The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Text: LEARNERS to 44222 to be part of 'Mindful Monday'

Episode #397: Carly Fiorina

• Leaders who sustain excellence =
  • Unlock the potential in others
  • Courageous
  • High character -- "How" matters more than what
  • Collaborate well
  • Humble/Empathetic
  • They see possibilities in other people... They don't judge them
  • Optimism combined with realism -- "Seeing people do more than they thought they can is fuel for me."
    • "You need an equal measure of optimism with realism. You must see the current state as it is. It's important to believe things will get better (optimism), but also be clear eyed and realistic. Be honest. See truth, and act on it."
• From secretary to CEO -- "People wouldn't look at em and say that's a leader."
• "Work hard and do excellent work in your current role."
• "What I saw were problems and we fixed problems. I learned that solving problems is what leadership is all about."
  • "Run towards the problems, work to solve them. Don't fixate on getting promoted, focus your attention on doing great at your current job." And then doors will open...
• Choose a path over a plan
  • How you get things done matters more than what you get done... The manner in which you do it. Think long term.
• Focus on where you can make a difference
• A manager versus a leader:
  • Manager -- Works within current constraints of the role. They do the best they can with what they have.
  • Leader -- Changes things. They create new ways of doing things.
• Leaders are made, not born. Focus on building character and working to be excellent
• Carly was recruited to be the CEO of HP. She was the first outside hire to be CEO ever. And the first female CEO of a Fortune 50 company.
• She was named the Fortune magazine most powerful woman in American business for 6 years in a row
  • "When your team is diverse, the team is stronger."
• Competitive nature: "I've always been focused on excellence. But, I've never been a win at all cost person."
  • "It's easy to make a quarter (in the business world, hit your mark for that particular quarter), but you need to get there the right way."
• Criticism as CEO of HP
  • "When you try to change things, you will get criticized."
  • "Criticism is the price of leadership."
• How to handle a board?
  • "A good board considers themselves a team, not a collection of individuals." The HP board was a set of individuals and two of them leaked sensitive information to the press. "Eventually, after I was gone, they got fired."
• Debating with President Trump on stage at the Republican debates... How to be prepared?
  • "Every woman in the world heard what he said."
  • "You need to be prepared, but also be present. Be able to use experience and instinct in the moment."
  • "I didn't prepare for the comment about my appearance, but being present in the room, and having good instincts helped me respond properly."
• "Right now, we are confused what leadership is. We see leaders who promote conflict, criticize, castigate others. That is wrong."
  • "We need to be reminded who leaders are and what they do. Leaders lift others up, they have courage. Everyone can choose to be a leader."
• The idea of privilege:
  • "We cannot judge someone by they circumstances. Whether they come from privilege or they are poor. We should judge them based on their character and their contribution."
  • "If we want to achieve more, if we want to be excellent, it requires people who are different to work together towards a common goal." Shane Show's Dream Teams model for building teams.
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk Episode #306: Brian Koppelman - Follow Your Curiosity And Obsessions With Rigor

Full show notes can be found at www.LearningLeader.com

• Sustaining excellence:
  • Ability to focus on the work
  • Preparedness
  • Ability to collaborate
  • "Being responsible enough to show up on time is surprisingly effective and important"
  • "People that follow their curiosity, obsessions, and passions" -- They truly love what they're doing and work with incredible rigor. If you love what you're doing, it doesn't feel like a job. It's work that's enriching you at the same time.
• "What we're really trying to do as leaders is get people to perform at their highest level and to do it together, because what we do is highly collaborative."
• "I was the kind of person that would read a book and if I liked it, I would stay up all night reading it. And I would learn the words from that book. I would look them up. I loved the way words sounded and I loved the idea of communicating with great efficiency and humor."
• "Where this passion really landed for me, it made sense to do this work. Working with great rigor is a lot easier when you're borderline obsessed with something and when you're curious."
• "Curiosity keeps you diving deeper."
• "I was a frustrated and blocked writer and I was starting to feel that I had made mistakes. But those two hours every morning... Writing. Made me feel alive."
• "And he (my boss) said to me, 'Look, you know you're a writer and that's what you want to do.'"
• "Dude. You do have a half hour a day." You have to make time to do the work.
• "We finished the screenplay. We sent it out and it got rejected by every single agency in Hollywood. I'm not exaggerating."
  • "I wrote down what every person said... And then it sold the next week, and every agency called us back trying to sign us. Nothing was different on the page. I read them all back what they had said and they would all lie back to me. I had them written down on a big yellow legal pad. I read them out loud on a speaker phone. These guys all lied back to us. Nobody just said, 'well I guess I was wrong,' but then they all wanted to sign us. It taught me a great lesson about gatekeepers in the world. They don't always know."
  • "It means don't blindly accept negative feedback from gatekeepers."
• Feedback -- "We have friends/peers in place to give feedback to each other." John Hamburg (Meet The Fockers; I Love You, Man; Along Came Polly). "You want feedback, you need feedback. But you don't want feedback from that jealous old friend who you know secretly doesn't want you to be successful."
• "I don't have people in my life who don't want the best for me. We root for each other... Hard."
• Comfort in your own skin:
  • "It's a lifetime pursuit. It's so hard."
  • "The battle is to accept who you are while not giving up on improving yourself. To continue to try to become the perfected version of you which you can never be. And to accept your own frailties and faults."
  • "One simple place this comes from is to avoid lying. My wife and I don't lie to each other. We've never lied to each other. When you have that to start, it helps with the rest because you're not fronting."
  • "I do morning pages every day, I meditate, I take long walks and think."
  • "When you do all of those things and you live with intention, you start to become more comfortable with who you are."
  • "But each time you stretch and grow and you're rewarded, it encourages you to stretch and grow."
• "Never Fake The Funk" -- "It's about pretending. It's about lying to yourself. Don't pretend, don't lie to yourself. It's really easy to get swept along by other peoples conception of who you are. And by other people's ideas of what success is. Defining success for yourself is crucial."
• "Any interaction I have, I view as an opportunity for growth. For me and the other person."
• Feedback is fuel... Hearing that you've helped someone is the fuel that drives this machine
• Having successful parents and the expectations that come from that...
  • "My dad was very good at showing me what it took to be successful."
  • "For some reason, my dad would always point out, 'there's nothing worse than the son of a rich kid.'"
  • "I never wanted to be looked at as just the son of somebody and just skate. I wanted my parents and sisters to be proud of me. I wanted my kids to be proud of me."
  • "I learned at a young age how to talk to powerful people. To find a way to make them laugh, to not be intimidated by them. Because I grew up around those people, I knew exactly what they're like. That's a gigantic advantage that I had because my father took me to meetings. I watched people sell to him, and I watched him sell to others, so I learned what worked."
  • "My dad was a workaholic, but he really cared about us. He never missed a ballgame. He would go to New York City, work a full day, come home to Long Island, watch me play a decent third base, and then drive back to the city for a meeting. I never wondered 'Is my Dad going to show up for the game, my dad always showed up for the game."
  • "I would never eat dinner until my dad got home. If he was going to be home at 9:00, I would wait up, my dad would come home and we would talk about his day and about business. And just hearing the stories enabled me now to be able to understand aspects of business."
• "Whenever my son asked me to play catch, I would say yes."
• "I always walked my daughter to school. Those little things, kids knowing that, it gives you a kind of closeness. It's having the connection..."
  • "You don't have to start over, you're in the flow. You always have this time."
• Tell your kids, "You did well because you worked hard." Don't say, "You did well because you're smart." Compliment the work ethic.
• Writing Billions on spec... You write it for free, you don't have a deal in place.
  • "We wrote it for us."
  • Showrunner = Responsible for everything you see on the television show. Writing it, overseeing shooting of it, the editing, the design, all of it. Leading 150 people on the show.
• How to make hiring decisions?
  • "No assholes"
  • "We really check references"
  • The work has to be excellent
  • "We hire keys to run departments and trust the keys to hire their departments. Hiring the keys is a lot of time and effort, a lot of meetings."
  • "I want to know that they're really going to kill for it. I want to know that they're a good person. That they'll get along with everyone. We're all there lifting everyone else up. So you need to know that everyone is there for the same reason. 'I love this show and I want it to be great.'"
  • How they hired Damian Lewis -- "We had three long meetings. We each checked with people who had worked with each other. We knew people loved working with him. We knew he showed up prepared."
• How to be creative and innovative... A collaborative process:
  • Recognize people when they do great
  • "The truth is 'hire people that are smarter than you. You never pay a bad price when you hire people that are better than you.'"
  • "Part of not fronting, of not faking the funk, is admitting when you don't know the answer."
  • "Let's get the best idea. Let's source the best idea that we can."
• Career advice:
  • "Do the work."
  • "Think about the story you want to tell and start telling it."
• At thanksgiving, why should you not talk about your new creative endeavor:
  • "It's a lot easier to say I don't have the time than to say I'm scared to do it."
  • "Say what your dream is too soon and someone will shoot it down. Train yourself not to do that."
• Create a whole family (extended family) group chat
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #305: Marcus Buckingham & Ashley Goodall - A Leader's Guide To The Real World (Break All The Rules)

