In Nathan's Ward Part II

Considering your role as a leader, Please describe who you view as your “customers” and how you practice the idea of meeting the needs of those customers.

As a leader, especially in BYUSA, everyone I meet is my customer. Everyone I meet is going to take something away from the interaction they have with me. As a leader you represent a group bigger than yourself and you always have to keep that in mind when interacting with the "customers." This is a unique situation because as a BYUSA leader you represent yourself, your area, your organization, your school, and your church.

When serving them I try and really listen to what they are saying. With most people they'll say one thing on the surface but what they really mean or need is something they are not saying. It is important to put the customer first and to put yourself in their position.

Please describe a time when you have been involved in a significant change. Identify what those who were leading the organization did to help make the change successful or unsuccessful.

Just this year when Nate stepped out we had to make some significant changes to the way we as an area did things. Brittanie led the change by telling the group that we appreciated Nate's work and the contributions he made to the team and then laid out the plan for the future. Everyone on the team had to pick up a few extra assignments and we enlisted the help of Jake to help fill the void. Everyone felt bad that Nate was gone but we were able to overcome and adjust to the change because there was a plan and everyone pitched in.

Describe why you believe that Networking with others, is a vital part of leading change.

I have always lived my life by the mantra that it's not what you know but who you know. Networking can open a lot of doors of opportunity and can make all the difference when you know just as much or less than everyone less. In change, you need people. People are the driving force behind change. To get people on the same page you are going to have to do a lot of networking. Networking is the ability to organize, magnify and use people to a specific end.

Christy's Killer Moves

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS - Values Diversity

This week I'm attempting to become the Great Appreciator. I want to appreciate what every one brings to the table and not judge them because I would do or say things differently.

1. Are you looking for opportunities in the organization to develop all the people who work with you?
This is something I've honestly focused on with the Care Week team. I'm looking to develop them as leaders and as doers and organizers. I want them to keep coming back to find great success in BYUSA and be future leaders in our organization. In just the 7 weeks we've been working together I've seen much growth in many of the team members, Tori especially. I see her as a future E.D. in the clubs area.

This project is more than just trying to put on a killer Care Week. It's also about the experience that my team is having with BYUSA and the feelings of belonging and accomplishment which come with it.

2. Does it matter if they are different from you?
I'm actually quite happy that they are not like me. If we had 8 Petes on the team then we would really be in trouble. The fact that they are different is underlying strength of the team. The only thing we need to have in common is a purpose. The skills and abilities of each team member are critical to making the event a success. As soon as a team realizes that they don't have to be the same is when the team takes its first step towards greatness.

For example, Emily has the love and respect of the entire team which she uses to influence the rest of the team to fulfill their responsibilities. No one wants to let Emily down.

Hannah is always happy and positive which is infectious. Brandon brings comic relief and Ciaira cares more about people than anyone I've ever met.

3. Do you enjoy working with people who have diverse perspectives and opinions?
I enjoy working with all sorts of people... now. There was a dark time in my life when I wanted to work with people like me exclusively. I now realize how much I would be missing out on if I still subscribed to that same belief. It takes all kinds.

The Gray Area

What does integrity really mean to you? How do you know personally when you are displaying integrity?

Integrity is maintaining the same righteous morals and principles in all situations. Integrity means being morally consistent. When I think about integrity I am always reminded of the verse in the Book of Job that says, "Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason."
Even though Job was faced with crushing challenges he still maintained his integrity. He stayed the course even though it was difficult.


When you do something which allows you to maintain your integrity you can just feel it. You feel uncompromised and true. The act stands on its own. You don't need excuses, explanation, validation or justification.


Choose one of the development suggestions, or your own, to work on this week.  What did you choose? Why? How did it go?


Don't make promises if you are not reasonably certain you can and will keep them. 


This week I've been trying to only promise what I can deliver on. I chose this one because in the past I have struggled with this in an effort to be a bearer of good news. I make promises that I'm not sure if I can make happen just because I want to be a slimmer and BYU clean-shaven Santa Clause. Sometimes it is hard because you want to give people hope and give the masses something to look forward to. At other times we overestimate our power and ability to make things happen. It is better to promise nothing rather than give some inquiring soul false hope. 


I feel like I had some success with this suggestion this week in dealing with my Care week team. I was much more realistic with them instead of promising things I wasn't sure I could deliver on. 


Think of someone you know who displays integrity regularly.  What do they DO to demonstrate integrity? How does that impact you?


Hilary Fullmer is a woman who displays constant integrity. I can always count on her to do the right thing, regardless if it be inconvenient, unpopular, or otherwise. She shows her integrity in small ways which have big consequences. One of the ways she shows and maintains her integrity is by encouraging others to maintain their integrity. She isn't blown around by every wind of social pressure but stands firm in what she knows is right. She lifts others up because she is standing on higher ground.   Her example of integrity makes me want to live my life in similar fashion. She gives me hope that I can be a man of integrity.  






  

Adrian's Miracle

What are some ways that you have encouraged others to generate creative, resourceful solutions to problems and what were the outcomes? Please use a specific incident in your answer.


