leaders may feel uncomfortable about delegating, for several reasons:

Lack of confidence. Some leaders simply do not believe team members have the ability to do
the necessary tasks.
Control. Sometimes leaders are afraid of losing authority and control.
Selfishness. Some leaders don’t want to share credit.
Insecurity. Leaders fear that a team member may do so well that the team member may take
their job.
Reluctance. A few leaders are reluctant to ask others to take on additional responsibility. These
individuals end up doing all of the work themselves.

FIVE STEPS OF DELEGATION V3

The delegation process consists of five steps:

1. Prioritize. Review the overall workload and identify things that can be delegated.
2. M
 atch needs to availability and ability. Match the requirements of each responsibility
with who is available and what they can handle. Consider those who are:
■■ Knowledgeable. Make sure the team member has the knowledge needed to do the task.
■■ Motivated. The team member may be knowledgeable, but if he or she does not believe
in the leader’s goals or just isn’t interested, it is unlikely that person will make the effort
needed to accomplish the task at hand.
■■ Able. If the team member has other responsibilities not related to the leader’s goals, he
or she may not have the time to devote to the assigned task or may not be able to give it
the attention it needs.

THE LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE SERIES • DELEGATE TO EMPOWER   5

 V4 3. A
 ssign responsibility. Clearly explain the tasks for which the team member is responsible
and the expected results. Follow these steps:
■■ Fully describe the task and expected results. Give all the information necessary to get the
task started, or tell the team member where it can be obtained. State who else will be
involved and describe their roles, too.
■■ Identify training needs. If the team member needs special training or help to accomplish
the task, provide it.
■■ Identify resources. Make sure the team member knows the materials, information, and
budget available.
4.  Empower/grant authority. Give the team member the authority to gather resources and
make the necessary decisions to achieve the desired results. But also specify the amount
of authority being delegated. For example, if the team member must get your approval for
expenditures over $1000, be sure he or she knows this.
5. Establish accountability. Hold team members accountable for completing the tasks they
agreed to complete. Agree on performance standards and timetables for completion.
Prepare a report timetable. State the amount and frequency of progress reports desired.

FOLLOW UP
Follow up is vital in the delegation process. As part of accountability, leaders must ensure that team
members know the leader wants to hear about both successes and problems. Leaders must offer
feedback and help when necessary. Results will not meet expectations unless the leader pays close
attention and monitors progress.

RECOGNITION
Leaders should recognize team members for their achievements when they provide the results
the leader wants. Recognition encourages the member to do more. It also encourages other team
members to achieve, too.

V5 BENEFITS
Good delegation requires thought and careful planning. But it has a number of benefits. When
done properly, it can lead to:

a more involved and empowered workforce

increased productivity and quality
reduced costs
more innovation
greater commitment from team members

Team members are more likely to be committed to a goal when they are involved and allowed
to contribute to its success. Once people are actively involved in delegated projects and activities,
including problem solving, they develop a sense of ownership.
Delegation benefits the leader, too. By delegating tasks to team members, leaders can use their
time to accomplish more complicated, difficult, or important tasks or goals. This can lead to a more
creative and successful organization as a whole.

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CONCLUSION
Leaders are evaluated, not only on their individual performance, but also on how well their teams
perform. A leader who takes the time to develop delegation skills is more likely to have a
successful team.

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. V6
— General George Smith Patton, Jr., United States Army officer

THE LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE SERIES • DELEGATE TO EMPOWER   7

 Evaluation Guide

Evaluator’s Name _________________________________________________________________

Presentation Title ________________________________________ Date _____________________

How effective was the speaker’s introduction in helping the audience understand the ­purpose of
The ­Leadership Excellence Series and the presentation itself?

Was the presenter adequately prepared? How heavily did the presenter rely on notes?

How did the speaker use vocal variety to enhance this presentation?

What other techniques did the speaker use to personalize and augment the presentation?
Were they effective? How?

Did the speaker display the visuals smoothly and at the appropriate times? How could the
speaker improve?

What aspect of the speaker’s presentation style did you find unique? Why?

Did the speaker present the material clearly and simply so audience members could easily use
the ­information to improve their own leadership skills?

What could the speaker have done differently to make the presentation more effective?

What did you like about the presentation?

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