Full show notes can be found at www.LearningLeader.com

Marcus Buckingham holds a master's degree in social and political science from Cambridge University and is a member of the Secretary of State's Advisory Committee on Leadership and Management. He's the author of the international best-seller, First, Break All The Rules.

Ashley Goodall is the co-author, with Marcus Buckingham, of Nine Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader's Guide to the Real World. He is an executive, leadership expert, and author, and has spent his career exploring large organizations from the inside.

Notes from this talk:

• Sustaining excellence:
  • Optimism -- An innate predisposition that things will get better
  • Individualization -- Ability to attract great talent. Knowing that each person has something unique to bring
• "You follow somebody if they give you confidence in the future."
  • "The world will be better if I hitch my wagon to you."
• Great managers/leaders =
  • They know how to surround themselves with the right people -- "If you want a great party, invite great people."
  • They focus on people first
  • They help them. They coach them. They find a path and set expectations.
  • They grow. They make the next step and help others do the same.
• "Talent is more important than experience."
  • Talent = a recurring pattern of thought. Enduring patterns in a person. Hire for those, then train for skills.
• How to find talented people?
  • Ask open ended questions, stay quiet, believe what they say.
  • Ask appetite questions: "What did you love most about that?"
  • Talents are far more about natural appetite
• Feedback:
  • "People need feedback to grow and excel. It grows best not with feedback, but with help."
  • People grown when attention is given to them. "Pay attention to me. My talents." People need attention to what really works in them
• Leaders must look at the real world
  • Idiosyncratic -- The best are...
  • There is a difference between theory world and the real world
• "Learning is an emergent experience." It's inside out... How you do your version...
• How do you measure things that are hard to measure?
  • "Must make a distinction between traits and states."
    • Example of a trait = extroversion
    • Example of a state = mood, skills (can change)
    • Competencies are a combination of both
• Being labeled a "Hi-Po" (high potential) in an organization: "It's made up, not a thing. Toxic because it presumes that some human brains can't/won't grow."
  • "There is no point in having the 'hi-po' conversation. In talent reviews, ask for each person... How will they grow best? Don't use a 9 box grid."
  • "Replace potential for momentum."
• "Work life balance is a very weird aspiration. It's very hard to do it perfectly."
  • "Balance is a way of being stationary. It's not a good way to move through life."
  • "We shouldn't tell people to do this. Health is motion, finding love, finding red threads."
  • "It draws you in. You should move through life. Draw strength from the movement."
• "If a leader has no followers, they're not a leader." -- "Follow-ship is the thing."
• "We all have fears for the future. Find a leader that can see around the corner, we're drawn to that."
• "Be a free thinking leader."

• Use the "Get To Know You Document"
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea

Social Media:

• Read: Nine Lies: A Freethinking Leader's Guide To The Real World
• Follow Marcus on Twitter: @mwbuckingham
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #304: Laura Gassner Otting - How To Carve Your Own Path

Full show notes can be found at www.LearningLeader.com

The Learning Leader Show

"It starts young. We have a world where we are given an identity. We need to think, 'is that really what I want?"

Show Notes:

• Sustaining excellence:
  • Live on the edge of your incompetence -- "The more you talk, the less you listen." Need to be asking questions and listening.
  • Tenacity, grit
  • Put yourself in uncomfortable situations
• Be in a position to learn something new from your failures... "That is delightful."
• "Looking into someone and seeing their greatness."
• Running coach -- "Calm, confident, reflect back to the dream Compete.
• Issues with execution... Why? "We get stuck chasing someone else's dream."
• How do we know? "It starts young. We have a world where we are given an identity. We need to think, 'is that really what I want?"
• The four parts of consonace:
  • Calling -- It's bigger than you
  • Connection - The work actually matters
  • Contribution - It contributes to the life you actually want
  • Control - How much do I have?
• "My mother told me I needed to be a lawyer." -- "I wanted to run for office."
• How did Laura end up in the Clinton Whitehouse?
• "I learned how to show up for others... And be dedicated to excellence"
• "I was a great leader, but a terrible manager." You need to be self-aware
• Advice to new managers:
  • "People want feedback. Ask them if that project reflected their understanding of the assignment or their ability?"
• Laura's TEDx Talk:
  • Stop asking, 'how can I help?'
  • Think, 'what needs to happen?'
• Her fight with Ann Coulter
• Must be willing to change your mind as a leader -- "Our stories are our connections."
• Becoming an athlete -- Laura ran the first mile of her life nine years ago. Now, she's a competitive rower. And she ran in the Boston marathon.
• Confidence is built through doing. Continue to push the boundaries of our own competence.
• Tel Aviv:
  • Hunger
  • Weight
  • Tenacity
  • Speed
  • Grit/Heart
• Don't get in the comparison trap with other people's highlight reels on social media
• Advice she received that's been helpful -- "You're just not that important"
• Study -- Team of Rivals -- About Lincoln
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #303 - General Stanley McChrystal

Full Show Notes can be found at www.LearningLeader.com

A retired four-star general, Stan is the former commander of US and International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) Afghanistan and the former commander of the nation's premier military counter-terrorism force, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). In June 2009, the President of the United States and the Secretary General of NATO appointed him to be the Commander of US Forces Afghanistan and NATO ISAF. His command included more than 150,000 troops from 45 allied countries.

