The Helaman Principle | An Interview with Jeff Mask

Jeff Mask FINAL.mp4

Jeff Mask, an executive coach and YSA bishop, discusses applying Christ-centered coaching strategies to ecclesiastical service, examining how leaders can overcome condescension and elevate the rising generation through what he calls the “Helaman Principle.”

Jeff is a business growth and leadership expert, international speaker, and executive coach who helps CEOs and leaders around the world scale their businesses without losing their souls or their families. He is also the founder of Mask Principles.

At church, Jeff has spent over two decades serving youth across California, Arizona, and Utah, and currently serves as the bishop of a young single adult (YSA) ward in Provo, Utah. He and his wife, Sherry, have been married for over two decades and are the parents of four children.

Key Insights

  • The Helaman Principle (TLC): Inspired by Helaman’s respectful address of the stripling warriors, the framework focuses on Thinking about those you lead through the lens of charity, using generative and respectful Language, and providing forward-looking Clarity.

  • Asking over Telling: Behavior shifts sustainably when leaders ask inspired questions that invite personal revelation and agency, rather than dispensing unsolicited counsel.

  • Combating Unconscious Condescension: Adults often label young adults as “kids” or “future leaders,” inadvertently creating defensive barriers. Treating them as current peers and capable leaders invites mutual respect.

  • Generative Language and Expectations: Spoken words and nonverbal cues shape culture. Anticipating positive outcomes and modeling unconditional love eliminates the self-fulfilling cycle of mutual frustration.

  • Discerning the Two Voices: Leaders and members can overcome paralyzing shame by contrasting what the Savior would say verbatim against what Satan would say, choosing to internalize Christ’s message of grace.

Leadership Applications

  • Ask Permission to Advise: Before offering direct guidance in one-on-one interviews, ask, “Would you like counsel on that?” This preserves the individual’s agency and signals emotional safety.

  • Foster True Ward Council Ownership: Engage youth and young single adults by debating real ward challenges rather than rubber-stamping predetermined decisions, treating them as current decision-makers.

  • Prompt Vision-Driven Exercises: Have individuals write down 5–10 descriptive words capturing what they want their future marriage, calling, or life to look like, anchoring their actions in clear spiritual creation.