Tommy Wilson was born and raised in Georgia. He now lives in Crestview, Florida, and serves as first counselor in the stake presidency. He has also served in the stake Young Men organization and as a bishop.
Highlights
02:40 Introduction to Tommy Wilson. He shares about getting called to the stake presidency. 09:00 Tommy describes his area and the demographic of his stake 11:15 Advice to a new bishop 14:15 The personal weaknesses that come to the surface as a bishop. Things Tommy regrets. 21:15 Being vulnerable as a bishop and encouraging others to do the same 25:20 Tommy shares about losing his baby boy. The thing that helped him the most was finding a community that had gone through the same thing. The people around you have more in common with you than you think. Open up and talk to them. 29:15 Tommy’s invitation to his ward to open up and talk. You have to learn to be okay with uncomfortable topics. 32:00 Connecting with people on a deeper level. One on one. 40:40 Not taking yourself too seriously as a bishop 43:40 Tommy shares how he gained his testimony and the first time he felt like God loved him. 46:00 An experience Tommy had feeling the love of God for a man in his ward
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The 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, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish,

Offering Your Authentic Self to Those You Lead | A How I Lead Interview with Tommy Wilson

Helping Latter-day Saints be Better Prepared to Lead

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Dr. Steven G. Rogelberg, an organizational psychologist, holds the title of Chancellor’s Professor at UNC Charlotte for distinguished national, international and interdisciplinary contributions. He is an award-winning teacher, has over 200 publications, been cited well over 12,000 times in the academic literature, and was recipient of the very prestigious Humboldt Award for his research on meetings.

Dr. Rogelberg is the author of two highly-praised leadership books, Glad We Met: The Art and Science of 1:1 Meetings and The Surprising Science of Meetings: How You Can Lead Your Team to Peak Performance. He has been interviewed or featured on major TV and radio broadcasts, podcasts, and in most major newspapers and magazines. His keynotes on meetings span the globe and occur at the world’s leading organizations. He was the inaugural winner of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) Humanitarian Award and just finished his term as president of SIOP, the world's largest professional organization for organizational psychology.


Links

The Science of Church Meetings (including Ward Council) | An Interview with Steven Rogelberg
Glad We Met: The Art and Science of 1:1 Meetings
The Surprising Science of Meetings: How You Can Lead Your Team to Peak Performance
StevenRogelberg.com
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Transcript coming soon 
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Highlights
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The 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, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay,

The Art & Science of Ministering Interviews | An Interview with Steven Rogelberg

Kirby Heyborne is an accomplished actor, narrator, musician, and comedian. He is best known for his roles in Saints and Soldiers, The Singles Ward, The R.M., The Best Two Years, Sons of Provo, and The Three Stooges. He has also starred in numerous television series and national commercial campaigns. Kirby currently hosts the popular BYUTV show, “Making Good.” As an audiobook narrator, Kirby has been nominated for a Grammy, received two Odyssey Awards, and countless Earphones Awards for excellence in narration. He has narrated over 2000 audiobooks, including SAINTS: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days.

At church, Kirby has served as a Primary music leader, Sunday School teacher, and bishopric counselor, and is currently the bishop of his ward. He loves spending time with his wife and kids. 

Kirby Heyborne, photographed by Justin Hackworth
Links

When Leaders Accidentally Limit Their Effectiveness | An Interview with Dustin Peterson
Build an A-Team in Your Calling | An Interview with Whitney Johnson
Are Leaders “The Chosen One”?
Bearded Bishops, Rated-R Movies, & the Honor Code | An Interview with John Hilton III
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Highlights
4:40 Introduction to Kirby. His background as an actor and being bishop. Why did God call me?

6:50 Getting into acting and having faith it would work out

9:00 The Best Two Years movie. It’s still very loved even after 20 years.

10:20 We need to make a movie about the best five years, all about bishops. Kirby describes getting called and how he got started. 

