How I Lead on the High Council | Interviews with Dave LeFevre and Jeff Ehlers

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Dave LeFevre and Jeff Ehlers are both serving as members of their stake high councils and share the leadership principles they have learned in this calling.

Dave LeFevre

Dave LeFevre lives northeast of Seattle in Maltby, Washington, and works in e-learning for SAP Concur. Originally from San Diego, he lived in Utah for a time and attended Brigham Young University. Dave has been a presenter at BYU Education Week and is currently serving for the fourth time on the high council in his stake.

Highlights

06:00 His first calling to the high council was a learning experience 07:15 How his stake presidency uses their high council, counseling together as well as sending them out to the wards 09:20 Format and discussions as a high council and how they communicate and share information 11:25 How speaking assignments are handled, rotating through the wards 12:50 Leadership Principle: Speaking assignments are opportunities to engage with the ward leadership

13:30 Arrive early and greet the ward members
16:40 Connect with the bishopric by email in advance, checking in with what is happening in the ward
17:50 Look to the bishoprics for topics to talk about, getting specific for the ward

20:10 Leadership Principle: One of the most important responsibilities we have is to thank people

22:20 Being specific and detailed with gratitude creates connection

24:45 Leadership Principle: High councilors are more coaches than players, especially working with an assigned ward or organization

Advising from knowledge of principles
26:25 Being a neutral, listening ear for the bishop
28:00 Being an expert on the handbook

29:50 Leadership Principle: Building a relationship of trust with others is especially important to be effective, which is mostly done by respecting their stewardship and keys

You are the advisor and supporter, not there to tell others what to do

33:25 Training other high councilors: be flexible and finish your talk on time, watch for opportunities to serve and be a part of your assigned ward 36:30 Being a disciple is being a learner

Jeff Ehlers

Jeff Ehlers lives in Meridian, Idaho, but grew up in rural Shelley, Idaho, and served a mission to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He earned bachelors and masters degrees in accounting from Brigham Young University, and a masters degree in business from the University of Utah. Jeff has started four companies and currently works full-time as CFO for a medical device company. He has served on his stake high council for a year.

Highlights

38:00 21 days of digital missionary work and using recently-returned missionaries 41:30 Transitioning into serving on the high council, his first stake calling, and being a step away from engaging with the general membership to working with the leaders 44:10 Being the rookie on the high council is an opportunity to learn

Serving as an advisor for the young women, responsibility for stake social media, and opportunities to serve with the area Spanish-speaking branch

48:45 The Self-Reliance Initiative fits the concept of living your life in beta: recognizing yourself as an unfinished product but improving yourself by putting yourself out there 51:40 Advising the young women

Respecting their position and right to revelation for their calling
52:50 Having their back/being the fifth presidency member
53:15 Lesson learned to do what the youth are doing and getting to know the people you are serving

55:35 Leadership Principle: Being a delegate or being a representative

Sometimes a high councilor is representing the stake presidency as if they were there, other times he is taking responsibility and making choices in an assignment

59:10 Leadership Principle: Innovation

There is a lot of room for innovation in the handbook
Asked the stake presidency and returned missionaries to record interviews for social media so they could connect with people during the pandemic
What could we do vs. What should we do, and questioning past traditions
Expanding social media from a missionary focus to reaching out to the members

1:07:10 Serving on member councils allowed him to experience the mercy and grace of the Savior