Notes:

• There is a formulaic myth: Leadership is not what we think it is...
  • "I thought it was just behaviors, but that's too simplistic."
  • "Leadership is intensely contextual." A great leader must adapt themselves to the situation.
    • "There's not a style that's perfect for every situation." Vince Lombardi coached differently based on the team he was coaching. Coach K (from Duke) is known to be incredibly adaptable and that's why he's succeeded year after year.
• Important leadership qualities:
  • Great listener -- Pay attention. Marinate in what's happening.
  • Have humility -- Think of the people you serve
• Why General McChrystal went to West Point:
  • Dad, brothers, grandpa were all soldiers. It's in the family.
  • He wanted to be an Army Officer
• Stan struggled his senior year in high school. He lived by himself, his mom had died.
• His Freshman year at West Point, he didn't take the school part seriously and got in trouble.
• He was almost kicked out of West Point.
• However, he got extremely high peer review ratings:
  • His new tactical officer told him, "You're going to be a great officer" -- This was said based on how his peers had so much respect for him as a person. That mentor reached him and made a significant impact on him. "We all need someone like that."
• The power of a mentor/leader who believes in you:
  • It's huge to have someone who mentally maps it out for you and believes in you. Someone that takes time to get in your mind... To care about you. It must be genuine, and when it is, it's powerful.
• Team of Teams: It's hard to scale a lot of small team. It must be organically connected.
• The front line leader -- It's impactful to have a "front line obsession." Be with your team. Show them you care through your actions. In order to fully understand the situation, you need to get out and see it for yourself.
• We often don't have the answers. "You can't fake it. The role of the leader has changed. It used to be command and control. A leader is more like a gardener now. You must orchestrate the pieces of a team, and ensure they are well connected." You want a well connected, curious organization.
• "If when you get on the ground the order we gave you is wrong, execute the order we should have given you."
  • The leader must educate the team to make wise decisions from the front line if the leader is somewhere else. The leader must trust the team to make the right decisions in that moment.
  • "The leader still owns the outcome. The reality is the team will do better if properly trained." Create an organization of trust and speed.

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

302: Nick Kokonas - How To See The Genius In People

Full show notes can be found at www.LearningLeader.com

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • Intellectual curiosity - A desire to learn. Not for the outcome, but for the curiosity to learn more
  • Healthy degree of paranoia - What Jim Collins would call "productive paranoia"
    • In the pursuit of excellence
  • "No one is giving it away for free. It takes effort."
• Balance -- "I get manic at times. I'm not always well balanced." The skill is in being able to turn it on and off... Which can happen over time
• "I've always been curious about how things worked..."
• Why it was helpful to go to Colgate University
  • A Liberal Arts school forced Nick to study areas outside of just his major. Made him more well-rounded
  • He "learned how to learn" -- Forced him to wrestle with existential questions
• Rhetoric -- Can you understand all sides of an issue? Where does ambiguity exist?
  • Need to learn to think critically -- How you do it is more important that you do it
• General advice:
  • "Learn to communicate well. Concisely. Learn to write and speak well.
  • From a psychology perspective, analyze, "what are they really saying?"
• Why he became a derivatives trader:
  • "I got into law school, but didn't want to go."
  • He tested well, but desired his independence
  • "Prestige as part of pay doesn't matter to me."
  • To be great at anything, you must be disciplined to show up everyday -- "My money has always been at risk everyday. Some think that's crazy. But I've always worked to have an edge."
  • How to figure out outcomes as soon as possible
• The decision to leave the world of derivatives trading to open a restaurant... Why?
  • "I took some money off the table... Then my dad died... and I thought, what am I doing? I had no idea what I was going to do next..."
• Meeting Grant Achatz and the impact that had on Nick's life...
  • "He reminded me a lot of myself. He was thoughtful, driven, shy (this was the opposite), and he wasn't afraid of hard work."
  • "I think I have a skill to see the genius in some people."
  • "Grant's work is of artistic genius"
• Doing what you love and are passionate about:
  • "For me the test is... When I wake up in the morning is it nagging at me to do it?"

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #301 with James Kerr

Full show notes can be found at www.LearningLeader.com

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • Humility - An ego-less approach. "Serve to lead" mentality
  • Curiosity - Following passion
  • Value Excellence - Focus on doing the small things right
  • These are transferable principles to any organziation
• The "All Blacks" rugby team "are our Gods in New Zealand."
  • They've won just under 80% of their games in history
  • Scored twice as many points as their competitors
  • The most successful sports team of all time
• Sustained high performance
  • Mana = The God within. The spirit... The ethos that creates excellence decade after decade
• Surprises? "The softness in this hard game. A love, a brotherhood, connection, meaning, caring for one another."
• How have they sustained excellence?
  • Tradition
  • Starts at the top with the leaders
  • Breaking down old orthodox
  • Like the British SAS - "Rank but no class"
  • Leadership group -- It's not just one coach. Everyone's ideas are valued.
• It's a player led team - "Positive power of peer pressure." That feeling of not wanting to let one of your teammates down
  • "You fight more for the person in the foxhole next to you."
  • The Spartan sword and shield. You can lose you sword, but you can never lose your shield. That helps protect your brother.
• Accountability - There is leadership at every level
  • It empowers the individual in a project bigger than themselves
  • How does this work in business?
    • Helps them step up, take ownership, be responsible
• "A leader is responsible for the result. Good or bad."

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #300: Keith & AJ Hawk - How To Instill Work Ethic & Curiosity In Your Kids

Full show notes can be found at www.LearningLeader.com

Keith Hawk is a 32-year veteran sales professional and sales leader. For over ten years he led one of America's greatest sales organizations, at LexisNexis. He continues in a customer focused role to this day at that global organization, speaking to customer groups around the world on the topic of solving business problems with the solutions offered by his firm. In addition, he continues to speak regularly on topics such as consultative selling, selling to executives, and how to effectively lead people. He also happens to be my dad.

AJ Hawk played 11 seasons in the NFL. He was a two-time All American at Ohio State and he also won The Lombardi Award (as a senior at Ohio State) as the countries best defensive player. He was the fifth overall draft pick of the Green Bay Packers in the 2006 NFL draft. He was voted team captain on their Super Bowl winning team in 2010. He finished his career as the all time leading tackler in Green Bay Packer history. AJ is my younger brother.

