Paths and Core Competencies
The Toastmasters Pathways learning experience was developed around the five core
competencies identified by the Board of Directors.
FIVE CORE
COMPETENCIES
It is important to note that each member
using Base Camp will have the opportunity to
select from many electives to extend their
learning. With the addition of electives,
members have the flexibility to cover all core
competencies within each path.
1
PUBLIC
SPEAKING
2
INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION
3
STRATEGIC
LEADERSHIP
4
MANAGEMENT
5
CONFIDENCE
Confidence is unique because it cannot be taught,
but is gained in every path.
11 PATHS
Dynamic Leadership
Build strategic leadership and
conflict resolution skills
E
ff
ective Coaching
Build interpersonal communication,
leadership and coaching skills
Innovative Planning
Build creative project management
and communication skills
Leadership Development
Build communication and leadership
skills
Motivational Strategies
Build motivational leadership and
communication skills
Persuasive Influence
Build skills to lead in complex
situations
Presentation Mastery
Build public speaking skills
Strategic Relationships
Build networking, leadership and
communication skills
Team Collaboration
Build collaborative leadership skills
Visionary Communication
Build innovative communication and
leadership skills
Engaging Humor
Build skills as humorous and
engaging speaker
2/2019
8/2017 Modified to add Engaging Humor path and
Know Your Sense of Humor to Level 3 on other paths.
The primary core competencies represented in each path are
listed in order of emphasis next to the path name.
PUBLIC
SPEAKING
1
INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION
2
STRATEGIC
LEADERSHIP
3
MANAGEMENT
4
CONFIDENCE
5
1
1 2 3 5
1 2 4 5
1 2 5 4
1 2 4 5
1 2 3 5
1
2
3
5
1 5
1
2
3
5
1 2 5 4
1
3
2
5
1 5
©2017 Toastmasters International. All rights reserved.
DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP
Paths, Levels and Electives
Five Levels
Mastering Fundamentals
• Ice Breaker
• Evaluation and Feedback
• Researching and Presenting
Demonstrating Expertise
• Lead in Any Situation
• Reflect on Your Path
Building Skills
• Manage Change
Increasing Knowledge
• Negotiate the Best Outcome
Learning Your Style
• Understanding Your Leadership Style
• Understanding Your Communication Style
• Introduction to Toastmasters Mentoring
This path helps 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 emphasize the development of strategies to
facilitate change in an organization or group, interpersonal communication and public speaking. This
path culminates in a project focused on applying your leadership skills.
*Not available in non-English printed materials.
©2017 Toastmasters International. All rights reserved.2/2017
©2017 Toastmasters International. All rights reserved.2/2017
Paths, Levels and Electives
Five Levels
Mastering Fundamentals
• Ice Breaker
• Evaluation and Feedback
• Researching and Presenting
Demonstrating Expertise
• High Performance
Leadership
• Reflect on Your Path
Building Skills
• Improvement Through
Positive Coaching
Increasing Knowledge
• Reaching Consensus
Learning Your Style
• Understanding Your Leadership Style
• Understanding Your Communication Style
• Introduction to Toastmasters Mentoring
EFFECTIVE COACHING
This path helps you build your skills as a positive communicator and leader. The projects on this path
focus on understanding and building consensus, contributing to the development of others by
coaching and establishing strong public speaking skills. Each project emphasizes the importance of
effective interpersonal communication. This path culminates in a “High Performance Leadership”
project of your design. *Not available in printed materials.
©2017 Toastmasters International. All rights reserved.2/2017
Paths, Levels and Electives
Five Levels
Mastering Fundamentals
• Ice Breaker
• Evaluation and Feedback
• Researching and Presenting
Demonstrating Expertise
• High Performance
Leadership
• Reflect on Your Path
Building Skills
• Manage Projects Successfully
Increasing Knowledge
• Present a Proposal
Learning Your Style
• Understanding Your Leadership Style
• Connect With Your Audience
• Introduction to Toastmasters Mentoring
INNOVATIVE PLANNING
This path helps you build your skills as a public speaker and leader. The projects on this path focus on
developing a strong connection with audience members when you present, speech writing and speech
delivery. The projects contribute to building an understanding of the steps to manage a project, as well
as creating innovative solutions. This path culminates in a “High Performance Leadership” project of
your design. *Not available in printed materials.
©2017 Toastmasters International. All rights reserved.2/2017
Paths, Levels and Electives
Five Levels
Mastering Fundamentals
• Ice Breaker
• Evaluation and Feedback
• Researching and Presenting
Demonstrating Expertise
• Manage Successful Events
• Reflect on Your Path
Building Skills
• Leading Your Team
Increasing Knowledge
• Planning and Implementing
Learning Your Style
• Managing Time
• Understanding Your Leadership Style
• Introduction to Toastmasters Mentoring
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
This path helps you build your skills as an effective communicator and leader. The projects on this path
focus on learning how to manage time, as well as how to develop and implement a plan. Public
speaking and leading a team are emphasized in all projects. This path culminates in the planning and
execution of an event that will allow you to apply everything you learned.
©2017 Toastmasters International. All rights reserved.2/2017
Paths, Levels and Electives
Five Levels
Mastering Fundamentals
• Ice Breaker
• Evaluation and Feedback
• Researching and Presenting
Demonstrating Expertise
• Team Building
• Reflect on Your Path
Building Skills
• Motivate Others
Increasing Knowledge
• Understanding Emotional
Intelligence
Learning Your Style
• Understanding Your Communication Style
• Active Listening
• Introduction to Toastmasters Mentoring
MOTIVATIONAL STRATEGIES
This path helps you build your skills as a powerful and effective communicator. The projects focus on
learning strategies for building connections with the people around you, understanding motivation
and successfully leading small groups to accomplish tasks. This path culminates in a comprehensive
team-building project that brings all of your skills together—including public speaking.
