Young Women - Leadership Thought - Lead Through Example

This is a leadership thought that I shared with the other leaders when I was YW President.

"Leadership is the ability to encourage the best efforts of others in working toward a desirable goal."Spencer W. Kimball (March 1976 Ensign page 4)

Lead Through Example

Learning leadership is an important part of being a teen in the Young Women program. As the adult leaders it is most important you practice and display good leadership skills. Below is a basic list of the most important principles of leadership that you should be practicing at all times.

Integrity... Your example of integrity and standing for truth and righteousness is critical as a leader. You must see that the standards of the church are maintained so that your ward or stake program also shows integrity.

This Young Women value is the end result of keeping all the other values. Integrity is not something that can be taken on and off while traveling to and from the church building, it is a way of life and the result of a pure heart.

Read the pamphlet "For the Strength of Youth" carefully and be certain that you are following all of the guidelines.

Be studying the scriptures and constantly improving yourself. Integrity is the most important of all leadership qualities as it brings meaning and sincerity to everything you teach.

Too often, Young Women leaders who want so much to be accepted by the teens they are called to lead that they take off some of their integrity and participate in humor that doesn't fit with the standards, encourage music that doesn't uplift the spirit, speak of watching movies that would degrade the soul, etc. While these may make an adult leader popular for a time, it brings with it a loss of respect and makes the commandments of God appear to be a smorgasbord from which you can pick and choose. While no one would intentionally teach this, we can unintentionally do so.

Focus on the Mission: As a leader part of your calling is to focus on the mission. We can become so involved with planning fun activities, making interesting lessons, attending many meetings, etc. that we can forget that our mission is to bring Young Women closer to Christ. Look often and carefully at your program to be sure that the activities haven't become merely entertaining or more like what is found in the world. If your Young Women don't feel a special spirit at these activities and are lifted spiritually, eventually they will not see a need to attend with any more importance than other worldly events. Be careful not to fall into the trap of thinking your main job is to entertain -- while Young Women activities should be enjoyable and fun, there are those who get so interested in providing entertaining activities in hopes of making the program more attractive to the less active girls that the program itself is no longer up lifting nor fills the real purpose.

Provide Vision. Love those You Serve. Have Sense of Humor.