Leading Saints Podcast show

Leading Saints Podcast

Summary: Leading Saints is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help Latter-day Saint (LDS, Mormon) be better prepared to lead. Here are 4 ways Leading Saints accomplishes the above mission statement: 1. Connect Latter-day Saint Leaders 2. Enhance Leadership Ability 3. Present Leadership Scholarship & Research 4. Celebrate Divine Guidance Podcast Host: Kurt Francom is the founder and executive director of Leading Saints, a nonprofit organization helping Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. He manages the day-to-day efforts of Leading Saints and is the host of the podcast by the same name. Leading Saints has reached individuals internationally and has received over 2 million downloads. Kurt currently lives in Holladay, Utah with his lovely wife Alanna. They are blessed to have three children. He enjoys drawing caricatures, playing basketball, reading, and watching college football. Kurt has served as a full-time missionary (California Sacramento), as a bishop, 1st counselor in a stake presidency, and elders quorum president.

Podcasts:

 Replacing Worry with Pondering | An Interview with Dan Duckworth | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:12:53

Dan Duckworth is the author of The Power Equation: How to Get People to Do What They Won't Naturally Do. Dan is a member of the Leading Saints Board of Directors and speaks, teaches, blogs, and podcasts (coming soon) on positive deviance in leadership, organizations, and change. He lives in Saratoga Springs, Utah with his wife, Jolene, and their six kids. Highlights 5:39: Dan discusses the life cycle of a crisis and creating a “new normal” for Home Church 11:51: Statistics of geographic areas and types of leaders that responded to survey 15:20: Bishops in a transactional mindset 18:13: All about hypothetical worries 21:14: Feeling like you need to be doing something 23:32: The Youth Program and God’s plans for 2020 27:33: Taking a break from worrying to ponder 30:40: Comparing yourself and your ward to others’ 35:18: D&C 1, Hyrum Smith, and disciplined reflection 42:28: Creating connections in ministering and knowing what God wants us to do as leaders 51:02: Knowing the why behind actions you take and transactional mindset vs transformation mindset 55:45: Reintegrating into regular church life 58:32: The number one leadership tool Links Subscribe to the Newsletter The Power Equation Come Follow Me FHE

 It’s Not Your Job to Fix Pornography Addiction | An Interview with Todd Olson and Steve Shields | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:04:13

Todd Olson, LCSW, CSAT, is a counselor and co-founder of LifeStar, who has been treating unwanted sexual behavior for over 30 years. Steven Shields, CHMC (2020), runs the website and podcast Unashamed Unafraid, with the goal of bringing hope and community to those in recovery through sharing authentic and vulnerable addiction recovery stories. The LifeStar Salt Lake Clinic is partnering with Leading Saints to host live events to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead those who struggle with pornography and sexual addiction. This will be an ongoing opportunity, available a few times a month, that you can attend in person or view online. Professional counselors will help guide individuals through the complexities of pornography and sexual addiction so that we are all better prepared to lead those in our lives who need the support. Go to LeadingSaints.org/subscribe and register to receive information about the Leading Saints live discussions with LifeStar. Highlights 07:00 Todd’s journey treating sexual addictions and how it has changed over 30 years 11:50 Steve’s journey and how he got involved with LifeStar 14:50 LifeStar’s programs 16:20 The purpose LifeStar and Leading Saints have in creating this educational discussion series for lay church leaders 19:30 What’s going on behind the scenes when someone comes to their church leader with a sexual addiction problem: minimal discussion and disclosure leads to temporary relief but a continuing problem 24:30 The disclosure process takes time and professional help 27:45 The bishop’s role is a part of the recovery, not the healer, and education about their role is needed 30:30 Helping young men who are preparing to serve missions 33:30 The bishop doesn’t need to do the hard part but can be the hope and spiritual resource 35:30 Creating a dialogue with therapists and recovering addicts so that leaders can know what they should do and how they should approach the problem 38:55 Handling betrayal trauma with the spouse 41:00 ARP is a 12-step support group, not an an addiction recovery program 44:40 Discussions will be recorded and streamed online, and topics will be repeated to keep the learning going 47:30 We are all volunteers and not expected to know everything, and this will be the Cliff Notes to becoming a resource for those without hope 49:00 Working with counselors 50:30 Men will resist going to support groups and counselors 51:40 Dealing with trauma in the bishop’s office Links LifeStar Unashamed Unafraid Go to LeadingSaints.org/subscribe and register to receive information about the Leading Saints live discussions with LifeStar “The Atonement Works for Me”: One Couple’s Recovery from Sexual Addiction 6 Things I Wish Bishops Knew About Addiction Steve Shields was also interviewed as part of the Liberating Saints Virtual Summit,