• Staying sharp after official retirement?
  • "My mind is as clear as it's been in many years. I read more, write more, listen to more podcasts, I learn more now than I ever have."
  • "I never liked getting the question, 'did you get all of your work done?' As a senior leader at a big company, the work was never done. In my role now, I can go give a speech and get the work done."
  • Advice to others - "Stay patient a little bit, you have to find a way to grab hold of your day and take control of it. Don't let others do that to you."
• AJ's progress to improve as a broadcaster:
  • There is no end game
  • Must keep grinding and getting as many reps as possible
  • "You have to jump in and do the work." You can't worry about judgement from others. You have to get the reps. Get on the stage and do it.
• How to handle the follow up to a competitive life in the NFL?
  • Must have realistic expectations... That amount of competition will never happen again. That's okay as long as you're prepared for it
  • Broadcasting is a never ending battle with myself to get better. To improve. "I'm competitive with myself to get better." Learning the intricacies from the greats. "I've learned to be quiet, to let a moment breathe."
• Why are walk-thurs so important in the NFL? Why does a world class athlete need to walk-thru a step for over an hour a day?
  • "The tiny details consistently worked on everyday so they become instincts. In the moment you don't have to think and just rely on the instincts you created. That's why we did so many walk-thrus in the NFL."
  • Why my Dad went to Green Bay for his birthday week every summer? The famous Tom Hanks quote, "I could watch my son brush his teeth all day." And he loved watching world-class athletes work on perfecting their craft.
• Listener question: From Tony Milenberger (member of one of my leadership circles) - With all the different directions you guys are going, how do you still manage to like each other? What rhythms keep you connected in the busy seasons? How does it help your success?
  • We each have different roles and we've worked hard to do a great job at our role. We all have creative outlets and have remained each others biggest fans. We push each other to be better. And when one of the family members reaches a level of fame and fortune (AJ), their ability to remain humble and down to earth is huge. AJ has done that and created a ton of phenomenal family experiences because of it.
• The process of earning my book deal with McGraw-Hill... How it all came about. There was an instant huge belief from Casey Ebro, senior editor from McGraw-Hill. I describe that conversation and why we chose to work together.
• Listener question from Mike Flynn: What is your Dad's greatest hopes for his children and grandchildren?
  • Maslow's hierarchy
    • Economics taken care because of their hard work
    • Fulfilled life with a great spouse
    • Work stimulates us, gets us excited
    • Put our children in a place to be successful
    • Self-actualize -- Live up to what you want to do
• How to handle a situation when you hit a rut?
  • When this happened with my Dad, he always wanted to get directly to the front lines. "When times got tough, I scheduled days in the field to meet with our customers and our front line people. I wanted to be reminded why they did business with us. I wanted to break it down to the bare essentials. How could I do this in a different way? Meeting with them helped." Reminded of the quote, "if it's not broke, fix it." Be proactive. Billy Joel had this happen to him and he rediscovered his love when he went to a new fan base in Russia.
  • With AJ - "When I was struggling or kept getting caught in the garbage of the linemen in front of me, my coach, Winston Moss, would say, 'why don't you take a step back and see what the view is like from there?' A simple step back to gain a new perspective helped.

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #299: Kyle Maynard

Full show notes can be found at www.LearningLeader.com

Kyle Maynard is a motivational speaker, bestselling author, entrepreneur, and ESPY award-winning mixed martial arts athlete, known for becoming the first quadruple amputee to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Aconcagua without the aid of prosthetics.

Oprah Winfrey called Kyle "one of the most inspiring young men you will ever hear about." Arnold Schwarzenegger described him as "the real deal," "a champion human," and "one of the most inspiring people" he's ever met. Even the great Wayne Gretzky has spoken of Kyle's "greatness."

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • Consistent action... Plotting
  • Life is a marathon
  • "I've struggled with this."
• "We live in a society that we think we have to reach the summit"
  • "Climb as hard as you can but relinquish the fact that you've ever arrived." It will never be enough to fulfill you.
• "You've never arrived, you're always becoming."
• "I question what we're driven towards."
• Losing the first 35 matches... His dad told him that no wrestlers win in their first year and convinced him to go back for his second year
• "What you're looking for, you're going to find."
  • A self-efficacy belief. It's in your deeper nervous system... It becomes automatic. His dad planted the seed.
• "We have this illusion in our head, but it doesn't happen overnight."
• "The world will not be tailored for your every need."
• "We are softening the edges, we need to learn how to mentally deal with things."
• "We need to choose conscious suffering."
  • "Voluntary hardship"
• The power of meeting veterans in an airport on a way to giving motivational speeches
  • "It shifted, it wasn't about me." The message helped veterans not commit suicide.
• "It's B.S. to think anyone is self-made. We all need help." The ripple effect.
• Why climb?
  • "I want to experience the world. Just did scuba dive at the Great Barrier reef."
• Crawling 19,340 feet in just ten days... Climbing Mount Kilmanjaro
• "Focus on that next three feet in front of you..." Just the next step. Before you know it, you put your head up and you're at your destination
  • Reminds me of Alison Levine -- "Just put one foot in front of the other and take that next step. Just keep going."
  • "I don't know if I have enough in the tank, but I'm going to keep going."
  • "The 3 feet in front of you is the only thing that matters"
• "Anything is possible is a lie... Tell the truth, know how to test your limits"
• "What gets measured gets done"
• How long can you enjoy accomplishments?
  • "It's a weird dance."
  • "What I'm learning to do now is plotting the essence of it..."
• Favorite book: Empire Of The Summer Moon
• Fasting: "When you fast (don't eat), your body picks the weakest cells and eats them." There is a lot of science to support fasting
• Advice to others:
  • Value money but not too much
  • Have a small number of possessions
  • Namaste = "Light inside of me. Recognize light inside of you."
  • Take calculated risk, go on adventures
  • "Follow your bliss"

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #298 with Michael Useem - How To Become A Learning Machine

Full shownotes can be seen at www.LearningLeader.com

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • Thinking strategically
  • Communicating persuasively
  • Decisive decision making
• The power of using real life examples to demonstrate leadership
• Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
  • He was a learning machine
  • "We know not the future, and cannot plan for it much. But we can determine and know what manner of men we will be whenever and wherever the hour strikes."
  • He was a self directed lifelong learner - "I have always been interested in military matters, and what I do not know in that line, I know how to learn. I study I tell you every military work I can find."
  • He had a mentor/coach - Adelbert Ames was his tent mate and he learned all he could from him
    • He had a disciplined focus on learning from him. "I asked him every night to tell me what he knew so I could learn"
  • He routinely got outside of his comfort zone - "I will watch myself and do an after action review to analyze."
  • Get tangible experience
• The purpose behind taking students and family members to Gettysburg every semester - To "stand where Chamberlain stood." And to "get you in their moment on that ground." Recreate the moment as if you're there.
• Gene Kranz and Apollo 13
  • "Expecting high performance is a prerequisite to its achievement among those who work with you. Your high standards and optimistic anticipations will not guarantee a favorable outcome, but their absence will assuredly create the opposite."
  • Being a decisive decision maker and preparing for those challenging moments with an attitude that "failure is not an option."
  • "I knew my teams even more than they knew themselves."
  • Had a great mentor in Chris Craft to help him
  • Teams that are well developed go through experiences together can outperform individuals under stress
• The motivation behind risk takers:
  • "A calculating adventurer, deriving a thrill from taking a risk and watching it pay off." This is how visions are created.
  • How to become savvy about calculated risk
  • Risk tolerance is a learned skill
• Persuasive communication is an art form
  • It's a learned skill
  • You can't hide, you must be persuasive as a leader
  • There needs to be a solid narrative (story), a purpose behind it
  • Every person must know how important their specific contribution is -- "Why are we doing this and what is my role?"

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

#297: Tero Isokauppila - CEO Of Four Sigmatic: Principled Based Leadership

Full show notes can be found at www.LearningLeader.com

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • "They love what they do" -- Love the process. The work
  • Humility/Excitement to learn -- they know things will change and they must adjust
  • Listen more than you talk.
  • Curiosity -- The Dalai Lama exemplifies this very well.
  • Able to adjust -- Madonna is a prime example of being able to adjust and reinvent herself
• How being a 13th generation farmer from Finland helped set the course for Tero's life -- "I have domain knowledge."
• Finnish people consume more coffee per capita than anyone in the world
• The idea of putting mushrooms in coffee came because of this
• Super foods help with:
  • Hormonal response
  • Gut health
  • Immune system
• Four Sigmatic is a company built with super foods
• The beginning -- "It all comes down to value generation. If you want to generate value, you have to see what others don't yet see."
• Culture -- "You need to rally around people who believe in the mission."
• Find believers and sponsors as your first employees -- his founding team were former teammates
  • Get to know you team deeply -- how they think, feel, act, what motivates them
  • Currently they have a fully distributed team of 37 people
• The hiring process and qualities they look for. Four lenses:
  • Can they do they job? -- Skills
  • How will they fit in our culture? -- Fundamentals
  • What do they cost? -- Financially and emotionally
  • What is their growth potential?
  • They must be "extra good" at communication - written and verbal. How do they write emails? Must be extra organized.
• "Culture exists whether you want or not. It is what it is."
• Their principles:
  • S - Stay healthy, eat well, exercise
  • W - We are us, not them
  • A - Always carry product
  • R - Results with freedom -- KPI
  • M - Make it grow, let it go
• Examples of innovation

