Helping Others be Heard and Earning Their Buy-in | A How I Lead Interview with Ashley Smith

Ashley Smith is serving her second term as mayor of Cañon City,
Colorado, after serving on the city council four years prior.
Ashley serves on the Region 15 Opioid Governance Committee, Cañon
City Schools Compass Advisory Committee, Cañon City Urban Renewal
Authority, Community Solutions for Homelessness, and Fremont’s
Exceptional Women Board. She is a member of her local Lion’s and
Rotary clubs, has a black belt in women’s self defense, and is a
graduate of Brigham Young University. Her current church calling
allows her to hang out with her favorite constituents of all time,
the 9-11-year-old Primary children. She and her husband, Dr. David
Smith, have six children and two grandchildren and enjoy skiing and
hiking the Colorado mountains together. Highlights 01:45 Kurt
introduces Ashley and the topics of the episode. 03:00 The stake
president and Ashley agreed that her calling was to serve in the
community and that was just as important as having a calling inside
the Church. 07:00 Ashley speaks to being a woman in politics and
her experience. 10:30 Ashley felt called by God to serve her
community. She ran for city council and then mayor. 13:40 Ashley
shares her family’s back story and being raised to be a strong
woman. She felt ready and willing to be a leader and get her voice
heard. 15:55 Advice to women that feel like their voice isn’t being
heard. 18:00 As a leader you have to have a thick skin. Ashley’s
tips to have a thick skin. Understand that the issue isn’t
personal, it’s more about the topic or issue. Keep the bigger
picture in mind. It’s not about you or the other person but about
the bigger issue. When you feel attacked, be civil and listen
anyway. 20:45 You will always be disliked by some. What do you do
with the people that don’t like you? Focus on what you like about
them. Remember that sometimes they are right and you are wrong.
Take time to listen to their perspective. They need to feel heard.
24:40 Shifting from city council to being mayor. Learning to be a
figurehead. 28:50 How do you gain buy-in? As a leader in the church
you wouldn’t use this with doctrine but with some aspects of
administration. 33:30 Making assumptions is when we tell ourselves
that something is true without having any evidence that it is. Make
sure that you investigate what is really going on. 39:30 Is there a
role in your community that you could step into? Serving the
community is a way to take care of God’s people. 41:10 Ashley
shares her testimony and what she has learned from being a leader.
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