 How I Lead Outside of the US | Interviews with Rich Bangerter and David & Claudia Beal | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:19:29

Rich Bangerter Rich Bangerter is a branch president in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He grew up in Bountiful, Utah, and served a mission to Romania, where he fell in love with international living. He works for the US foreign service and lived primarily in the Middle East before transferring to Malaysia. This interview was recorded in 2019, shortly after Rich was called as branch president. Highlights 06:30 Religious life in Malaysia compared to the Middle East * 09:15 Proselyting in Kuala Lumpur powered by the young single adults * Served as Young Men president and as a counselor in the branch presidency * Reports to a mission president and district president in the Singapore Mission 15:10 Priesthood keys of a branch president and differences for counselors 16:30 Studied the handbook as soon as he was called; importance of distinguishing between policy and culture in church leadership 19:30 How financial assistance is handled in Malaysia, and the struggles of working with refugee populations 25:10 The definition of leadership is identifying the needs of others and fulfilling them * Requires staying close to the Spirit * Talk by Elder Ballard, Counseling on Councils: Monthly interviews with their sons has had a dramatic impact on their relationships 35:00 “Living in the Doctrine & Covenants”: two experiences serving in the restored gospel from a perspective of the newly-restored religion David and Claudia Beal David and Claudia Beal are currently living in Texas, but David is the branch president of the Xi’an English Branch in China, and Claudia is a district Relief Society president over five branches in China. They are in their second year as part of Brigham Young University’s China Teachers program, but came back to the US for a holiday and have not been able to return because of Covid-19. Highlights 41:40 Introduction 44:00 About the branch and how they meet and communicate due to restrictions on religious practice and proselytizing in China 46:30 Call as district Relief Society president; districts in China 49:10 “The miracle of ministering” would be the theme of service as district RS president, checking-in with the branch Relief Society presidents and supporting them 51:00 Coronavirus interruption and drastic change, serving from the United States as branch president for members who have now spread out across the world 56:00 Receiving the call as branch president 58:45 A typical Sunday experience at “The Villa” * The building * Very small Primary and no youth program, but they do have young single adults 1:04:10 Have a loving heart: followed advice to let China change them instead of trying to change China 1:06:20 Notice the daily miracles, write about them, and pray for more: whatever challenges they face, there is always a miracle 1:09:25 Recording experiences in stream-of-consciousness morning pages and also tracks where God blesses him, from a talk by President Eyring 1:10:25 Acknowledge the Gathering and do what you can: reaching out in love to others 1:13:00 The privilege of teaching where you can express love even when you are not able to discuss the gospel 1:14:00 The opportunity to serve the expatriate members in China is a privilege 1:15:40 Life in China is not always easy, but the experience is made wonderful by keeping Jesus Christ as an anchor Links Family Councils, by M. Russell Ballard O Remembe...

 Creating Belonging & Connection in a Quarantined Ward | An Interview with Garrett Kroon | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 59:07