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #296: Emily Fletcher - The Secret Superpower Of Top Performers (Meditation)

For full show notes, go to www.LearningLeader.com

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • They have a magnetic quality. Others are drawn to them. People look to them.
  • They have the ability to shift their state of being. Not just being calm. They are able to be variable and can adapt to situations
• Meditation increases adaptability
  • Meditation helps you take care of yourself
  • Rest, nurture your brain and body
• The failure of most when they attempt to meditate:
  • Emily is on a mission to rid the world of "ex-meditators" -- people who have tried and failed and given up on it
  • There have been 58 million downloads of meditation apps
    • Free apps are gentle by design and not as useful
• Advice -- There is a difference between mindfulness and meditation.
  • "Meditation is a tool that helps you get rid of stress from your past."
  • Mindfulness is "the art of bringing your awareness into the present moment"
• Meditation gives your brain and body tools.
  • "Kind of a nap sitting up. Mind alert, body getting rest." -- Relieve stress from now and past
  • It is not a toy. It's a very powerful tool. You need proper training
  • It's ridiculously simple, yet powerful
• Biggest misconception -- "People think they have to clear their head. They think thoughts are the enemy. That's not true."
  • "People think they are too busy to meditate... You know we're talking about your brain right?"
• Emily was on Broadway for 10 years... Living in constant state of anxiety... Sick, insomnia, was miserable.
  • She noticed another performer had none of those issues. She asked what she did and found out meditation was the key...
    • Emily took a class, and liked it so much she went to India to be trained professionally.
• She created Ziva... An online meditation tool.
• It's about manifesting "consciously creating the life you love"
• "Don't water the weeds" -- Don't focus on the wrong things

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

#295: Todd Herman - Using Alter Egos To Transform Your Life

To read the full show notes, go to www.LearningLeader.com

Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • "Negative capability" (John Keats term)
    • The ability to pursue your dream despite the fact that circumstance tells you it won't happen.
    • Not losing faith despite the long odds
    • Mental toughness - "The ability to be flexible & adaptable despite what the world is throwing at you."
• The OPP framework for goal setting:
  • Outcome
  • Performance - Resources
  • Process - Who, what, when, where
• What Todd does?
  • He's on a mission to give people smart thinking models. He helps ambitious people.
  • Revenue generation: He's built programs and systems and licensed it to sports teams
  • He does sport science and peak performance coaching
  • Grew up doing speaking competitions.
    • Did 68 speeches in 90 days. All for free. Have to "get the reps"
• "This is how I know I've made it... I loved doing a free speech for four people. I loved it!"
• "You must show up. Continue to show up no matter what. Even if nobody is there, show up anyway."
• "The answers are never waiting for you to sit still. The answers are out there doing it. It's action that matters."
• How Todd developed strong mental toughness?
  • Rough upbringing -- He was sexually abused at a church camp when he was 12
  • He retreated and developed mental toughness to deal with it
• Skills developed as an athlete that translated to life outside of sports:
  • Preparation
  • Routines
  • Visualization/Imagery
• Why are alter-egos so powerful?
  • They help you get into flow state and not get out of your head
• The Bo Jackson story -- "Bo Jackson never played a down of football. It was Jason from Friday The 13th. I was crazy out there."

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #294: Warren Berger - How To Ask More Beautiful Questions

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • Intelligent... Smart
  • Hard-working
  • Ambitious
  • Humble -- This is a really important quality. No ego or arrogance. They admit when they are wrong. Willing to acknowledge when they're wrong. They are open to listening to others and their ideas.
  • Curiosity - They are not trapped by their own expertise. They are open minded, curious, looking around.
  • Able to adapt
  • Communication skill -- The willingness and ability to ask great questions
• The genesis of becoming a questionoligist -- Warrens calls himself a questionoligist. The art and science of asking questions.
  • He originally was a journalist and developed a skill for asking questions doing that job.
  • "Questioning was a tool of the trade"
• Warren was writing about design and the idea of questioning kept coming up with leaders in business.
  • "The ability to ask good questions would lead them thru the innovation cycle."
• The holy trinity of questioning:
  • Why? Trying to understand
  • What if? Ideation, brainstorming
  • How? Get practical. "How can we take the first step?"
• Big open ended questions -- They are the stems
  • Each one does something completely different
• Questioning as a manager:
  • Find time to have the conversations and ask questions of your team members
  • Must be thoughtful and prepared
  • We've gotten out of the habit of being questioners, and now it's always about doing. "Slow down, ask questions. Why are we pursuing this strategy? Understand why?"

Go To www.LearningLeader.com

Text LEARNERS to 44222

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #293: Brent Beshore - How To Get Rich Slow & Live An Optimal Life

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • The usual things like: integrity and hard work
  • But the best... "know how messy they are, they challenge themselves, they have high level of self-awareness, they need people around them to help. They acknowledge their imperfections, and they give others grace for their imperfections."
• How to develop self awareness?
  • Surround yourself with people who will tell you the truth -- "We are all highly imperfect."
  • Give people a true open invitation to criticize, but they also must be constructive, loving, kind, thoughtful people.
    • "They need to be rooting for you."\

• What do you look for in someone to work with?
  • Curiosity - an inherent desire to know more, learn, reconstruct reality
  • Self awareness - genuine intellectual honesty
  • Integrity - function of consistency over time. Have to reconstruct it

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #292 - Beth Comstock: You Don't Need Permission (Former GE Vice Chair)

Beth Comstock spent nearly three decades at GE. As Chief Marketing Officer and then Vice Chair of Innovation, she led efforts to accelerate new growth, develop digital and clean-energy futures, seed new businesses and enhance brand value. As President of Integrated Media at NBC Universal, she oversaw TV ad revenue and digital media efforts, including the early development of Hulu. Prior to this, she held roles at NBC, CBS and CNN/Turner Broadcasting.

Her first book, Imagine it Forward, was published in September 2018. She is a director at Nike, and trustee of The National Geographic Society.

The Learning Leader Show

"You must grab agency. You don't always need permission."

