Ryan Gottfredson, Ph.D. is a cutting-edge leadership development author, researcher, and consultant. He helps organizations vertically develop their leaders primarily through a focus on mindsets. Ryan is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author of Success Mindsets, The Elevated Leader, and Becoming Better. He is also a leadership professor at the College of Business and Economics at California State University-Fullerton.

Ryan talks about personal development and becoming better leaders through understanding our own complexities and healing. He explores the science of sanctification and the difference between merely doing better and truly becoming better, focusing on our “being side”—the quality of our internal operating system—rather than just our “doing side,” which encompasses our skills and knowledge. Learning this distinction can help leaders as they support others who are struggling in their lives.

Ryan explains how our relationships with risk, failure, conflict, and even ourselves can reveal the quality of our being. Many leaders operate from a place of fear or insecurity, which can limit their effectiveness and impact. Ryan explores the concept of the “window of tolerance,” which refers to our ability to manage stress and emotional responses. He explains how a narrow window can lead to reactivity, while a wider window allows for greater emotional regulation and resilience. Understanding this can help leaders create a supportive environment for their congregations. Ryan also encourages leaders to consider their own journeys and the areas where they may need healing.

00:02:00 – The evolution of Ryan’s books and the deepening of his leadership concepts

00:05:00 – Mindsets and the difference between vertical and horizontal development in leadership

00:07:00 – The Being Side vs. Doing Side: The importance of focusing on the “being” side of leadership for transformational growth

00:09:00 – Connection between leadership principles and gospel teachings, emphasizing the importance of becoming

00:10:30 – The role of personal healing in effective leadership and the importance of self-awareness

00:12:00 – The window of tolerance and its relevance to emotional regulation

00:15:00 – Personal complexity and its impact on leadership effectiveness

00:20:00 – Exploration of emotional complexity and self-complexity in leaders

00:25:00 – Examining leaders’ relationships with risk, failure, and conflict as indicators of their health

00:30:00 – Contrast between survival-focused leadership and purpose-driven leadership

00:35:00 – Investigating the quality of relationships with self, others, and various challenges

00:40:00 – The challenges of people-pleasing and its impact on leadership effectiveness

The award-winning Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints’ mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org.

Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Elder Alvin F. Meredith III, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Kirby Heyborne, Taysom Hill, Coaches Jennifer Rockwood and Brandon Doman, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, and many more in over 800 episodes.

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