Garrett Kroon holds a Psychology degree from Boise State and a Master’s degree in Counseling from Northwest Nazarene University, where he studied marriage, family, and couple therapy, and also trauma, grief, and crisis. He is a certified clinical anxiety treatment professional and a licensed professional counselor operating a practice in Meridian, Idaho. Highlights 6:00 Survey of Leading Saints followers: most people concerned about connection, relationships, and belonging 7:35 How this is manifesting in his practice: anxiety has changed to depression, and is linked to feeling alone and disconnected 11:00 People are trying hard to do their best and figure out what to do as a leader 13:00 Understanding connection 13:30 The power of a sense of belonging and how it is different from social support: his experience reflecting on returning to school after losing his mother as a youth 18:40 Research found that a strong sense of belonging was a mitigating factor for depression, and social support does almost nothing 17:30 We are defaulting to social support over creating belonging because our meetings—which we normally use to do that—have been taken away 24:45 Single and older people have especially lost their sense of belonging; his experience connecting through letters 27:15 Phone calls with not purpose other than checking-in with people: making opportunities for creating a sense of belonging can require some creativity; don't reject invitations when people reach out 31:20 Recognizing why connecting with individuals is so crucial and that even small interactions are powerful 33:20 Community-building is difficult but there are still people out there who are dying for a sense of belonging 38:15 Invitation to ask: How can I show up for you? 40:00 We may be able to do more good now than before because the lack of sense of belonging is so powerful 40:30 Trauma expert Dr. Russell Van Der Kolk identified seven pre-traumatic conditions people are experiencing as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic: lack of predictability, immobility, loss of connection, numbing-out/spacing-out, loss of sense of time/sequencing, loss of safety, loss of sense of purpose 44:20 There will be people asking, "Why would I even go back?" and we can do a lot for them by doing a little 46:10 Belonging is a key to surviving this pandemic; be more aware of grace; we need to be mindful for ourselves and others that this is affecting all of us, even those who do not otherwise experience depression 53:00 No need to create unnecessary burnout or fix others, there is no cookie-cutter pattern for everyone; meaning and connection can be created in simple ways Links Garrett Kroon Counseling Summary of pre-traumatic conditions identified by Dr. Russell Van Der Kolk Mental Health an Emerging Crisis of COVID Pandemic

 Leadership in the Home | An Interview with Andrea Davis | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:04:02

Andrea Davis and her husband Tyler run a website, BetterScreenTime.com, born from a need to find a better way to lead their five children around the topic of using technology. She has a B.A. in secondary education, and her experience ranges from teaching preschool swimming lessons to college-level Spanish. She has served in the Church as a Young Women president. Andrea now works from home as an admin for a motherhood website, a health coach, and a podcast copywriter. In this interview, she and Kurt discuss how to approach parenting as leading in the home. Highlights 4:10 What it means to be a parent and what it means to be a leader: establishing a culture 6:30 Leading instead of parenting 8:40 1. A good leader works in a partnership with God, seeking and looking for personal revelation * Hearing Him in the scriptures * Finding your own quiet time * Filling your home with what is important to you: part of creating a culture * 19:30 Partnership with your spouse (and their strengths) in your vision and goals 22:15 2. Modeling the culture you want to have 30:00 3. Good leaders gather the people they love: family councils and personal interviews * "Rumbling" with your family members: have difficult conversations, listen, and take that into account when making decisions 37:30 4. A good leader serves but also sets boundaries * The balance of supporting and fostering independence 44:02 5. A good leader crafts a vision by listening to the Spirit * What is important to you? * Roadblocks happen and strategies may need to change: modeling resilience * Why are we here? What defines us as a family? * Look to family history/ancestors for vision and what has been important in your family culture Links Better Screen Time Instagram: @betterscreentime Facebook: Better Screen Time The Gifts of Imperfect Parenting, by Brene Brown Your Best Year Ever, by Michael Hyatt Dare to Lead, by Brene Brown Start with Why, by Simon Sinek The Vision Driven Leader, by Michael Hyatt

 Is Your Mindset Limiting Your Leadership? | An Interview with Ryan Gottfredson | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:17:13

