Vice President Scharman on Leadership

Vice President Jan Scharman spoke to my class last week. Wow, what a fantastic speaker she is! Vice President Scharman spoke about leadership in the home. This is a subject that I always appreciate hearing about because I know it will be pivotal in my life in the future.

One of the most important things I learned in Vice President Scharman’s presentation is that our job is to see where the Lord is guiding us, even if we don’t know the end result. That can often be a difficult concept to grasp. There will likely be many times in our lives where we don’t know where we’re supposed to be going and what we’re supposed to be doing. In all situations, we need to be listening for the Lord’s voice giving us guidance. He will always direct us to do what we need to do. However, in order for us to hear the voice of the spirit, we need to be making good choices. These two things together will lead us down the path we are supposed to be travelling on.

Another thing Vice President Scharman mentioned that struck a chord with me was the importance of sacrifice in a family. In a family unit, every member must learn to sacrifice and learn to work with one another to get along. The people in your families may not be people you’d pick as your best friends, but it is important to learn to work with them in any setting. They are the most important people you’ll ever build relationships with, and if you’re not willing to sacrifice and work to make it work, it won’t work.

Make sure family is first. It is divinely sanctioned and is more important than any other thing in this life.

Senator Garn on Leadership

I had the opportunity to hear Senator Jake Garn speak on leadership. He is definitely a man with some good perspectives on life. He talked a lot about gratitude for the opportunities he has been given. To start off this post, I’d just like to say that I, too, am very grateful to have been given these opportunities. I am grateful to be a student at BYU where I can learn and grow so much, to serve in BYUSA where I can become a better leader, to work with amazing people in a job that I enjoy and learn so much at, to have the opportunity to go to Washington, D.C. in the fall, to have such amazing family and friends. My life would not be the same if it weren’t for these things and more, and although at times life can be rough, it’s worth every minute and it’s amazing. Take advantage of the opportunities you have! Go do something good, because that’s when it’s all worth it.

Senator Garn talked about how as he was orbiting the earth, everyone there (regardless of differences) had a changed perspective. They all understood that when it comes down to it, we are all people of worth, and there is no reason we should not treat others as such. Conflict is so selfish — we are all equals. We are all people who have wants and needs and dreams, and when we disregard the worth of each individual, that’s when conflict arises. We need to remember that there are much more important things than those differences between you and your neighbor. Even if you don’t really get along, recognize that each person is important, and then treat them that way.

Through our lives, there will be countless changes. Change is never easy, but if we approach it with a positive attitude, we will be able to be successful, regardless of our circumstances. We just have to approach change without the dread or dissatisfaction that it could bring, and we will be able to continue to be successful leaders.

Dean Vernon Heperi on Leadership

I had the opportunity to hear from Vernon Heperi, Dean of Students. He shared with us some incredible thoughts on leading by love. I’m just going to put the notes I took during his lecture on here, because it was such a good presentation.

• The quality of our work is directly proportional to our capacity to love.
• Dean Heperi is not the kind of person to say hello to people, but he knows that it lets others know that he cares, so he does it.
• He who truly loves sees others with honest concern.
• It’s not enough to be encouraged. It’s good to be corrected.
• We’ve been called to lead. The way we choose to lead is by serving others.
• It’s a challenge to lead by example. We have the choice to be a better example (even when we’re annoyed). Sometimes reproof doesn’t come from our leaders.
• Serving others and learning to lead by example is vital to our success.
• You must develop a climate of trust. You have to be tolerant and patient, not necessarily let everything slide, but you can still be kind.
• We should be able to have differences of opinions and still be able to have dinner with those people.
• The honor code makes us what we are. It is our brand. We don’t change it – it is what we are!
• Our greatest goal as leaders should be to be leaders in our homes. Good on you if you’re a famous CEO or whatever, but the most important is the home.

