Leading‏‏‎ ‎Like Elder David B. Haight | An Interview with Jim Ritchie

Over the last 45 years, Jim Ritchie has been the founder or principal of multiple business adventures, including serving as senior vice president for Franklin Quest (now Franklin Covey). He is a member of the Brigham Young University President’s Leadership Council for both Provo and Hawaii campuses, a member of the National Advisory Council for the Marriott School of Business, and has served as an adjunct professor at Provo. He has also served as a board member and NAC advisor to Southern Virginia University. Jim and his wife Carolyn Orton have spent over 20 years serving full time in Church service on four continents, including as bishop, stake president in Simi Valley, mission president in Roanoke, Missionary Training Center president in Ghana, Institute director in New Zealand, CES area director in Africa, regional representative in the Provo Region, director of the Willes Center at BYU-Hawaii, and most recently as the young single adult specialists for the Washington DC South Mission. The Ritchies have eight children and forty grandchildren. He is also the principal founder of the Ritchie Enterprises LLC which began in the late '60's, and part of The Ritchie Group, of which he says he is "the gray hair". Links Launching a Rising Generation of Leaders | An Interview with Steven Hitz and Michael Leonard There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts. Read the transcript of this podcast Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 1:45 Jim shares his story. He got polio when he was 1 year old. When he started talking at two he had a stutter. Despite his impediments and inadequacies he was able to laugh it off and was in student leadership growing up. 4:45 He thought because of his problems that he wouldn’t serve a mission. He tried to run away but thanks to church leaders stepping in he ended up serving in Scotland. 6:30 Jim thought he would fail on his mission because of his stutter. He was the missionary that didn't speak until he got a companion that changed his life. 11:40 When Jim was about to come home from his mission in Scotland Elder David B. Haight gave him some advice. The formula for happiness and success is: Get up early Work hard Get your education Find your oil Make your mark in life Give back and serve others 13:05 The work ethic of Elder Haight 14:15 He was a limping, stuttering, chicken-farmer kid. In his patriarchal blessing it said that he would travel for the Church, have friends all over the world, and witness before many. Heavenly Father knows who we are and what we can become. 17:20 The organization of the mission. Jim was a mission president and applied a lot from what he learned from Elder Haight. 20:20 Give a kid a position, explain to him what it means to live up to it, and let him rise up to it and become a leader. Jim shares his leadership journey. 25:40 How can we be better mentors? Look at the story of Moses. 29:45 When Jim got home from his mission and went to BYU, got married, and had children. He started 27 businesses. 35:10 If he could go back in time and mentor himself as a new bishop. Jim shares what he learned from David Haight on his mission in Scotland and how it impacted his leadership in the Church. 43:50 The story behind getting called to be a mission president 45:40 Where do you start when becoming a mission president? 48:30 When a new missionary comes in how do you train them and get them into the culture of the mission? 50:00 Jim’s wife’s role in the mission 51:00 Striking up a balance between raising and mentoring your children and serving in leadership roles 54:00 How to get people on board and excited with new ideas, programs, and leadership? 57:50 Giving autonomy to mission leaders instead of giving orders. Creating a Zion mission. 1:01:30 Jim reflects on his life. By going on a mission and meeting David Haight it changed the course of his life.