Consultant, author, mental health coach, trainer, and researcher Ryan Gottfredson is the author of Success Mindsets: Your Keys to Unlocking Greater Success in Your Life, Work and Leadership. He holds a PhD from Indiana University and is a BYU alum. Presently he is a leadership and management professor in the College of Business and Economics at California State University, Fullerton. He has prior professional experience with Gallup. Dr. Gottfredson has published numerous professional articles and his research is frequently cited by others. He has often contributed his expertise to Leading Saints. A short and free mindset survey is available to readers/listeners at RyanGottfredson.com. Highlights 06:00: Value of mindset in assuming leadership responsibilities; NFL example of good intentions gone awry. Leader impact on “subordinate” self-esteem. 11:15: Becoming awakened to our personal mindsets, e.g. homeless individuals. 15:00: Do we perceive our leaders as doing their best? Bias towards our personal perceptions vs openness to other possibilities. Unintentional damage to team/group/congregation members. 18:39: Mindset in conducting successful meetings. Chrysler/Lee Iacocca case study. Desire to look good, be right, avoid problems and get ahead are self-focused, negative self-protection modes. We should want to learn and grow, find truth, reach goals, and lift others. 24:05: We limit ourselves by believing our opinions count more than others. 26:00: Decision making becomes stunted if we are closed. Do we desire to be the person with all the answers who minimizes the perspectives of others? Do people feel psychological safety in the group? 31:20: Do we allow formal handbooks to stifle our creativity. 32:50: Prevention mindset vs risk taking. Fleeing to safe comfort zone may not lead to original destination. 36:40: Sacrament meeting mindset. 40:30: Comfort-focused vs intention focused. Are the people in the group growing? Do we deem our bucket so full we cannot pour anything else into it by way of considering avenues for growth? 44:00: How do we know if people in the organization are engaged and growing? What drives engagement? Do stakeholders feel their opinions matter? Gallup study reveals 30% of workforce feels truly engaged. 50:15: Only 5% of mindset survey respondents find themselves in the top quartile. There is no correlation among the four mindsets. Failure avoidance leads to wanting to look good as opposed to learning/growing. 50% of population has fixed mindset. Spiritually, are sanctification and tapping into the Spirit more difficult with a closed mindset about self? Having faith to “lean into” difficult situations. 1:00:37: Consider crucial conversations with leaders whose closed mindset is negatively impacting the organization. “I Hear You” by Michael Sorensen will improve your emotional intelligence. 1:03:53: Are we closed-minded in thinking our leader has a closed mindset? Being proactive. 1:05:05: Once we know our mindset tendencies, how will we take charge of our future? Neuro connection link. Shift towards more positive mindset is easier than many realize. “The Power of Stillness.” Focusing on behaviors without modifying our mindset leads to frustrations. Learning from mistakes. 1:13:55: Becoming a better disciple of Christ by learning, growing, finding truth, and lifting others. Live in opportunity mindset, not fear. The Atonement is liberating. Links RyanGottfredson.com Success Mindsets: Your Keys to Unlocking Greater Success in Life , Work, and Leadership

 Bearded Bishops, Rated-R Movies, & the Honor Code | An Interview with John Hilton III | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:07:20

John Hilton III was born in San Francisco and grew up in Seattle. He served a mission in Denver, and got a Bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University. While there he met his wife Lani and they have six children. They have lived in Boise, Boston, Miami, Mexico, Jerusalem and China. Currently, they live in Utah. John has a Masters degree from Harvard and a Ph.D from BYU, both in Education. John is a Professor of Religious Education at BYU. John has published several books with Deseret Book, most recently, The Founder of our Peace, and enjoys speaking at Education Week, and other places. His education research has influenced policy both in the United States and internationally. John loves being with his family, doing humanitarian work, learning Chinese, and performing magic. ©BYU PHOTO 2011 All Rights Reserved Highlights 7:04: John quotes President Uchtdorf in which the former addresses the many “shoulds” and “should nots” that become a challenge in our lives. We can lose peace in our lives when we focus on admittedly good ideas, but aren’t grounded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 8:50: What are “Fence Laws”? Imagine an unfillable hole in your backyard, which poses a threat to children who may fall in. You therefore put a fence around this hole, which represents sin. The fence represents the protective effort against anybody falling into the sin. 9:45: We are already protected from sins by commandments, which John refers to as “core laws”. Yet some still feel the need to add additional “fence laws”. E.g.: * Core Law: The law of chastity, i.e., no sexual relations outside of marriage. * Fence Law: No kissing until the fourth date, and kiss will last no longer than five seconds. * Fence Law: No going into the bedroom of a member of the opposite sex. 10:47: Some fence laws have prophetic sources, like those found in the For the Strength of Youth, etc. There is a goodness to fence laws as guided by the spirit or other divine sources, like prophets. 13:57: Examples of positive fence laws. 15:22: Dangers of focusing on the fence laws while forgetting the commandments: “I didn’t go into the bedroom of a member of the opposite sex, but I still broke the law of chastity.” Children need fences, but the choices should shift away from extrinsic fences to self-imposed fences. 16:50: Too many good fences can become a burden. 22:58: “Take my yoke upon you” meaning. 25:49: Ward traditions that become fences. 28:56: Allowing the spirit to fill in the details around prophetic direction. 30:14: Anecdotes where a personal fences law caused harm: * Unrighteous judgment * Offending others * Teaching others incorrectly 43:20: Fences should help us feel the Holy Ghost 45:50: Leading Saints’ contribution to fence laws: learning by seeking to understand the purpose behind a fence. 48:14: How to step back from the rush to judgment. 51:48: When to correct and when to ignore as leaders. 53:10: Did we become members of Christ’s church in order to argue with others what true discipleship looks like? Paul, when using dietary habits as an example of arguing over something inconsequential, said “For meat, destroy not the work of God.” Romans 14:20. 55:14: “The work of God” and your role,

