Being Heard & Hearing Others in Council Meetings | A How I Lead Interview with Sara Payne & Dale Williams

Sara Payne is currently serving as the stake Relief Society
president in Billings, Montana, and previously served as a branch
Relief Society president in rural Maine. She loves Relief Society
and considers it one of her purposes to help women in the Church
understand that they belong and are wanted and needed in this great
organization. Sara is a relationship coach and spends her days
helping women who are married to physicians to create thriving
marriages. Dale Williams has served in elders quorum, as a bishop
and bishop's counselor, and in a stake presidency. He is currently
a stake president in Billings, Montana. Dale is a business owner
and practices as a chiropractor. Highlights 02:30 Introduction to
Stake President Dale Williams and Stake Relief Society President
Sara Payne in Billings, Montana. 04:45 Sara’s past experience and
getting called as stake Relief Society president. 06:20 Dale shares
his experience extending callings. He called Sara because she is a
person who thinks outside the box. 09:45 Sara talks about beginning
her calling and the intimidation she felt. 11:20 Dale talks about
coming together and gathering ideas and thoughts. This creates an
atmosphere of openness. 14:50 Dale describes the culture of the
meetings they have as stake leaders. Things that he has found that
work and don’t work. 16:15 The stake president states his opinion
last. He lets everyone else speak and share first. This is a way he
can also gain revelation. 18:50 There is a difference between
respecting our leaders and putting them on a pedestal, like they
are all knowing. 20:00 Reaching for unity. Go into any interaction
knowing that you are on the same team even though opinions might
differ. 23:00 Dale shares an experience of not agreeing and
changing things up in the stake. 27:15 Sometimes we have to let go
of who can do it the most effectively. Let everyone serve in their
own way. 29:00 Dale has one-on-one meetings every month with Sara.
She leads the discussion normally and takes time to prepare for it.
31:30 At the beginning of any meeting or one-on-one they begin by
talking about a concern they have or gospel principle and counsel
together before getting to the agenda items. They unify their
thinking and come together. 33:10 Sara was very intimidated in
stake councils to share her opinions and speak up. She talks about
the things that helped her feel safe and open up. 35:40 Dale and
his counselors share what they are going through. They are
vulnerable. He has found that it’s not normally in our strengths
that we come together but in our weaknesses. 38:10 What it means to
be heard. Being heard doesn’t mean getting your way. 40:30 It’s not
about what the leader can do but what they can help others do.
Links Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Watch on YouTube Get
14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast
is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts 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,
Lynn G. Robbins, 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. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual
conferences, and live events related to callings such as the
bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth
leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young
adults, ministering, and teaching.