To celebrate 101 years of existence, the first Toastmasters Corporate Summit, an event intended to invite the public to learn better communication and also learn to become better in leadership was held at Hotel Africana a few days ago. The event was organised to bring together different corporate organizations to discuss how leadership skills and leadership knowledge can help their managers and employees run more productive offices.

On the agenda was a panel discussion whereby leaders in different corporate organizations including Wangechi Gitahi, Head of Marketing at Nile Breweries, Moses Rutahigwa, Manager incharge of Retail Business at ABSA Bank and Edna Rugumayo, Board of Directors at Makerere University among others who shared some personal stories of how the knowledge they acquired in Toastmasters has helped them run their offices and lead their teams better.

According to Jesse Ainebyoona, a Corporate trainer and speaker working with Inspired Leaders International and a member of Toastmasters International said that most of the panelists were addressing issues like improving someone’s communication skills in order to impact and gain influence among the people that you are leading. The panelists were people who have been part of Toastmasters for some time, and they are still part of it after realising there is a lot of information and knowledge they needed which is helping them to run their jobs.

“We organised this event to share with other corporates the benefits of being part of Toastmasters and how Toastmasters can help them run more effective or productive offices at their workplace,” said Paul Kavuma, Division Director for Toastmasters International in Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. Kavuma added that with the success of the first summit, they hope to have many more engagements such as speech contests and open houses to continue having these engagements because they are one of the most cost effective ways of enhancing leadership, team building and creating bonds or cohesion within corporate teams in the workplace.

Benefits

Desire Ainebyona, a participant said, “I really did not know there is a bigger extent of public speaking until I attended this summit. And I did not know such a club had ever existed until today. I am so enthusiastic and I will definitely come back.”