 Helping Women to See Themselves as Leaders | An Interview with Dr. Susan R. Madsen | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:22:33

Dr. Susan R. Madsen is the Orin R. Woodbury Professor of Leadership & Ethics in the Woodbury School of Business at Utah Valley University. A global scholar and speaker, she is also the Founding Director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project and the Utah Women and Education Initiative, and has led efforts in Utah to get more women to graduate from college and to help more girls and women find their voices and become leaders. Dr. Madsen received a bachelor’s degree from BYU, masters from Portland State, and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota. She and her husband Greg live in Highland, Utah, and are the parents of four adult children. Highlights 5:40 Women feeling a calling or purpose in both religious and secular settings gives them more confidence 8:40 Either/or socialization for women has become powerful in Church culture over the past 60 years 11:30 Research into sister missionaries started with the purpose of learning what influences women's goals and aspirations to become leaders in their homes and communities 13:50 What leadership skills have women developed through mission service? How do they use them now? What other opportunities do they wish they would have had? 17:50 Men are more likely than women to see themselves as leaders 19:00 Competencies and leadership skills women gain from serving a mission: public speaking, conflict management, courage, interpersonal skills, problem solving, planning organization and accountability, confidence, spiritual growth, empathy, giving and receiving feedback, grit and resilience, mentoring, teaching, critical thinking, listening, personal growth and awareness, accepting others, time management, training others, teamwork, foreign language skills, intercultural competencies, goal-setting, managing people, work ethic, serving others, taking direction, independence, patience, decision-making and judgment, standing their ground, leading by example, self-discipline, adaptability, lifelong learning 27:10 Connecting these skills to leadership for women: "We have to be leaders" * Serving a mission helps women see themselves as leaders 33:45 How can we encourage women to act with confidence in leadership roles when men are present? Increasing internal confidence and changing societal systems * Look deeply at opportunities that are available and asking, can women do this? * Creating male allies: men who are aware and desire to be more inclusive 37:00 Women are socialized to keep quiet in a group with men 38:50 Leaders who understanding the differences between men and women create more powerful action and teams 42:50 A Mission President's wife is a leader: to develop leadership identity, women need to see other women leading 45:15 Yearning for sisters to be included in leadership and missionary training 48:15 Talking more about Mother in Heaven and recognizing a connection to her 52:30 What are returned sister missionaries currently doing to use their knowledge and skills? All of those skills apply to leadership in the family and Church roles, and they have also translated them into leadership in their careers * 55:50 Women with leadership skills are not using them in the community as Church leaders have asked, serving in non-leadership roles instead 59:05 Receiving personal revelation about what God wants women to do in the world * Sheri Dew quote: "If we could unleash the full influence of covenant-keeping women, the kingdom of God would change overnight." * President Russell M. Nelson: "The women of this dispensation are distinct from the women of any other because this dispensation is distinct from any other." * 1:02:00 Women judge each other harshly in the Church, but we need to recognize the power in our distinct dif...

 How I Lead as Young Men President | An Interview with Chris Bauco | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 38:40

Chris Bauco was serving as a Young Men president when the program was changed during the 2019 General Conference. This interview was recorded the week before and includes many principles that can guide advisors in the Young Men program, no matter their title. Chris lives in Kaysville, Utah, and works for Zions Bank. He is originally from Bridgeport, Connecticut, and came to Utah for college. He joined the Church eight years later, influenced by the examples of friends who were returned missionaries. Highlights 6:30 Serving as a Young Men president when this podcast was recorded—something he had no previous experience in 8:00 Presidency meeting and private moments are where the Spirit has come to give them guidance about leading the young men 8:50 Passionate about preparing young men for missions 11:15 Experience learning that only 50% of the young men in his strong LDS area were going on missions 12:50 Four barriers to mission preparation: fear, lack of testimony, worthiness, physical preparation 14:00 Addressing fear and testimony: 5/5/5 program for the young men, 100 days starting January 1 each year; priest quorum members mentor by sharing their experiences 18:25 Creating companionships on a group retreat, then sending the young men out to member houses to teach 20:30 Addressing worthiness: Powerful activity using “commitment stones” and “sin stones” 23:20 Approaching repentance as an opportunity to get closer to the Savior and infusing spiritual strength into the culture with the young men 28:50 Addressing physical preparation: creating challenging high adventure activities so they can have increased physical abilities as well as experience handling a difficult challenge 32:15 Priest Quorum leadership preparation setting up service projects where the young men do all the work 34:50 Visiting each young man on his birthday and giving birthday socks Links Resilience—Spiritual Armor for Today’s Youth, by Elder Lynn G. Robbins

