“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” Proust

Three years or so before I knew anything about speaking professionally for megabucks I read an article I considered one of the best-written articles of all time. It was about excellence and its underlying essence. Towards the end of that article, the writer remarked with an air of finality, ‘‘if you wish to write and speak as phenomenally as I do, join Toastmasters.’’

I thought Toastmasters were these guys that wear funny suits with long tails otherwise called comedians so I laughed his assertion off but, however, kept it in my heart. Incidentally, I didn’t know much about the writer’s background or antecedents then, but he turned out to be Nigeria’s internationally acclaimed motivational speaker of The Debaters and Radio Continental fame, Richmond Dayo Johnson (RD).

A year or so later, I attended a seminar organized by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) at Transcorp Hotel (then called Hilton), Abuja. Of the ten presenters, who were all managing directors and chief executive officers of some of Nigeria’s finest companies, one was head and shoulders above the rest. His presentation was electric; he presented with class and panache. He was audible, fluid, and fluent. He put the audience at the center of his presentation.  The whole presentation was enriched with multimedia, with video clips, and audio.

Trust me, I was curious! During the tea break, I caught up with him to learn his talisman. Do you know what he told me? Reading the name tag on my pinstriped suit jacket, he intoned, also with an air of finality, “Paul you know what, if you want to be able to present the way I presented, join Toastmasters.”

That’s when it sank in. At that time I didn’t know him but the mysterious presenter turned out to be the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Unified Payment System Limited (then ValueCard), Mallam Kyari Bukar. Kyari, who later became the CEO of Central Securities Clearing Services (CSCS) had been a Toastmaster for over ten years before we met while working with HP (Hewlett Packard) in the US.

I didn’t need additional evidence that Toastmasters was the place to be. I joined Toastmasters in 2007, and in 2010 I was deeply humbled when I was inducted the 4th President of the Eagle Toastmasters Club. With the change of baton in the Club, the work of bringing more Nigerians to enjoy the benefits of what Toastmasters offers began anew and Ralph Smedley’s dream lived on. Ralph Smedley founded Toastmasters International in 1924.

William Blake it was that said, “on one side there are things that are known, on the other side there are things that are unknown, in between them are always doors.” If you are out there and truly desire to be extraordinary, with the skills to speak with fluency, fluidity, and tons of confidence, I want to urge you to use the door of opportunity that Toastmasters offers to move your act to world class. The best time to have started was yesterday, the next best time is now.

The number one task of a leader is to keep hope alive. Toastmasters teaches leadership and communication skills in an atmosphere of laughter, fun, and camaraderie. No other club compares when it comes to personal development. There are over 350,000 Toastmasters clubs in more than 200 countries and territories all over the world. And the good news is that you can attend a Toastmasters meeting anywhere in the globe where you happen to be.

The century we are in rewards extraordinary people. As you head home today, should anyone accost you and ask, tell me one good reason why I should join Toastmasters, tell that person because there are no prizes for average performance! Learn more at www.toastmasters.org. Get The Celebrity Speaker – Speak Like the Orators of Old and take your speaking game to a new level, here.