This document explains what your Pathway options are and what each level of each Path requires to complete it.
Pathway Options
There are eleven Pathways to choose from. Toastmasters recommend that you pick Presentation Mastery if you are unsure of which Pathway to pick. There is a certain level of crossover between the various Pathways, so you will learn similar skills on a number of Pathways. They all cover leadership, communication, mentoring and presentations skills, so you will not miss out on this skills.
Presentation Mastery
This path helps you build your skills as an accomplished public speaker. You will work through projects that focus on learning how to gauge audience response and improve your connection with audience members. Each project contributes to developing an understanding of effective public speaking technique, including speech writing and speech delivery. This path culminates in an extended speech where you can apply what you’ve learned.
Effective Coaching
This path helps you build your skills as a positive communicator, leader and coach. You will work through projects that focus on understanding and building consensus, contributing to the development of others by coaching and establishing strong public speaking skills. Each project emphasises the importance of effective interpersonal communication. The Effective Coaching path culminates in a “High Performance Leadership” project of your design.
Engaging Humour
The Engaging Humour path is designed to help you build your skills as a humorous and engaging public speaker. The projects on this path focus on understanding your sense of humour and how that sense of humour translates to engaging audience members. The projects contribute to developing an understanding of how to effectively use humour in a speech, including challenging situations and impromptu speeches. This path culminates in an extended humorous speech that will allow you to apply what you learned.
Innovative Planning
This path helps you build your skills as a public speaker, leader and project manager. Your projects focus on creating innovative solutions and building public speaking skills. These skills include developing strong audience connections, speech writing and delivery. Each project contributes to building an understanding of the steps needed to manage a project. The Innovative Planning path culminates in a “High Performance Leadership” project of your design.
Leadership Development
This path helps you build your skills as an effective communicator and leader. You will work through projects that focus on learning how to develop and implement a plan as well as time management. Each project emphasises public speaking and team leadership skills. The Leadership Development path culminates in the planning and execution of an event that will allow you to apply everything you learned.
Motivational Strategies
This path helps you build your skills as a powerful and effective communicator. You will work through projects that focus on how to build connections with others, understand the principles of motivation and successfully lead small groups to accomplish tasks. The Motivational Strategies path culminates in a comprehensive team-building project that brings all of your skills together—including public speaking.
Persuasive Influence
This path helps you build your skills as a persuasive communicator and leader. You will work through projects that focus on how to negotiate a positive outcome while building strong interpersonal communication and public speaking skills. Each project emphasises the development of leadership skills for complex situations and how to create innovative solutions to solve challenges. The Persuasive Influence path culminates in a “High Performance Leadership” project of your design.
Strategic Relationships
This path helps you build your skills as a leader in communication. You will work through projects that focus on understanding diversity, building personal and/or professional connections with a variety of people and how to develop a public relations strategy. Each project emphasises interpersonal communications and public speaking. The Strategic Relationships path culminates in a project where you will apply your skills as a leader in a volunteer organisation.
Team Collaboration
This path helps you build your skills as a collaborative leader. You will work through projects that focus on active listening, motivating others and collaborating with a team. Each project contributes to building interpersonal communication and public speaking skills. The Team Collaboration path culminates in a project focused on applying your leadership skills.
Visual Communication
This path helps you build your skills as a strategic communicator and leader. You will work through projects that focus on developing your skills for sharing information with a group, planning communications and creating innovative solutions. Each project emphasises speech writing and delivery. The Visionary Communication path culminates in the development and launch of a long-term personal or professional goal.
Dynamic Leadership
This path is designed to help you build your skills as a strategic leader. The projects on this path focus on understanding leadership and communication styles, the effect of conflict on a group, and the skills needed to defuse and direct conflict. These projects also emphasise the development of strategies to facilitate change in an organisation or group, interpersonal communication, and public speaking. This path culminates in a project focused on applying your leadership skills.
Pathways Levels
Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 |
3 Speeches | 3 Speeches | 3 Speeches | 2 Speeches | 3 Speeches |
All speeches are the same on all paths. Each level requires you to complete a questionnaire before and after you present your speech. | All Paths include an ‘Introduction to Mentoring’ Speech. Each level requires you to complete a questionnaire before and after you present your speech. | 1 mandatory speech. 2 elective speeches out of a selection of 14. You need to fill each of the roles of Toastmaster, Table Topics Master, Timer, Ah Counter, General Evaluator Grammarian, and Speech Evaluator. Each level requires you to complete a questionnaire before and after you present your speech. | 1 mandatory speech. 1 elective speech out of a selection of 5. Each level requires you to complete a questionnaire before and after you present your speech. | 2 mandatory speeches. All Paths have a ‘Reflect on your Path’ speech. 1 elective speech out of a selection of 6. Each level requires you to complete a questionnaire before and after you present your speech. |