 Lead & Teach Youth Through Strong Examples | An Interview with John Bytheway | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 51:06

John Bytheway has a master's degree in Religious Education and is the author of more than two dozen books and CDs. He has taught the Book of Mormon at Brigham Young University and now at the BYU Salt Lake Center since 1996. John served as bishop of the Salt Lake Winder 10th Ward, and currently serves on the high council in his stake. Highlights 4:00 John’s background as a teacher and speaker 5:45 Writing books and how that happens for him 8:00 How his calling as a bishop came about 9:20 Serving as a bishop is different for every person and area; he had people asking for welfare support before he ever sat in the bishop’s chair 10:40 For bishops with significant welfare challenges in their ward * First ask what they need and listen * Make a three-column chart of what the ward can do, what the Lord can do, and what the individual can do to help them—handing back the problem to the individual so you can work on it together instead of taking it from them * Helps eliminate the transactional mentality and replace it with mentoring * Help them get their spiritual act together first 16:20 Emphasis to push more things (such as welfare needs) to the ward council; called a “welfare coordinator” couple to help handle welfare requests before bringing it to the bishop 18:10 Moving people closer to financial self-sufficiency and self-reliance * Learning experiences as a missionary in the Philippines and seeing similar development in the welfare program 21:15 Ended meetings with his counselors at a specific time, no matter what 22:30 “It takes a really good meeting to be better than no meeting at all”: Virtual ward council held via text messages throughout the week to eliminate much of the administrative points so they could really focus on individuals in the ward council meeting 24:20 Losing the joy in the calling, and how talking with others who have struggled helped * Experience speaking with Robert L. Millet and having “same boat therapy” * Recognizing that there are difficulties in the calling but moments that made it worth it * Fisher missions vs hunter missions: some fantastic stories from great moments, but difficult days, weeks, and months between 31:30 Calling ward members each evening on their birthday was a simple, routine thing that became important for connecting 34:30 Working with youth: firesides are different than teaching a class * Taught Sunday School with his wife after serving as bishop, and went back to the simple idea that you have to care for them first * Put people in place with the youth who are great examples; youth learn by example, not principles 37:10 Kids will listen differently to a speaker at a fireside because they don’t think that the speaker was influenced by what their parents or leaders are saying (“An expert is anybody from out of town”) 39:30 Stephen Covey: the order of the events in the restoration is a formula for solving life’s problems. Start with identity and relationships. “If we want to help our children or other people change their behavior, we begin by improving the quality of our relationships with them, and we introduce new ideas before we introduce new expectations and controls. In other words, we help them see the world differently. When a person’s paradigm changes, everything else changes with it.” 44:25 His book about Moroni: Moroni didn’t get to how to run the Church until Moroni chapter 6 46:00 Working with Meg Johnson and Hank Smith Links John Bytheway at Deseret Book John Bytheway, Meg Johnson, and Hank Smith's

 Reconnecting with God as a Distracted Church Leader | An Interview with John Eldredge | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 50:56