*Not available in printed materials.
©2017 Toastmasters International. All rights reserved.2/2017
Paths, Levels and Electives
Five Levels
Mastering Fundamentals
• Ice Breaker
• Evaluation and Feedback
• Researching and Presenting
Demonstrating Expertise
• High Performance
Leadership
• Reflect on Your Path
Building Skills
• Leading in Difficult
Situations
Increasing Knowledge
• Understanding Conflict
Resolution
Learning Your Style
• Understanding Your Leadership Style
• Active Listening
• Introduction to Toastmasters Mentoring
PERSUASIVE INFLUENCE
This path helps you build your skills as an innovative communicator and leader. The projects on this
path focus on how to negotiate a positive outcome together with building strong interpersonal
communication and public speaking skills. Each project emphasizes developing leadership skills to use
in complex situations, as well as creating innovative solutions to challenges. This path culminates in a
“High Performance Leadership” project of your design. *Not available in printed materials.
©2017 Toastmasters International. All rights reserved.2/2017
Paths, Levels and Electives
Five Levels
Mastering Fundamentals
• Ice Breaker
• Evaluation and Feedback
• Researching and Presenting
Demonstrating Expertise
• Prepare to Speak
Professionally
• Reflect on Your Path
Building Skills
• Managing a Difficult
Audience
Increasing Knowledge
• Persuasive Speaking
Learning Your Style
• Understanding Your Communication Style
• E
ffective Body Language
• Introduction to Toastmasters Mentoring
PRESENTATION MASTERY
This path helps you build your skills as an accomplished public speaker. The projects on this path focus
on learning how an audience responds to you and improving your connection with audience members.
The projects contribute to developing an understanding of effective public speaking technique,
including speech writing and speech delivery. This path culminates in an extended speech that will
allow you to apply what you learned.
©2017 Toastmasters International. All rights reserved.2/2017
Paths, Levels and Electives
Five Levels
Mastering Fundamentals
• Ice Breaker
• Evaluation and Feedback
• Researching and Presenting
Demonstrating Expertise
• Leading in Your Volunteer
Organization
• Reflect on Your Path
Building Skills
• Public Relations Strategies
Increasing Knowledge
• Make Connections Through
Networking
Learning Your Style
• Understanding Your Leadership Style
• Cross-Cultural Understanding
• Introduction to Toastmasters Mentoring
STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIPS
This path helps you build your skills as a leader in communication. The projects on this path focus on
understanding diversity, building personal and/or professional connections with a variety of people
and developing a public relations strategy. Communicating well interpersonally and as a public
speaker is emphasized in each project. The path culminates in a project to apply your skills as a leader
in a volunteer organization. *Not available in non-English printed materials.
©2017 Toastmasters International. All rights reserved.2/2017
Paths, Levels and Electives
Five Levels
Mastering Fundamentals
• Ice Breaker
• Evaluation and Feedback
• Researching and Presenting
Demonstrating Expertise
• Lead in Any Situation
• Reflect on Your Path
Building Skills
• Motivate Others
Increasing Knowledge
• Successful Collaboration
Learning Your Style
• Understanding Your Leadership Style
• Active Listening
• Introduction to Toastmasters Mentoring
TEAM COLLABORATION
This path helps you build your skills as a collaborative leader. The projects on this path focus on active
listening, motivating others and collaborating with a team. Each project contributes to building
interpersonal communication and public speaking skills. This path culminates in a project focused on
applying your leadership skills. *Not available in non-English printed materials.
©2017 Toastmasters International. All rights reserved.2/2017
Paths, Levels and Electives
Five Levels
Mastering Fundamentals
• Ice Breaker
• Evaluation and Feedback
• Researching and Presenting
Demonstrating Expertise
• Develop Your Vision
• Reflect on Your Path
Building Skills
• Communicate Change
Increasing Knowledge
• Develop a Communication
Plan
Learning Your Style
• Understanding Your Leadership Style
• Understanding Your Communication Style
• Introduction to Toastmasters Mentoring
VISIONARY COMMUNICATION
This path helps you build your skills as a strategic communicator and leader. The projects on this path
focus on developing your skills for sharing information with a group, planning communications and
creating innovative solutions. Speech writing and speech delivery are emphasized in each project. This
path culminates in the development and launch of a long-term personal or professional vision.
*Not available in printed materials.
©2017 Toastmasters International. All rights reserved.2/2017
Paths, Levels and Electives
Five Levels
Mastering Fundamentals
• Ice Breaker
• Evaluation and Feedback
• Researching and Presenting
Demonstrating Expertise
• Deliver Your Message
With Humor
• Reflect on Your Path
Building Skills
• The Power of Humor
in an Impromptu
Speech
Increasing Knowledge
• Engage Your Audience
With Humor
Learning Your Style
• Know Your Sense of Humor
• Connect with Your Audience
• Introduction to Toastmasters Mentoring
ENGAGING HUMOR
This 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 humor and how that sense of humor
translates to engaging audience members. The projects contribute to developing an understanding of
how to effectively use humor 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.
*Not available in printed materials.
• Make Connections Through
Networking
• Prepare for an Interview
• Understanding Vocal Variety
• Using Descriptive Language
• Using Presentation Software