I Love My Ward! | An Interview with Clint Pulver

Jul 24, 2025

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This is a rebroadcast. The episode originally aired in March 2021.

Clint Pulver is an Emmy Award-winning, motivational keynote speaker, author, musician, and workforce expert. The president and founder of The Center for Employee Retention, Clint has transformed how corporations create lasting loyalty through his work and research as “The Undercover Millennial”. His book I Love It Here shares how extraordinary leaders create companies their people never want to leave, and in this interview he helps translate some of that wisdom into local leadership in the Church. Clint is currently serving as a bishop.

Links

I Love It Here: How Great Leaders Create Organizations Their People Never Want to Leave
clintpulver.com
Instagram @clintpulver
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Highlights

4:40 Writing a book with lots of research was a difficult project
7:35 Culture changes in different wards come down to leadership
9:00 Engagement is low due to the pandemic but we can change some things even now
10:20 “Let me know when it gets to the part about me”: getting to the people in the gospel is what builds a stronger culture
13:25 Give them a reason to connect with you; make the little efforts to connect with people
15:30 “Who said the guy wanted a fish?” Ask people what they want; do more listening than talking
17:30 Traditional leadership vs. mentorship and personal connection
19:30 Four types of leaders

The leader who is removed
The buddy
The controller
The mentor

24:15 Do you have the right people in the right places?

27:25 When inviting someone to a calling, make an invitation, talk about the expectations, and look for some buy-in

31:10 Status interviews and the power of meeting regularly

Not a performance review
Three questions:
1. What can we do to keep you more engaged?
2. What’s getting in the way of your success?
3. What can I do to help you get there?
35:15 Start with a check-in and vocal praise
37:00 Repeat back so they know they were heard and understood
Follow up on what you said you would do
Create a growth development plan with them
Invoke the help of other people and make it simpler for you

40:00 Core values and a vision: keep it simple and memorable
42:30 Reflective questions

Be open to feedback
The to-don’t list

47:35 Story of the business leader who was open and vulnerable, leading to a sense of ownership for her employees
51:00 Look for inspiration through association and connection with other people
53:00 What do you offer that Google can’t?
54:20 “I love who I am when I’m here”

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