12:20 The importance of the law of the lid. Thinking that I have to do it all denies others the opportunity to grow, to strengthen their relationship with Jesus, and to use the talents that God blessed them with. It also took the pressure off him as bishop. 

14:00 My job as bishop is to get out of the way and point people to Jesus. 

14:30 The first few weeks of being bishop. Building a powerful team and what Kirby took into consideration when calling counselors and people for other callings. 

20:00 The unique thing about Kirby’s ward. It’s a new ward with people from everywhere. 

21:40 Kirby was called as bishop just as they were creating a brand new ward. He had to call all the leaders. 

23:50 “I never thought I would have a testimony of a schedule.” Having a streamlined schedule has allowed him to have a touch point with every organization each month. 

25:00 “I think that an executive secretary is the most important calling in the ward.” They are a critical part of the ward. 


The Best Five Years | A How I Lead Interview with Kirby Heyborne

Jennie Blaser is the ninth of 11 children and has lived all over the world: Hawaii, Utah, California, Arizona, Argentina, Slovenia, and Hong Kong. She served an 18-month mission in one branch in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and speaks English, Spanish, and Slovenian. She graduated in International Finance with a minor in Spanish from Brigham Young University, returning to earn an MBA. Jennie has taught early morning Seminary, Marriage and Family Relations, Relief Society, Sunday School, and Gospel Doctrine. She has also served as a second counselor in a Young Women presidency twice and second counselor in a Relief Society presidency five times. Jennie is currently the second counselor in her stake Young Women presidency.

Dave Blaser grew up in an Air Force family and also lived all over. He served a mission in Mendoza, Argentina, graduated from BYU in Construction Management, and has worked in commercial construction management for 24 years. He is currently the executive vice president of operations for Layton Construction in Arizona. Dave has served as an elders quorum president, Young Men president, in a bishopric, and as a stake executive secretary. He currently serves as the bishop of his ward.

Jennie recently published her first book, a short novel entitled One Plus One Equals Three. She was an adrenaline junkie until her body literally stopped producing adrenaline—one of the health challenges she deals with daily. Dave runs nearly every day and has finished multiple marathons. He is a parrot-head (Jimmy Buffet fan) and a Swiftie. The Blasers live in Gilbert, Arizona, and have three children.


Links

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Highlights
2:00 Kurt introduces Jennie and Dave and their callings.

3:20 Jennie shares how and why she got started researching the Church handbook. She has been on a journey of learning and has written a few articles about the youth programs. 

6:30 Dave was a previous priesthood quorum advisor before he became bishop. He shares what he learned from the handbook and tried to apply it in his calling.

8:15 Always start with the handbook when beginning a calling.

9:20 Helping the young women have more interactions and feel comfortable with the bishop. The bishopric needs to be spending regular time with the young women. 

10:40 The bishopric is not the Young Men presidency. Since Doctrine & Covenants 107 was written they have always been the presidency over the Aaronic priesthood and nothing has changed. 

12:40 There are four different people that are critical to buy into the new system for the youth to make it a success. The first is the bishopric. They need to balance focus between Young Men and the Young Women programs.

16:10 The responsibilities of the bishop have changed in the past five years with the new focus on the youth. To help him focus on the youth, the Relief Society president and elders quorum president can step in and help with people that need help in their organizations. 

18:30 Dave’s ward has begun support groups in the Relief Society for people struggling. It helps take some of the load off of the bishopric and allows them to d...

Welcoming Young Women into the Bishop’s Office | An Interview with Jennie and Dave Blaser

Kayla Shields works as a Certified Personal trainer and Nutrition Coach. She earned an associate's degree from LDS Business College and is now headed back to Ensign College to finish a Finance degree. Her church callings have included Primary teacher, Activity Days leader, Relief Society counselor, and Relief Society president. She recently accepted the best calling in the Church: Primary music leader. Despite Kurt and Kayla's recommendation, we did not title this episode "When Salmonella Forms Friendships". You're welcome.