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • "They don't stop. They keep coming back. There is an inherent belief that tomorrow is another day. They have great stamina."
  • Examples: Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Mary Barra (GM)
• What was it like being hired by Jack Welch (including the story of Jack offering her the big promotion)
• "You know you can't say no to Jack Welch and GE. It fascinated me."
• Jeff Immelt -- "He lives to deliver for the customer"
• Take us back to 1985... Beth is in her mid-20's, she's hiding behind the door as her husband tells her mom that they are getting a divorce.
  • "It was a defining moment. I was willfully choosing an unfamiliar path. It felt like a failure."
  • "In times of change, you have a choice to figure it out."
• JR, the bad boss... We've all had bad bosses. How to deal with it? "He was a gatekeeper, just said no. So, I wrote a report, shared it with others, gave it to him. He rejected all of it. So I left to go to Ted Turner's CNN."
  • "You must grab agency. You don't always need permission."
• "No means 'not yet'"
• The difference between gatekeepers and goalkeepers:
  • Goalkeepers clear the way, they help you. Gatekeepers do the opposite."
• Common mistakes the new manager makes and how to avoid them:
  • Understand the responsibility
  • Find a way to be secure in yourself. A lot of mistakes are made out of insecurity.
  • "I was not good at giving feedback. Good or bad. I didn't communicate well initially."
  • "You need to get to know your team very well. Know them as individuals. Connect with them. People don't want to be managed or controlled, they want to be led. There is a difference."
  • Mentors: "I was a 30 year old first time manager and I didn't have good mentors. I was afraid to reach out to people for help. Find a series of people to be your board of advisors. You will need it."
• The "Steve Jobs recruited me" story -- "This was right before the iPhone came out. He said, 'We're going to do some really big things here and I want you to be part of it.' It wasn't right for my family to move out there at that time though. I made the pro and con list and the move was too powerful. So I said no. There are days where I regret it."
• The difference between Jack Welch and Jeff Immelt:
  • "Both were good leaders. Jeff championed people and fully supported me."
  • "They led in different times. It's a shame that they get compared when they led in two completely different eras."
• "Tell me something I don't want to hear." -- Why this is a powerful exercise all leaders need to do with their teams on a regular basis.
  • "Success theater" was an initiative. It's meant to crack bureaucracy. "Jeff Immelt was actually trying to make it better through doing this. You need that feedback loop."
• Hiring: What does Beth look for in a candidate?
  • Curiosity - Open and eager to learn
  • A quest for excellence - Do they actively strive to be better?
  • Others provide references on their behalf
  • Trial run - "Try, then buy." Simulate the role
  • Hire someone who knows what you don't - Hire for your weaknesses
• How to handle an environment as a woman leader surrounded by men?
  • "I'm a creative woman. I came to appreciate my differences. I became this small, quiet, rebel. Forge a different path. Learn how to get comfortable doing this."
  • Advice to men? "I'm so glad you're asking this. Be open. Listen. Talk with females at work. Have open dialog. Ask questions how you can do better."
  • "Assume nobel intent."
• How to "imagine it forward?"
  • "Data is squeezing imagination from us." -- "Open yourself to new people and ideas."
  • "Pattern recognition"
  • "Scenario planning"
  • Think "What if I were the customer? What if I were the competitor? What would I do?"
• Leading as an introvert. Most great introvert leaders have these useful qualities:
  • Introspective
  • Good listener
  • Understand how to manage their energy
    • Find time to recharge
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

"I'm a creative woman. I came to appreciate my differences. I became this small, quiet, rebel. Forge a different path. Learn how to get comfortable doing this."

Social Media:

• Follow Beth on Twitter: @bethcomstock
• Read: Imagine It Forward
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #291: Andy Rachleff (CEO Wealthfront) - What Do You Uniquely Offer That People Desperately Want?

Andy Rachleff is a co-founder and Executive Chairman of Wealthfront. Rachleff co-founded Benchmark Capital in 1995 and was a general partner until 2004.

Some notes... (More found on www.LearningLeader.com)

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • Intellectual curiosity -- Pass this along to kids at the dinner table
  • Ask questions
  • "Bright people think other smart people ask questions."
• The leader creates the culture
• "People model the behavior of the leader."
• "To be a great teacher, you have to synthesize something into small statements. This helps you be a better leader."
• Magic 8 Ball statements
  • "A's hire A's. B's hire C's."

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

#290: Scott Harrison - Redemption, Compassion, & The Transformative Power Within Us All

Scott Harrison is the founder and CEO of charity: water, a non-profit that has mobilized over one million donors around the world to fund over 28,000 water projects in 26 countries that will serve more than 8.2 million people. Harrison has been recognized on Fortune's 40 under 40 list, Forbes' Impact 30 list, and was ranked #10 in Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in Business. He is currently a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. Scott's first book, Thirst, was released in October (2018) and immediately hit the New York Times best-seller list.

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #289: Philip McKernan - Relationships Move At The Speed Of Vulnerability

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • Moments where they feel like a fraud, question themselves. They are more comfortable within those moments
    • This allows them to bounce back quicker
  • They seek and attract things that are outside of their normal comfort zone
  • The Picasso example -- The courage to face the failure and own up to it
• "Vulnerability is the only way to truly deepen relationships"
  • "When you say, "I don't know," it helps others feel empowered to help"
• Philip felt worthless at age 14. He felt isolated and alone, a burden to try and fit in. "That pain had a purpose."
  • How to go from an isolated and alone 14 year old to a keynote speaker who moves people to tears?
• How to deal with skeptics?
  • "That's okay. But, I would address it now. Couples typically wait five years too long to get counseling. Do it now."
• What do you do? "I create environments for people to go deep. I meet them where they're at."
• The story of starting this business on the side in an Irish pub.
  • "The hardest time of my life was at the beginning, but I didn't allow lack of money to impact what I did."
  • "What are you willing to give up to do what you want?"
  • "I stopped making the journey about me... It was about them."
• Why Philip will not send his kids to college...
  • "Spend time learning. You need to understand who you are. A classroom is not built on how to get to know who you are."
• The "Planes, Trains, & Automobiles" test:
  • Kevin Bacon started his career with no lines... But kept working. "Be willing to put in the work. Run for the cab."
• Is "follow your passion good advice?"
  • "Yes and no. There is a big difference between excitement and passion. I believe we all have gifts and so many people use their talents."
  • "For you, sales was a talent, but your gift is connecting with people. To lift them, to help them, to build confidence."
  • "We are all leaders but a lot of people lead from an inauthentic space. It's not what we do, it's how we do it."
• What is One Last Talk?
  • "If you had 15 minutes left to live to share your message, what would you say? You need to share with the world to free yourself."
  • The process creates freedom. People want to connect. This is "team deepening."
• Why write a book?
  • "Everyone has the capacity to make an impact. I believe all of us carry some demons."
  • "It's like five years of therapy in one book." "The book is by me, but it's not for me. I will never sign it."
• "One of the greatest burdens a child can bare is the unlived life of their parents."

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #288: Robert Greene - The Laws Of Human Nature (Part 2)

"I knew at eight years old I wanted to be a writer. It took me 30 years to find the right ideas. Everybody has a primal inclination." - Robert Greene

"If you're not excited about the field you work in, you'll learn half as much." -- Robert Greene

www.LearningLeader.com

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #287: Robert Greene - 5 Strategies For Becoming A Master Persuader (Part 1)

Robert Greene teaches the most important subject of all – understanding people's drives and motivations, even when they are unconscious of them themselves. Drawing from the ideas and examples of Pericles, Queen Elizabeth I, Martin Luther King Jr, and many others, Greene teaches us how to detach ourselves from our own emotions and master self-control.

www.LearningLeader.com

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

286: Phil Jones - How To Build Your Squad (The WHO In Your Life)

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • Ability to see things through the eyes of others -- empathy
  • Create and articulate a shared vision
  • Create momentum for others
• Build your squad -- The WHO in your life
  • His mom said, "Be careful, go get a job and be safe." She is the right person in the wrong place.
  • We all need:
    • Cheerleaders - they put fuel in our tank
    • Role modes - someone's model to follow
    • Mentors - someone to share experiences with
    • Coaches - they ask us questions
    • Trainers - they teach us skills
    • Advisors - overall strategy
    • Aspirational peers - Peers you look up to and want to spend time with
• "Success leaves clues."

