How I Lead: Sunny Morton | Same 10 People

Sunny Morton and her family live east of Cleveland on the shores of Lake Erie near the Canadian border. She was raised in the Chicago area and grew up as the only sister of 5 brothers, which she says prepared her well to work within a ward council setting. When she was 24 she served as a missionary in the California Arcadia Spanish Speaking Mission. After returning home she married and began a family with her husband that includes 3 children ages 8 to 13. She is the primary care giver to her daughter who has Spina Bifida and also helps with her husband who has some health challenges as well. She refers to herself as a busy mid-lifer who also works part time in the genealogy industry. She is a contributing editor and content provider for the Genealogy Gems podcast and blog. A few weeks prior to this interview she was released as her wards Relief Society President where she served for the last 2.5 years. It is evident in this interview that her background and life’s experiences prepared her well to serve the people of that area. Leadership Principles Discussed Include: - How she helped prioritize the focus of the Ward Council to family history work through the formation of a family history committee - What she did as the first relief society president of a newly formed ward to create a sense of community and togetherness - How she used social media and Facebook to help sisters connect and what she did when dissenting views crept up on the walls - How she operated as a woman on the ward council and worked with her fellow quorum and auxiliary leaders - Living like a full time missionary as much as you can both in your personal life and in the ways you serve others - Keeping peoples confidence - Letting the Spirit magnify your calling but also teach you the boundaries - Growing the STPs (Same Ten People) to the NTPs (Next Ten People) - How her transition period worked with the recent calling a new relief society president. - How she got out of the way of families, friends and visiting teachers to respond to their stewardships Links and references mentioned in this episode: The Genealogy Gems Podcast Instructions on how to create free access to premium genealogical services using your LDS account ancestry.com findmypast.com myheritage.com Use of social media and online resources in church callings LDS Tools Google Docs