High Performance Leadership (HPL): An Overview

The High Performance Leadership (HPL) project is a unique aspect within Toastmasters. It is one of the requirements for obtaining the ALS (Advanced Leadership Silver) award level.

Basically, the HPL is the member being the leader of a group of people whom the leader has no formal authority over. This could be a volunteer group of people within a school, church, community or company. The group has formed in order to perform some specific mission or task. That could be such things as raising money for a purchase by the parent organization (eg. school, church or civic organization) or accomplish a specific task or put on an event.

The highlights of the details for the HPL program:

Get Started

• Purchase the High Performance Leadership item (catalog number 262)
• Review the material in section 1
• Have some idea of what your specific project will be about
• Select your Guidance Committee (any number of persons, Toastmasters and non-Toastmasters), get them to accept
• Send a booklet (three come with catalog number 262) to your Committee
• Meet with your Committee to review with them section 1 and the project

• Make a commitment to your specific project
• Write your mission statement and list the core values of your project
• Meet with your committee to review with them section 2
• Present your specific project as a 5 - 7 minute speech to your club (see CC project #9 as a guideline)

• Identify the persons whom you will provide leadership for during your project
• Create an action plan to achieve your mission
• Determine roles, goals and timetables for your project
• Meet with your committee to review with them section 3
• Enroll into your project the persons who you will lead

• Do the action items and help the persons your are leading to perform theirs
• Deal with any issues and setbacks that occur
• Complete your goals and your mission
• Meet with your committee to review with them section 4

• Analyze the final results of your project
• Meet with your committee to review with them section 5
• Present your project results as a 5 - 7 minute speech to your club
• Apply for the High Performance Leadership award

Once the HPL project is completed and all of the necessary paperwork is completed, the appropriate paperwork is sent (ground mail or fax) to Toastmasters International. No electronic filing is yet available for this award.

The HPL is not considered an award such as CL (Competent Leader) or ALB (Advanced Leader Bronze). It is a project completed towards the ALS. When credit is given for it by Toastmasters International, it appears on the list of "Educational Achievements" (see here) as "LDREXC".

To give you an idea of what to select as a project for your HPL, here are what some District 22 members have done for their HPL:

• Gene Becker - Complete orchestration of the annual Division A Rally and Picnic
• Darrell Bishop - Brought advanced club Semi-Pro back from the dead
• David Boyce - Conducted a SpeechCraft at his work place
• Joann Fisher - Charter a club at her work place
• Lois Harger - Term as Division Governor
• Jack Mackey - Membership goals as District 22 Lt. Gov Marketing
• JoAnn Mayo - Started a new Lions Club
• Annette Rude - Created the 'Explore Your Excellence' program for advanced club Masters
• Linda Shinogle - Wichita workshop on Parliamentary Procedure
• RW Thompson - Term as Lt. Governor of Marketing
• Pam Turner - Chartered a small group at church
• Connie Williams - Started on-going fund raiser for church activities (eg. funeral meals, etc.)
• Al Voorees - His year serving as District Governor
• Larry Wilson - Registration committee chair for the spring 2005 district conference
• Rob Zachritz - Planned the wedding of his oldest daughter