In this How I Lead episode, Kurt talks with two stake Relief Society presidents about their experiences and the principles of leadership they have learned while serving.
Angela Griffiths
Angela Griffiths lives in Sale, UK, near Manchester, England, where she has served as a stake Relief Society president for four years. She is an IT teacher and also has a degree in educational leadership and management, and has also served as a stake Primary president and stake Young Women president.
Highlights
4:25 About her stake in the Manchester area
5:20 Had not been a ward Relief Society president first
6:40 Principle 1: The importance of being organized

* Regular monthly meetings with minutes, planning ahead, seeing what training is needed for the wards and being proactive

9:40 Principle 2: The importance of relying on prayer

* Recognizing inspiration and being flexible to follow it
* 11:45 Brainstorming ideas and creating mind maps
* 12:45 Praying to help the sisters become more unified: inspired to have a Relief Society camp for three days with a variety of activities

17:10 Manchester pageant: change management and getting people on board
23:15 Working with the stake presidency to plan the ward conferences for the year
24:30 Meeting with the bishops, preparing to reopen church meetings
26:15 Learned to rely more on her counselors
Jennifer Coleman
Jennifer Coleman lives in Rutland, Vermont, where she serves as a stake Relief Society president. Originally from Seattle, Washington, she and her husband also serve in mission leadership in the New Hampshire Manchester Mission.
Highlights
30:50 Receiving the call to serve
32:10 Church experience and also serving in the mission
34:00 Coordinating council of stake Relief Society presidents
37:10 About her stake and visiting each unit
39:30 Principle 1: Speak up in meetings
42:00 Principle 2: When discussing a topic or challenge with your presidency, before telling them what you think, ask them first what they think
43:25 Principle 3: Decide what is of most value to you and your leadership and don’t try to duplicate what others have done

* Choice to visit the units more frequently instead of putting their energy into a project the previous presidency had established

46:45 Not being afraid to fail
Simplifying projects
50:00 Principle 4: When problem-solving, you may need to take some non-traditional approaches
Suggestion to use a talking stick to keep sisters who talk over others in meetings
Having difficult conversations
55:15 Principle 5: Often the little things you do as a leader are much more important than the big things

* Decision to put more energy into one-on-one interactions than into big events