Taking Youth Engagement From Life-Less to Life-Changing During the Pandemic | An Interview with Jeff Harbach

Jeff Harbach is the CEO of Kaufmann Fellows, an organization helping venture capitalists focus on becoming better versions of themselves. He serves as a bishop in Austin, Texas, Highlights 8:00 The overlap between work and church service 10:00 Leading in uncertain times: Why are we doing what we do? Gathering Israel and helping individuals along the covenant path. 11:30 The brain handles bad news better than it handles uncertainty. Uncertainty and fear come from the adversary. The Savior is completely certain about what we're going through. 14:15 Infusing this into the culture of our organizations * Example of a Christmas gathering during a pandemic: Is there a way to accomplish this in a different way? This requires getting uncomfortable and pushing ourselves. 18:30 Setting a vision in uncertain times: Do it despite uncertainty. Some goals will be met and some will not anyway. * A goal might need to be done differently, but it still needs to be intentional. * 21:00 Goal-setting is the process of creating measurable steps toward the vision, not a test of perfection. * 22:40 Vision is not a feel-good warm blanket, but needs to be taken down to the specifics of the individuals. * 25:20 We have inspired leadership that gives us the framework for what we should be doing, and delegation to allow individuals to receive revelation for the people they are responsible for. * 28:40 Despite uncertainty, we will be looking back and asking how we did with our goals. This is an invitation from the Lord to figure out a new way of ministering. Challenge to come up with just one new thing to do. 31:45 Example of Summer of Heroes project for goal-setting for the youth. There are heroes all around us. 39:30 How can you lead like this without taking over for the youth and allow them to lead? * Their experience is part of this and they will be in different places. Invite them to the process and allow them to learn from their successes instead of their failures: Help them towards that. * Walk alongside them as they have their experience. There is no one size fits all strategy. Maintain communication and help them know they can trust you and always ask for help. 46:00 Results of the Summer of Heroes: reward for striving 50:15 There will always be hard times and something that we can blame for our difficulties, but great things come from hard times. The Lord is preparing the youth for great things. 54:12 Think outside the box and set your goals high despite uncertainty 55:00 SCARF model developed by David Rock * The brain processes physical threats and social threats in the same way. What is being triggered for us? What matters for us? What happens when we are triggered by these things? * 57:40 Newness removes certainty and our brains start to focus on these threats. * Instead, go back to the basics and focus on three areas: diet sleep, exercise. Your body will respond better and it gives you something certain to focus on, bringing control over what you can control and the certainty that comes with it. * Embrace the boring and the minutia. 1:01:50 There is a lot of new and we have been invited to embrace it 1:03:00 Solving problems in the calling he has been given has taught him to rely on the Lord and embrace his relationship with the Savior Links Your Brain at Work, by David Rock