Leading in Times of Challenge with Beth Shelton

Beth Shelton is the current CEO of Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa, boasting 13,500 members in four states. She was named to the Des Moines Register’s2020 and 2017 lists of “People to Watch”and honored as part of the Business Record’s 40 Under 40 in 2017 as well.

Shelton is involved with the board of the Iowa Amputee Golf Association, which helps provide scholarships for families affected by limb loss. She coaches youth softball and basketball and serves as a troupe leader for one of the largest Girl Scouts troupes in Iowa.

Beth Shelton Leadership Tips

In January of 2016, when she took the reins of the Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa organization, Shelton remembers feeling overwhelmed in her first year. As she evaluated what to tackle first in her new position, she decided to concentrate on the people and culture. In doing so, she saw transformative results within that first year and every year since.

In order to get her team on board, she focused on communicating her vision over time. She listened thoughtfully as the current stakeholders and staff shared their thoughts through one-on-one meetings. From there, Shelton had to take action to get buy-in from staff. Early on, she worked to get big wins to show her staff that she was listening and willing to make change throughout the organization.

Shelton touches on ways she recharges during stress. She says she carves out time for reading — her latest favorite is "Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen" by Dan Heath — and is intentional about increasing exercise through kickboxing to connect with others and take care of her physical health.

The Leading in Times of Challenge podcast was previously produced by the Greater Des Moines Partnership. To learn more about community events and leadership, check out The Partnership blog.