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #285: Scott Gerber - Stop Networking And Start Building Relationships That Matter

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • Those who surround themselves with people smarter than them
  • Empathetic
  • Self-aware -- And an ability to understand others
  • "We are losing connection for connectivity."
• How to become a super-connector?
  • "Curiosity leads to everything." -- Always be questioning...
  • "Learning is the defining quality of all of it."
• How to get to the core of person to better understand where they come from and their motivations...
• "The Road Less Traveled" -- Constantly revise our maps of reality
• "The Big Short" - "It's what you think you know that's not true that gets you in trouble."
• How to answer the "What do you do?" question --
  • Scott - "Try to live life purposefully"
  • His nickname -- "The Pandora of Gen-Y networking"
• "Social Capital is the most important currency that we have. I'm a curator of people."
  • "There is so much power to bringing amazing people together."
• Why it's bad to ask, "How can I help you?"
  • "Marketers fundamentally f'd up this conversation." -- "It's become too formulaic as the next step. Instead, you should know how you can help and help. It's a bad question because it shows your thoughtless and it's part of a script. Don't do that."
• Be exceptional at making introductions -- Does it provide mutual value?
  • When you become proficient at it, take it a step further... Film a short video to make the intro. Get creative.
• The gray zones -- Always ask "why?"
• "Real relationships take real time"
• How to create remarkable experiences:
  • Get great people in the room -- carefully curate the guest list
  • Build trust
  • Exceptional atmosphere/environment
  • Be very thoughtful about every tiny detail
• The YEC summit in Eden, Utah
  • Create something remarkable to ensure people and things you bring together click.
  • Humanize people that run the community -- Ex: The execs serve dinner to the guests, find common touch points
  • "Get the intros right! Lift your guests up, brag about them in front of their peers."
• Being a connector vs being connected -- The tools
• How to build consistent referrals?
  • Create events where people want to bring a guest who is not a current client but could be. The event must be exceptional. Invest heavily in this.
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #284: Michael Lombardi - A Masterclass In Building Teams And Winning Championships

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • A set foundation
  • A standard of excellence in everything they do. Not rooted in sports, but in everything
  • Understand how to build a culture
• Why mission statements were useless to Mike and his colleagues
• The focus on getting 1% better every day... If you do so, the score takes care of itself
• Demonstrate how to lead... The leader must model that behavior
• "Managers do things right, leaders do the right thing."
• Operating framework
  • Have a plan
  • Explain to self
  • Build trust
  • Command of self
• "Culture is a plant. You must nurture it everyday."
• Personal accountability is the ultimate sign of strength. "All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong." - Sophocles
• Bill Walsh - The value of being his personal driver and learning from him directly during all of those car rides. That's where Mike learned about leadership... And about Tom Peters
• Coach Walsh was always reading something that made him think and passed that along to Mike...
• "If you don't like change, you'll like irrelevancy less."
• Hiring process:
  • Want people who are coach-able and able to learn the Bill Walsh system
  • "Training is hard. Most managers don't do it."
• A "5 tool leader"
  • Strategy
  • Tactics
  • Preparation
  • Execution
  • Situational instincts to know which among the first 4 is required and when
• The myth of coaches working long hours and sleeping in the office
• Sustainable values vs situational values -- command of the process
• When Al Davis interviewed people, he would do a deep dive on their background prior to the interview and use their high school mascot as his personal nickname for the candidate. This was Al's subtle way of letting the candidate know that he "knew everything about them so they better be honest."
• Creative vs divergent -- Take an existing idea and make it better
• The 7 QB qualifiers and how this relates to a leader in business:
  • A winning way
  • A thick skin
  • Work ethic
  • Football smarts
  • Innate ability
  • Carriage
  • Leadership
• You must be able to process things at a high rate
• Learning from mistakes -- The Doug Pederson mistake Mike made...
  • "How often is it the structure, the landscape, vs the player?
• Jackson Browne - "Never forget the ones you mess up."
• Life advice -- Jack Nicholson - "Read everything. It's the elixir of life. Understand something from all sides and all points of view. Read it all from the opposition side to get complete understanding on the topic."
• The most effective leaders have a willingness to receive feedback and implement it.

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #283: Tyler Cowen - The Path To Prosperity In A Disordered World

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • "I admire people who are constantly reading and learning things."
  • Those who have a quiet excellence about them
• The most effective leaders have a willingness to receive feedback and implement it.
• Tyler was a world class chess player at age 15 and won the world championship. He always played against older players, people who were better than him. (Reminds me of James Clear and the Goldilocks Effect)
• Doing vs. Learning: Tyler admires those who spend more time learning than doing (he takes a counter intuitive approach to this... like most things he thinks!)
  • "I admire people who spend a lot of time thinking, those who read a lot of books, searching..."
• Tyler describes his book reading process
• Books - "Start with what you love..."
  • Start with fiction: Shakespeare, others like that. Tyler is not a fan of most management books.
  • Books he likes: The 5th Discipline, Michael Porter, Maslow, Flow, Daniel Kahneman
  • "Read biographies"
• What was Tyler like as a kid? "Intense, curious, even tempered, quite happy... Much the same as I am now."
• There is always new information to learn from travel -- The perspective gained from traveling the world is extremely valuable. Tyler has traveled to 100's of countries worldwide
  • Have dialog with local people in each place you go. We discussed my trip to Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia.
  • Learn the personal history of the places you go. Some great recent trips? Singapore, China, Mexico (learn to speak Spanish)
• Tyler's day to day actions: Write, blog, lunch with college students, teaches for 3 hours per day. He's 56 years old
• What is scarce? -- We all should focused on being great at what is scarce
  • Quality land and natural resources
  • Intellectual property, or good ideas about what should be produced
  • Quality labor with unique skills
  • Talent that can execute. Great leadership
• How to become great at what is scarce?
  • Tyler interviewed the tennis great, Martina Navratilova... Her thoughts: "You need to make a deliberative decision to train. A complete dedication to the craft."
  • You also need someone who will tell you the truth and help you improve. Who are your mentors, am I respecting others? A massive need to train and practice.
• Why shouldn't we pay kids to do chores?
  • "Don't transact with kids. It should be part of their normal day. They shouldn't be paid for it."
• The shifting gender balance of power - Be conscientious. "Women are simply better at almost everything."
• How Stripe publishing is doing things differently...
• Latest book: Stubborn Attachments - "It's been 20 years in the making. My most philosophical book."
  • "It's about the eternal principles how we should think about things..."
• The meta explanation for why it seems like our political world is wacky... "Most of history is wacky."
• Tyler makes a 2020 prediction for the presidential election
• "Stories are deliberate over-simplifications. Complexity has been drained away from most."
• How to prepare for a keynote speech?
  • "For the Martina Navratilova interview, I read 40 books about her and tennis and learned everything I could to be prepared."
• Reading:
  • Read books in clusters based on topics
  • Go to the library and do a physical search
• • Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea
  • Use the "Get To Know You Document"

  "It's about conscientiousness. Women are simply better than men at almost everything."

  Social Media:

  • Follow Tyler on Twitter: @tylercowen
  • Read: Stubborn Attachments
  • Connect with me on LinkedIn
  • Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
  • To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #282: Seth Godin - You Can't Be Seen Until You Learn To See

"In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is a failure. In a busy marketplace, not standing out is the same as being invisible."