Loving those you lead is of the utmost importance. If we don’t love those we are leading, we will not be able to effectively lead them.  It is also important to express that love, even if not through words. In your actions, you can show people you love and care about them. If you assist people in their projects, you are showing them that you care about them. If you offer support in any way, you are showing them that you care. There are an abundance of ways to show people we love them; we just have to make the effort to do it. When we love those we work with, we are also opening up opportunities for us to help them improve. If we try to correct them without love, that definitely won’t go over well. However, if we offer correction with love, those we are assisting will likely be open to the correction, because they understand that we are trying to help them rather than criticize.

Sue Murie on Leadership

I had the opportunity to hear Sue Murie’s thoughts on leadership. Sue is a Student Leadership Coordinator at BYU, and she had some excellent advice for us as college students and as aspiring leaders. Sue told us about several myths about the world of careers. They were:

• Myth #1: The major I choose now will lock me into a career forever. FALSE.
  You have the freedom to go where you want in life. If you follow the guidance of the Spirit, you can’t go wrong.

• Myth #2: I have to find my specific “calling” in life to be happy. FALSE.
  Use your spiritual gifts in many positions. It’s not a matter of finding that one perfect position, it’s making your position perfect.

• Myth #3: When I find my calling, work will be bliss. FALSE.
  Jobs aren’t exciting and intensely fulfilling all the time, even fabulous jobs. Don’t expect to have deep meaning from your work without paying the price for it. That can even make it that much more meaningful.

Concerning Myth #1, I would just like to say that although I am a sociology major, I am exploring career options in a wide variety of fields. I am considering hospital administration, work in the nonprofit sector, social work, and tons of other options. Although some of these are fairly pertinent to sociology and others are not, I am not letting the fact that I am studying sociology lock me into a specific career path. It’s important to be open-minded and to go where the Lord guides you, even concerning careers.

And, just a word about Myth #3: The amount of work you put into something will equal the amount of reward you get out of it. Whether you’re planning an event and work really hard at advertising it, or whether you’re working on making your job exciting, how much you put into it will be equal to the benefit you get out of it (i.e. lots of attendees at your event or an engaging work environment). Along the same lines, I have found this to be very true concerning friendships with people. There are some people that I am not immediately drawn to, but I am in a situation where I need or want to be able to get along well with them. I work diligently to have a good friendship (not a superficial one) with these people, and when I have success, it is even more rewarding than friendships I can just walk into, because I personally worked toward the success of that relationship.

Another thing Sue talked about is the importance of focusing on blessing and serving others rather than boosting yourself up.  If we focus on serving, we will be extraordinary in whatever we do. In my time serving in BYUSA, I have truly learned that when we are serving, all other areas of our lives are made better as well. We become kind, loving people who do what’s right, and in that, we are able to progress spiritually and temporally. When we are focused on serving, everything else falls into place.

President Cecil O. Samuelson

I had the opportunity to have Cecil O. Samuelson, current president of Brigham Young University, address my class. What an amazing man! I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to hear from him.

President Samuelson talked about the fact that service will never be convenient; that we will never have “enough time” to do service. We must make ourselves available to serve others, even if it is just setting aside a half hour or so per day to do something for others. If we put it into smaller increments like that, it is definitely feasible. I know that a vast majority of college students already waste at least a half hour of time per day, whether it be on facebook or tumblr or twitter or emailing or watching tv or whatever the case may be. You can sacrifice your thirty minutes of watching youtube videos to do something for someone else.

President Samuelson also talked about how we, as leaders, need to say what needs to be said, when it needs to be said. It can be difficult to stand up for things you know to be true, but it is of the utmost importance to do it. Never fear standing up for yourself or for your beliefs. People will respect you far more for doing so than for just going with what is wrong.

President Samuelson also spoke about the importance of allowing others to take accountability. Sometimes, leaders are tempted to just do it all themselves and to not let anyone else in on the project for fear that they might “mess it up.” However, in disallowing others from participating, we are withholding opportunities that could teach them lessons that could change their lives. We need to make sure we trust other people enough to let them assist us. When we trust people — that is when they will fulfill their responsibilities.

If you ever get the chance to meet Cecil Samuelson, please take it. It will likely change your life. He is a man who has a great love for other people and for the Lord, which I very greatly respect.