One of the recent experiences I've had with encouraging someone was with my Care week advertising Wizard, Taylor Carver. At first she was worried about my vision and the things I wanted to see for the Care week theme and brand. Then one day she came into the office and we had what people in the biz would call a heart to heart. I encouraged her to make the Care week brand her own personal project, her "baby" if you will. She responded to this encouragement like a real solider. She began thinking of great ideas and was uninhibited by the shackles of my personal vision. She came up with great themes and possible brands all on her own. The creativity really began when I told her she had the lead and the freedom on this project. It was incredible to see what she was capable of.

In your opinion, what are the most important behaviors (as defined in your student manual) in getting results with a project or problem? Explain why you have chosen these ad use specific personal examples to add merit to your claim.

The two most important behaviors in getting results are communicates powerfully and prolifically, inspires and motivates others to high performance, and builds relationships. The truly great leaders of history knew that surrounding yourself with the right people and using their abilities to achieve results was the sure way to success. When you get people on the same page and seeing the same vision, you enhance the probability of getting results because you are cashing in on the skills of more than just one person.

You can see this principle in action in the early days of the Church. Joseph Smith was not good at everything and openly admitted that fact. He was a master however of communicating, inspiring, and building relationships. He was able to achieve great results because he used the abilities of those around him. This is especially evident when the Saints built Nauvoo.


What are your personal strengths in getting results on projects or problems, and how can you use and implement them in your current leadership position to benefit your team?


I believe my personal strengths in getting results are my ability to organize and communicate with people. I would like to use my ability to organize in the effort of making this Fall 2010 Care week the most successful Care week to date. We want more advertising, more participation, and more money raised for worthy causes. To do this I'll need to be incredibly well organized and responsible. As far as communicating with people, I want to use that ability to form stronger relationships with club presidents and their members. This year as a clubs area we are working on changing the perception of BYUSA in the eyes of the student body, one student at a time. If I can just do this one small thing, I believe the area will be greatly benefited as my fellow team members use their personal strengths to pursue the same vision and goals.

Dr. Cox and Hedgehogs

Remembering that you don’t have to be good at everything, what are two or three strengths that you have developed in your life and that set you apart from others?

Two of the things which I have developed to set me apart from others are a capacity to think creatively and an ability to connect with people. My goal in regards to these strengths is to always think outside of the box and make people feel like we've been best friends for a life time so that they will feel comfortable.

Why do you think General Norman Schwarzkopf felt that character is more important than strategy?

Character is more important than strategy because character is forever. Character lasts and is universal. It works in every situation and never goes out of style. Strategy is only a temporary fix to any problem. Make character your compass and everything else will take care of itself. Character is all you really need.

In your BYUSA assignment, what have you chosen as your “hedgehog,” or the thing(s) that you will do better than anyone else?

My hedgehog is going to be my ability to form relationships with people. I'm going to be closer and more aware of my volunteers and the people I work directly with than anyone else. I will take great care to make my volunteers feel like they are making a difference and that they are valued.

In Nathan's Ward

Motive is the central element of the Divine centered Leadership Model. Please describe what motivates you to volunteer as a leader in BYUSA.

A sense of accomplishment and making a difference are the things which motivate me the most in my BYUSA service. There is no better feeling than realizing that you have accomplished something worthwhile. At the end of our merciless blitz of club advertising on unsuspecting freshmen at NSO, my volunteers and I were covered in Otter Pop juice. We had been in the heat all day, we were sunburned and exhausted but that sense of accomplishment made it all worth it.

Making a difference in students' BYU experience is remarkable. It's really what keeps you coming back when life has you strapped into the dog sled of tribulation and is cracking the whip over your head.

In the Quote that was a part of last nights discussion, Theodore Roosevelt gives credit in life to those who are “In the Arena.” Describe what you think it means to be in the Arena, and how you plan to be involved this year and throughout your lives.

Being "In the Arena" means living life with gusto and living it to it's fullest. It may not always be pretty but the man in the arena is consistently trying, giving his best effort everyday and in every fight he finds himself engaged in. The man in the arena is focused and concentrates his energies on the task at hand.

This year I plan on having that same focus and singleness of mind. When it's time to serve I don't want to be thinking about other things. I plan on giving my full attention to the task at hand, trusting that if I attack the other areas of my life with the same resolve, everything will turn out for the best.

Divine-centered leaders need to know each heart. Describe an experience you have had with a leader who has taken time to know you. How did their efforts improve your experience? How can you reach out to those you lead?

My mission president, the Honorable Ronald J. Dunn, was a leader in my life who took the time to know me. His efforts with me were far deeper than just your mediocre small talk or casual attempt at pretending you know someone. His interest and care for me made my mission. It improved my ability as a missionary and gave me the confidence to lead when the time came.

I want out to those I lead the same way in which President Dunn reached out to me. I want to take an active interest in my volunteers' lives and be there for them the same way my mission president was there for me. I will let each one know that he or she is a valuable part of the team and that their specific talents and abilities are appreciated and needed.