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. He is also an associate leadership professor at the College of Business and Economics at California State University-Fullerton. He holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources from Indiana University, and a B.A. from Brigham Young University. As a consultant, he works with organizations to develop their leaders and improve their culture.

Ryan is the author of The Elevated Leader and Success Mindsets. He has written multiple articles for Leading Saints, presented at a live event about mindsets, and is a repeat podcast guest. As Ryan reviewed leadership research, he found it primarily answered one question: “What do leaders need to do to be effective?” The focus of his work has been on “What do leaders need to be to be effective?”

This podcast is a follow-up to a previous discussion about vertical development as individuals and leaders in the church. Listen to Part 1 here.

02:10 Introduction and Ryan talks about the book that he recently released

04:40 Focus on vertical development not only works in the office but within the family

06:15 Ryan breaks down vertical development and how it’s different from horizontal development

09:00 Retreats are to help focus on our own character development or vertical development. It’s so much more than just gaining more knowledge.

13:00 Researchers have found that adults can develop but most don’t

16:00 We force our youth to get into uncomfortable situations where they can learn and grow. However, as adults we refuse to do things that are uncomfortable.

18:00 A heat experience. They are externally or internally driven. These are experiences that cause us to change.

19:30 Can we apply this idea of vertical development in our church meetings?

23:00 A necessary prerequisite for vertical development is vulnerability. So as church leaders it’s important to be vulnerable and create a space for others to be vulnerable too.

25:20 Ryan shares some of his past trauma and what he has learned from it in his vertical development journey. He applies it to church leaders.

30:20 What makes us, as leaders?

32:40 Experiences as a child can affect us as adults and how we lead. Even if you didn’t have dramatic trauma in your past, everyone has some sort of trauma.

33:40 Kurt shares his personal experience

36:15 Look into your past. What has happened to you? What type of leadership have you experienced? What was your testimony development like? How are all these things impacting or impeding your vertical leadership development?

36:50 Ryan gives examples of how past trauma affects current leadership

41:30 The journey to becoming a more positive influence, a better leader, and more like our Savior is foundationally a healing journey

45:00 We need to stop comparing our pain and trauma. Everyone’s pain matters.

51:00 It can be helpful to look into the history of trauma in your family

54:15 Past trauma affects how we parent and connect with others

58:00 Less vertically developed leaders focus on results and outcomes. The best leaders focus on the leading indicators, not the lagging indicators.

1:00:00 Watching other people go through vertical development

1:06:20 Vertical development is a focus on elevating our being and not just focusing on our doing

1:08:40 The first step is self awareness. Take the time to learn more about vertical mindsets. Once we become self aware and learn we can take action.

1:14:00 Final encouragement that Ryan has for leaders

Part 1: The Research Behind Becoming Christlike | An Interview with Ryan Gottfredson
Success Mindsets: Your Keys to Unlocking Greater Success in Your Life, Work, & Leadership
The Elevated Leader: Level Up Your Leadership Through Vertical Development
ryangottfredson.com
Vertical development assessments

Vertical development article: Two Ways to Develop as a Church Leader
The Body Keeps the Score
Kurt’s book recommendations

TRANSCRIPT coming soon
Watch on YouTube

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The Leading Saints Podcast has ranked in the top 20 Christianity podcasts in iTunes, gets over 500,000 listens each month, and has over 10 million total downloads 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, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, J. Devn Cornish, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, DeAnna Murphy, Michael Goodman, Richard Ostler, Ganel-Lyn Condie, and many more in over 500 episodes.

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