Links

“The Atonement Works for Me”: One Couple’s Recovery from Sexual Addiction
Unashamed/Unafraid
When Being Released Hurts
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Highlights
3:00 Kurt introduces his conversation with Kayla, a recently-released Relief Society president.

4:15 Kayla tells her story of getting called to be the Relief Society president, fear, imposter syndrome, and calling counselors. 

9:20 Doing ministering interviews. Take the time to check in with the sisters and see how they are doing and their relationship with God and then you can get to the ministering questions. 

11:00 By sharing her story and the hard things that she has been through, Kayla has been able to deepen her connection with the women in Relief Society.

12:45 Ways that Kayla has shared her and her husband’s story of sexual addiction and been vulnerable in her ward. She has decided to remove the shame from it and has found that people have been much more open with her.

15:10 Principle 1 - Acceptance of all 

17:10 How Kayla and her presidency did ministering interviews and scheduled them. They decided not to meet with the companionship but have one-on-one meetings. 

19:20 Principle 2 - Lean into the awkward

22:10 Working with the bishopric and elders quorum presidency

23:30 Ward counsels, correlation meetings, and personal interviews with the bishop

24:40 Doing monthly activities

27:45 The first year of being president they didn’t call any teachers and had lots of different women teach. 

30:00 The overwhelm of organizing the women into ministering routes. Just start and it will work out.

32:30 The shocking grief of being released as the Relief Society president. Kurt shares some advice on ways to still connect to people and gather.

38:00 Kayla shares her final thoughts and testimony of Christ.

The 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 <a href="https://leadingsaints.

I Hesitated Being Called, Mourned Being Released | An Interview with Kayla Shields

Scharman Grimmer serves as a member of the Young Women General Advisory Council for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has served as stake and ward Primary president; ward Young Women president, Primary and Relief Society counselor, stake Young Women camp director, Sunday School teacher, Seminary teacher, and in Primary as a music leader, teacher, and Nursery leader. 

Scharman and her husband, Matt, have five children and live in Alpine, Utah. Scharman earned a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree in Child and Teen Development from Syracuse University. She currently works as a child and teen development specialist, consulting parents on best developmental and relationship practices and healthy habits in families. 

Scharman is proud to be from Humble, Texas! Growing up in an area with few members of the Church, she learned valuable lessons as she watched her parents faithfully lead in their ward and stake. Her own experiences as an adult in Texas and New York have given her an appreciation that every member can contribute and is needed.


Links

Finding Strength in the Lord: Emotional Resilience
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Scriptures referenced in this podcast: Acts 8, Acts 3, Doctrine & Covenants 104
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Highlights
3:00 Getting called to be a part of the young women's general advisory council. 

5:20 What does Scharman’s calling entail? 

* Council meetings
* Working groups

7:30 Scharman has a masters degree in child and teen development and has been able to use her degree not only professionally but in her calling and personal life. She works a lot with parents and helps them find holy, healthy habits as a family.

8:50 Her experience in Young Women started as a young woman herself and callings in Young Women in her early twenties. She learned to mentor. 

12:00 How can you become a mentor for youth? Scharman shares scriptural examples. 

15:45 Leading youth to have covenant relationships. The focus of the Young Men and Young Women programs is to build a foundation on Christ. Gathering to Christ.

17:20 Do what works for the youth. Sometimes you have to switch it up for the group you have. 

21:40 Build on Christ as your foundation, gather to Christ, and covenant with Christ. The focus of the youth programs are based on these three things. 

22:45 What is an AOA? Area Organization Advisors. Women around the world that are trained by the general presidencies and then take those teachings and minister to the people in their areas. 

24:00 How can we get the Young Women and Young Men groups to work together...

Offering Your Authentic Self to Those You Lead | A How I Lead Interview with Tommy Wilson

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