REXBURG—Students do not need a management position, a church calling or a college degree to begin leading. For Greg Angus, a healthcare administration faculty member at BYU-Idaho, leadership begins with recognizing opportunities to serve.
Angus is one of the keynote speakers at the Ignite Leadership Conference held Nov. 12 in the Taylor Cultural Hall. Ahead of the conference, he spoke with BYU-Idaho Radio about disciple leadership and how students can follow Jesus Christ’s example in everyday situations.
“Don’t wait to be a leader,” Angus said. “You can do that now. You can have an impact even today.”
Before joining BYU-Idaho’s faculty in 2019, Angus worked in healthcare administration at academic teaching hospitals across the country. His experience included positions with UPMC, University of Wisconsin Health and University of Colorado Health, where he helped oversee medical and surgical specialties.
Those experiences shaped his understanding of leadership. While budgeting, meetings and operations were important responsibilities, Angus said his most meaningful work involved getting to know employees, understanding their contributions and removing obstacles that prevented them from succeeding.
“Good leaders realize that the people that they’re leading have tremendous potential, and the most important job of a leader is to develop other leaders,” Angus said.
His decision to return to BYU-Idaho was influenced by his experience as a student and the mentorship of Dennis Tolman, who helped establish the university’s healthcare administration program. Tolman continued supporting Angus throughout his career, inspiring him to offer that same guidance to students.
Now, Angus finds meaning in helping students prepare for employment and graduate school. He also wants them to recognize that leadership development includes mistakes, feedback and moments of uncertainty.
“Failure is just a part of the process,” Angus said. “it’s not a matter of if; it’s you know, it’s when.”
He encouraged students to seek feedback and reflect on setbacks, treating them as opportunities to become better leaders. Young professionals can build trust by acknowledging what they do not know and showing a sincere desire to support their teams.
Ahead of the conference, Angus said he planned to share a personal experience involving a 10K race with his sister, along with lessons from the Savior’s ministry. His goal was to help students recognize opportunities to practice disciple leadership through everyday service.
“You don’t need to wait to be a leader until you’re graduated and have a job, or until you have a family, or have a specific calling, you can be a leader now by simply identifying opportunities around you to serve other people and then follow those promptings and to help people along their way,” Angus said.
Angus hopes students recognize they are already disciple leaders and can strengthen those qualities while at BYU-Idaho. He wants them to carry those principles into their careers, families and everyday interactions, leaving the conference ready to act on opportunities to serve and be instruments in the Lord’s hands.