John Eldredge is an author, counselor, and teacher. He earned his undergraduate degree at Cal Poly and his master’s degree in Counseling from Colorado Christian University. John worked as a counselor in private practice before launching Ransomed Heart—a ministry devoted to helping people discover the heart of God, recover their own hearts in God's love, and learn to live in God's Kingdom. John and his wife Stasi live in Colorado Springs. Highlights 05:50 Where the ministry began 9:30 It isn't enough for a man to be kind or nice 11:30 Every boy is asking, "Do I have what it takes?" and when they don't get an answer, they are still searching as an adult 13:20 The mood of the room is set by the leader, and you lead by vulnerability and by inviting them to an adventure: boredom is what is killing men in church 16:00 Group retreats take men into their own hearts and back into their own stories to where they lost heart 19:00 Unplugging and getting away from the distraction is important to getting more out of the program 21:35 Writing his most recent book, Get Your Life Back: Everyday Practices for a World Gone Mad—the pace of life was becoming too much for him so he began to look for ways to get away from the chaos in the midst of living 24:05 Are you giving more of your attention to what's happening in the world than you are to God? The war in the world is for our attention; this increases stress, which even wears us down physically 26:00 Your attention gets taken away from other things, the things that help you relax and connect with others; put your phone down 27:15 Surrender: Knowledge gives us a sense of control, of safety and security, but God wants to be our security 29:00 Disconnect and become human again: putting away the phone releases us to perform better and to be a human being unplugged from technology and doing real things 30:15 The big lie: technology was going to give us more margin to do the things we love, but instead it has connected us to the chaos of information, fear, and anxiety 32:20 We have a divided attention and a divided affection, but we can learn to create soulful space for a little bit of time each day 35:00 John found he couldn't even play with his grandchildren for even a few minutes without turning to his phone and checking it 35:55 Our souls are on empathy overload: benevolent detachment is required to disconnect from everything and give it back to God (1 Peter 5) because we are not the Savior 39:00 App: The One Minute Pause 41:00 Transitional spaces: Jesus spent three days—walking—to get from one place to another, and we need to find the downtime and the transitions 44:10 Restating belief: Do you have a confident sense that God is in control of the universe? Write your fundamental beliefs so you can go back to them as an anchor 47:00 Take specific, deliberate steps to get yourself back to being human again—normal things that let your soul calm down and be able to recenter and hear God Links Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul, by John Eldredge Get Your Life Back: Everyday Practices for a World Gone Mad, by John Eldredge Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul, by John and Stasi Eldredge Ransomed Heart Podcast The One Minute Pause app

 The Power of Stillness in Leadership | An Interview with Jacob Hess, Carrie Skarda, Kyle Anderson, and Ty Mansfield | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:26:23

Jacob Hess, Carrie Skarda, Kyle Anderson, and Ty Mansfield are the authors of The Power of Stillness: Mindful Living for Latter-day Saints. In this interview they discuss where mindfulness and meditation fit into the gospel and how we can better approach our service and our practices with the balance of mindfulness. Jacob Hess, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) instructor trained through the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Carrie Skarda, PsyD, is a psychologist in private practice. She has provided individual and couples therapy with particular interest in attachment trauma and mindfulness, and has studied and practiced mindfulness and formal meditation for over ten years. Kyle Anderson, PhD, is a professor of Chinese and Asian Studies, currently an administrator in Global Learning, International Partnerships and Initiatives at Clemson University, and came to mindfulness meditation through his studies in Asian literature. Ty Mansfield, PhD, is a practicing marriage and family therapist, an adjunct instructor in Religious Education at Brigham Young University, and is in the process of certification with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach in their Mindfulness Meditation Teacher training program. Highlights 5:40 Jacob was exposed to meditation in graduate school and began to see where it fit into the gospel tradition 7:00 Backgrounds of the authors 9:00 Definitions of mindfulness and what it means to Christians and to Latter-day Saints: compassionate presence in the moment 11:10 Christ was meditative and present in the moment 12:25 Being busy vs. mindfulness 14:00 Looking for words in our own tradition: reverence, peace, stillness, pondering 15:45 Advice for a busy leader: Christ had a practice of punctuating his doing with non-doing; the rhythm of action and pausing is already built in to our practices 19:40 It's not the gospel that people struggle with, but an impoverished experience of it 20:55 David O. McKay quote: "I think we pay too little attention to the value of meditation, a principle of devotion. In our worship there are two elements: One is spiritual communion arising from our own meditation; the other, instruction from others, particularly from those who have authority to guide and instruct us. Of the two, the more profitable introspectively is meditation. Meditation is the language of the soul." 22:10 Example in a ward council: not praying as a to-do, but sitting with the Savior 23:30 Clarity and priority come through pausing between action 24:25 Centering the attention on the inspiration in the moment and not on the calendar: Am I interruptable? 26:20 The Savior was interruptable in his task at hand and could pivot to what was most needful in the moment 28:35 The Savior was willing to build in his time with His Father, the foundation of His work 29:35 We can meditate on the person in front of us by giving them our full attention in that moment 31:30 The order in which the Savior did what he did: communion with the Father, surrounding himself in community, then going out to minister 33:45 C.S. Lewis (in Mere Christianity): “It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussings and frettings; coming in out of the wind.” 35:25 Tech hack for when you're tied to your computer: the first tabs on the left are dedicated to devotion 36:40 How we organize our lives reflects our core values: look for the bigger pu...

