Leadership Interview

I had the opportunity to interview one of the biggest influences and leaders in my life, Mr. Ben Betteridge. We've grown up together and he's been a the greatest builder in my foundation in the gospel. The best part about Ben is he probably doesn't even realize influence he's had on people. He has never tried to lead people with words nor has he ever desired a leadership position, but by his example, he has been a huge influence on me and many of my friends.

Here are a couple select question and answers from the interview:

How do you define leadership?

· A leader to me is someone who can lead both vocally and by complete example.

How does a leader influence others for good?

· By showing others how to be positive and how to be a positive influence on others and not getting down on themselves or others. Especially not others. And never criticize unless it is very clear that it is meant to be constructive to the person you’re trying to influence. If you want to show someone who doesn’t like you how to do something, forget about it, cause its not going to happen.

What qualities do you think a good leader needs to have?

· Patience*

· Outgoing

· High Values

· Integrity

· Walk the talk, but don’t talk about your walk.

If you were to choose one person who represented the ideal leader, who would it be?

· President Monson

o As far as I know, he’s not like some church leaders who are imposing on others. He’s a leader who sees himself as a member of the body. He’s not condescending.

What makes a leader a leader?

· A leader obtains his legitimacy only by the agreement of his peers.

What stuck out to me most from the interview was this:

Walk the talk, but don’t talk about your walk.

I just think that statement defines Ben's style of leadership. It shouldn't matter who knows about what you did, or all the awesome things you've done. What matters is that you represent what you think is good.

This upcoming week in my leadership roles, I'm going to try to be a "silent" leader. I want to just represent who I am by how I act, rather than talking about it. I'm going to try to be less of a visible leader, and more of a supporting character. Granted a movie can't be made with one main actor, what makes a good movie is the whole cast. So being a supporting actor isn't a bad thing or a lowering of my sights or what have you. I think that focusing on this aspect of my leadership will really help me grow! Thanks Ben!