Brother Neal Cox’s 13 Hints to Career Success

Brother Neal Cox’s 13 Hints to Career Success

• Family first. Don’t forfeit what is most important.
• Prepare before opportunity knocks. Do all you can to be prepared to give service to people.
• Be willing to start at ground level.
• Do more than is expected.
• Invite others to help.
• Try new things. Especially when you see a need for it.
• Don’t value security more than service.
• Leave it better than you found it.
• Don’t measure success by fame or fortune.
• Deflect praise to others.
• If you don’t love it, leave it.
• Don’t fear those in power.
• Sprout deep roots. Wherever you go, assume that you’ll be there forever. Don’t plan your life so far in advance that you don’t enjoy the now. Live in the present and sprout deep roots wherever you go. Do all you can; don’t just be tentative.

Let me talk for a moment about a couple of these hints. First, I’d like to talk about Hint #1: Family first. I have heard a lot lately about the importance of putting the family as the first priority. I heard from J.W. “Bill” Marriott Jr. (not an updated link. google J.W. Marriott BYU April 3 for a better result in the future), Elder M. Russell Ballard, and President Boyd K. Packer about the importance of putting the family first. When you have your priorities in the correct order, with your family at the top of that list, everything else will fall into place. Family, then the Lord, then career, as Mr. Marriott said today.  When you have your priorities in that order, everything will work out for the best.

I would also like to talk about Hint #11: If you don’t love it, leave it. I think that oftentimes, people get caught up in the mindset of “I’m in this major because I will be able to earn a lot of money” or “I’m going to be a lawyer because lawyers make a lot of money” or “I’m going to be a doctor because that’s what my parents want me to do”. These are all bad mindsets. You should only do the things you love. I am not a very good example of this — I find it difficult to find ‘my passions’ that people are always telling me to find. However, I did decide to major in sociology because I loved learning it, and not because it would take me somewhere great. In fact, I still don’t exactly know what I’m going to do with my future sociology degree, but I do know that I absolutely love studying it, and so I’m going to keep studying it. I am doing it because I love it, and there’s no other reason. There should be absolutely nothing stopping you from doing what you love. If what you love isn’t going to lead to a career that guarantees a high income, so what? If you work hard enough, you can still live the life you want while doing the things you love.

Brother Cox is an inspirational leader. He has an amazing, unceasing capacity to love those around him, and he clearly exhibits that love. He cares so much about the students at BYU and about people he meets in any situation or capacity. If you ever get the chance to talk with Neal Cox, seize the opportunity! He is an amazing man whom I will not soon forget.

Dr. Ben Wilson on Leadership

I had the opportunity to hear from Dr. Ben Wilson last month as part of my leadership class. Dr. Wilson addressed many aspects of leadership, and it was very interesting to hear what someone not to far ahead of my present stage of life had to say about those leadership experiences.

Dr. Wilson talked about how being involved with leadership at BYU helped him to become a “grown up.” I have definitely felt similarly as I have participated in leadership at BYU. It seems to me that as I began my service as an Executive Director, I was young and naïve and didn’t know how to do hardly anything I was required to do in this capacity. As I have worked in this position, though, I feel that I have matured and my horizons have been expanded. I have definitely grown as a leader. At the start of my term, I had a very difficult time dealing with interpersonal problems. Although it’s not easy now, I am much more open to the idea of confronting situations that may arise with a level head and with open communication. I am able to deal with problems that come up in a way that I would not have been able to do before my service in BYUSA. I also feel that I have had experiences leading and planning events that have helped me to become a better person in general. I feel that I am much more aware of others’ needs and feelings, and I am able to show people around me that I care about them, which is important to me.

While at BYU, Dr. Wilson got approval to be an intern in Jerusalem, even though that was not a part of his program. I found this to be very impressive that just because he was willing to put in some extra effort and be innovative. I, too, can be an advocate for change and improvement if I am willing to put in that extra effort. I think that is the most important element of advocating change — your willingness to do a little bit more. If you care about the change you are implementing, you will be willing to work harder than you may have anticipated, and your willing labor will make all the difference in the success of those changes.