 How Meetings Can Cause Chaos in a Ward | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 7:09

In this short episode, Kurt Francom (Executive Director of Leading Saints) explains how easily chaos can manifest itself in a church organization and how we can avoid it. Be sure to register for FREE for the Meetings with Saints Virtual Summit.

 What Does it Mean to Preside in a Meeting? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 9:45

In this short episode, Kurt Francom (Executive Director of Leading Saints) explains what it means to preside in a meeting and why it is such an important role. Be sure to register for FREE for the Meetings with Saints Virtual Summit.

 Instructing and Edifying Each Other in Meetings | An Interview with DeAnna Murphy | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:16:02

DeAnna is a former Stake Relief Society president in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the CEO of People Acuity. She works with leaders and employees helping them to “Shift Up!” blame, engagement, leadership, and individual and team performance. She is also an internationally-known keynote speaker, Top 100 Global Coaching Leader, and the author of Shift Up! Strengths Strategies for Optimal Living. She has shared her expertise and inspiration in several Leading Saints articles and podcasts. Her personal time is joyfully spent loving and lifting her family and friends – and helping each person she meets to recognize how valuable and important they are. Highlights 0:00:03 Introduction of DeAnna Murphy 0:00:48 Her deepest desire has just been to be a great mom; her best leadership training has come in that arena. Professionally, she's an executive leadership coach. 0:03:44 Great leaders don't just ask "what we are trying to accomplish?", but also, "what is important about it?" 0:04:07 When we start a meeting establishing the purpose of the meeting, it creates power. 0:04:20 Beginning a 13-14 Sunday School class by establishing the purpose 0:05:43 "Of all the things you're trying to accomplish with this summit, what's the most important thing you'd hope they'd learn and they're longing to hear?" 0:06:00 (Kurt) Hope people walk away with a deeper ability and motivation to run a meeting 0:06:50 We meet to unify. We meet to connect. We meet to multiply our resources together. D&C 43:8-9 - When we meet, we should instruct and edify one another 0:08:08 To "instruct and edify together" implies that each participant holds a piece - no one person holds all the pieces 0:11:06 Each person in a council has a unique strength and a unique perspective. 0:13:23 DeAnna's experience with a leader having a diametrically opposed viewpoint - she might have a difficult time understanding his perspective. She sometimes had a difficult time communicating with him. It helped them to understand how the other viewed situations. 0:15:29 Feelings of self-consciousness, uncertainty, and fear led to defensiveness. Granting herself grace allowed her to grant others grace, and remove the defensiveness. 0:16:05 Citing Ether 12:27 (weaknesses that they may be humble); DeAnna focuses on Ether 12:37 (because you see your weakness, you'll be made strong) 0:16:35 DeAnna's weaknesses were not made strong by becoming like her Stake President. Instead, they learned from each other, they became stronger in each other, and were unified in the Savior. 0:19:00 Identify what is important about the meeting 0:19:18 Identify "how" we will be together: (1) There's always room for the Savior (2) Recognize we see things differently 0:20:30 Three or four questions always help to create clarity: (1) "What are you noticing..." or "I'm noticing..." (2) "What's important about that?" (3) "What does it mean?" (4) "Now what do we do about it" ("Why?When?How?") 0:22:58 What do you do when you're in a meeting and you realize that you're not tracking what is being said? Many remain silent. 0:24:00 Feeling confusion in a meeting may be a spiritual prompting that others are confused. Consider that speaking up will likely help others in the room, not just yourself. 0:24:35 Going into meetings, agree about how we are going to "be" together. Set up ground rules for how we will conduct the meetings and participate. 0:26:17 Google experiment: The number one thing contributing to high-performing teams - cohesive and agile - was psychological safety. 0:27:17 There's nothing more intimidating that being one of three women in a room with 15 men in their suits.

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