It was great to hear from Dr. Wilson. If you ever get the chance to hear him speak, I would highly encourage it.

Judge Griffith — 23 January 2012

• Judge Griffith spoke about the importance of remembering the “least” among us.  Describe how you can apply this concept in your leadership role today in BYUSA.  Also, describe how you intend to apply this focus on the “least” in the future as you serve in leadership roles.
• Judge Griffith talked about how we learn what God wants us to learn from listening to those who speak to us through talks, lessons and home teaching. Please describe how it is possible to learn from those who might night have the same level of education.  Identify and describe a time in your life when you have learned from an individual with a differing educaitonal background.
• Please describe something you learned about leadership from Judge Griffith’s presentation.

Last week, Judge Griffith of the US Court of Appeals came to speak with our class. He gave a very interesting lecture that incorporated many aspects that can be applied both to leadership positions as well as just life in general.

Judge Griffith talked about the importance of remembering the “least” among us. I think this is very applicable in everyday life. Surrounding us are people who are having a difficult time. We may not know it, but they could be struggling. It is our responsibility to not let the opportunities to reach out to others slide by us — we can make all the difference.  I will focus my energies on building solid relationships with those around me, even if I do not know them especially well.

In the lecture, Judge Griffith also talked about how oftentimes, we can learn the most from God by listening to those who are giving talks, lessons, home teaching, visiting teaching, etc.; in other words, our peers. I think that many times, people think that they will only bother to listen to the Prophet, since his word is the most important. However, it is unwise to not listen to the lay speakers around us, because we can sometimes learn even more from them. There have been several times in my life when I have been talking with someone who may not have had as much educational experience as myself, and their perspective enlightens me. They are able to see the simple blessings in life, which I sometimes overlook.

One other thing I learned from Judge Griffith is the idea that being active in your ward will determine your success. You have to be willing to take care of others in order to be successful. In a ward setting, you are forced to interact with people who you wouldn’t normally interact with, and that provides a great learning opportunity.

Focusing on Results

When leading a team, it is vital to have a focus on results. If there is not a focus on results, the team will likely wind up getting caught in the details that are less important than the end result as a whole.

One of the most essential behaviors to creating a focus on results is to create a high-performance team. This can seem like a daunting task, but it’s actually fairly simple.  You have to make sure your team is united, and that requires spending time together (outside of the work environment). You also must foster an environment that supports teamwork and trust, and that entails trusting those on your team and working well with them. That is essentially it, as far as creating a high performance team. If you trust them to work hard and give them the responsibility/accountability to do so, if they trust and respect you in return, they will live up to your expectations.

I think I have a strength in helping those around me to have the same end goal as I do. I have utilized my ability to build relationships with people to help them be able to see eye to eye with me and inspire them to work hard for our end goal. It is amazing what a team can accomplish when they are all focused on the end result.

Teamwork

Being able to work with a team is a skill that is ingrained into most of us from the time we were in elementary school doing group projects through the present where we work in teams to solve problems or put on events or whatever it may be, and will continue long into the future. Why do we learn so much about teamwork? We learn about teamwork and how to effectively work on teams because it is something we will do in any given situation in our lives, and it is often crucial to success.

There have been several times in my life where I have seen successful teamwork and collaboration. One   instance that immediately comes to mind is a time a few months ago when I was on a team putting on an event, as we had often done, and more than twice the expected number of people came to our event. While the speaker was presenting, the five of us who were on the team had to work together to come up with a way to accommodate all the people who came to the event. We used all of our skills and resources and were able to come up with an effective plan and carry that plan out. Examining this instance, I have realized that there were many elements that were crucial to that team’s success. We were all willing to listen to each other and none of us HAD to have it our way. We were all accommodating of each others’ ideas. We all had the same goal in mind, and so we were able to come up with the best plan we could to accomplish that goal.

Teamwork can often be difficult. It’s not easy to work with others, especially when you may not get along with those you work with. However, if we are willing to listen to others and are patient and loving, we can overcome even the worst of discrepancies in a team setting and accomplish our goals.