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • It changes over time
  • Must be willing to fail - "Okay... Will I do things that might not work?"
• Some of Seth's failures: many teaching mistakes, tried to build philanthropy platform that failed, blog has failed at times
• How to handle a slump? - "There's no such thing as a long slump."
  • Stephen J. Gould - "The real problem is how you respond to the failure. You can't tell yourself a story that's not true."
  • Have honest self talk -- "This isn't a slump."
• Stanford MBA - Friends with Chip Conley. "Everyone there feels like a fraud or an arrogant jerk. I felt like I was drowning. The sessions with Chip changed my life." Chips "Random Acts of Initiative" were life changing. Chip taking initiative and not fearing rejection. Remarkable.
• Empathy - A mentor wants to see you do things that are bold, leap forward because of them.
• Be a mentor - "Make the world shinier. Bring life to more causes."
• Economy of words - "I made the decision to write like I talk."
  • "Talking isn't better because you're afraid."
• The book publishing world and why Seth chose to traditionally publish This Is Marketing
• What percentage of Seth's success is luck? "98.2%" The final 1.8% is "relentless persistence." "The 98.2% is the parent lottery."
• How to deal with rejection after rejection...
• "Culture IS strategy. How we treat people. It's hard to do the things we're proud of."
  • "Great ones have better clients."
• Side hustle advice -- Start it on the side so that you don't have to make money at it right away. You can choose your clients and never just "do it for the money."
  • "Exactly. Great advice."
• Keys to storytelling - "We have too much stuff."
  • Better understand the story you're telling yourself.
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

"Luck for me is 98.2% of it. The other 1.8% is relentless persistence."

Social Media:

• Follow Seth's writing on Twitter: @ThisIsSethsBlog
• Read: This Is Marketing
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #281: George Raveling - Eight Decades Of Wisdom: From Dr. Martin Luther King To Michael Jordan

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • Growth mindset
  • Immense curiosity
  • High level of self awareness -- "It starts within"
  • Great vision
  • Most important = "they execute"
• Relationship lessons learned over eight decades - "Be a giver, not a taker. Try to genuinely help people."
  • Develop trust, respect, and care for others -- "It's all about love. Don't keep score. Do the right thing, be kind, but don't keep score or trade favors. That's not how it works."
• Standing next to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr for the "I Have A Dream" speech
  • Asking Dr. King for the speech after he finished (and getting it... still has it!)
  • Why he won't sell of try to profit from the speech despite it being worth millions
  • The power of "showing up early" and "asking for what you want"
• Why Coach reads so much -- "The slave owners used to hide money in books because they knew slaves would never look in the books because they couldn't read." -- "If someone can control my mind, they can control my body. I will not let that happen. Books are my mistress."
• Information = knowledge = wisdom = opportunity = growth = success
• The importance of his upbringing - His dad died when he was 9, his mom was institutionalized when he was 13. He was raised by his grandmother and nuns.
  • "My grandmother taught me to be curious. She taught me to ask. She taught me good manners. She taught me humility. She taught me to help people. She was the #metoo movement before the #metoo movement"
• How basketball was the "greatest vehicle for transformation in my life."
  • Earned scholarship to Villanova -- When George was first offered a scholarship, he didn't know what that meant.
  • Going from player to coach and why he was suited to be a great coach
  • Becoming the first African American head coach of the Pac 8 (Pac 12)
• The mindset of thinking of yourself as an educator/teacher
• George is a voracious reader and marks up each and every page of the books he likes (I saw first hand and it's amazing)
• The importance for older people to have 4-5 younger mentors in their life. Ryan Holiday plays this role for Coach.
• The importance of self leadership - "You must take care of yourself before trying to lead others"
• Working at Nike for Phil Knight -- Helping sign Michael Jordan away from Adidas
• Focus on being a great decision maker and seeking out growth opportunities
• Why you don't need a title to be an effective leader
• In order to be promoted, focus on being incredibly great at what you're doing right now
  • "Be so good they can't ignore you."
• The 10 realities of life Coach Raveling values most at age 81
• Pushing Coach to write a book about living a great life -- Tweet him to do this!
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #280: Danny Iny - Why You Shouldn't Go To College

"The future is here. It's just not evenly distributed."

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • An attitude of curiosity - interested. "I wonder why that happens?"
  • Sense of things being "figureoutable." They will get it done. Fortitude.
• Danny and I discuss a partnership -- Working together on building a course
• Being "catalytically curious"
• Why start Mirasee?
  • Built after previous failure. "On an emotional level, a startup falling apart is like a really rough breakup."
• "Mirasee was the rebound business." It has a value driven ethos. "At the end of an interaction with you, people should like you more regardless of what happens."
  • "Mira" = To see, wonder
• Why build online courses?
  • The convenience and practicality. It's "Just In Time" Learning
• Should graduating high schoolers go to college?
  • "Probably not. There is an expectation that smart kids should go to college. That it's the ticket to the good life. This used to be true, but it's not anymore. The facts don't back that up."
  • "The future is here. It's just not evenly distributed."
  • "Those non-specific degrees are functionally worthless."
  • "It's not about where we are, it's about where will we be?"
• What should a smart high school graduate do instead?
  • Find people you respect and trust in the working world. Offer to work for them for free. Shadow them. Learn from them. Figure out if you want to do that full time.
  • This requires people to take initiative and ownership
• Why I started the podcast? -- "To create my own leadership PhD."
  • "Pace of education is changing."
  • "At the pace of change currently the curriculum being taught will be completely different in 5-10 years."
• You must have:
  • Literacy
  • Fluency
  • You need a deep understanding of your topic
• How to know which online courses to take?
  • Think: What am I trying to accomplish?
  • Does the course offer this?
  • What do I need to learn? To know?
  • Does the teacher have a track record of success?
• A course must have a support mechanism... The teacher must stand behind promises made
• The "pilot" program
  • Survey audience - data analysis
  • Map out curriculum
  • Adapt on the fly - take insight to create something great
• Peer to peer feedback system in place
  • We learn more from giving feedback to others
  • Accountability measures
• Read Leveraged Learning
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

"It's not about where we are. It's about where we will be."

Social Media:

• Follow Danny on Twitter: @DannyIny
• Read: Leveraged Learning
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk. Episode #279: James Clear - How Tiny Changes Can Changes Can Equal Remarkable Results (Atomic Habits)

Show Notes:

• "It's important to know how everything works together."
  • Ojai, CA - Circle talking about book writing
• Atomic = Atom, small, tiny. Habits should be small
• "Habits are the atoms of our lives"
• "It's about the collection of habits"
• "They are small... but put them together... they compound and are powerful."
• The system is in four stages. They stages are:
  • The cue - gets attention
  • The craving - in the brain
  • The response - the habit, behavior
  • The result - what happens
• Feedback loops - The cookie example
• "My readers and I are peers. An essential part of the process is to write about it. Try things out. Everything I've published has been revised many times."
• The four laws:
  • Make it obvious
  • Make it attractive
  • Make it easy
  • Make it satisfying
• The Goldilocks rule - Steve Martin
  • People burn out or get bored. How to stay motivated...
  • Be stretched just beyond your capacity but not too far. "Always stay just on the edge..." Steve Martin kept expanding his sets by just a few minutes each time until he had a 60 minute set. He started small with just a few minutes of material.
  • Make sure you "stretch yourself... just a bit... everyday."
  • Be the person who gets the additional task done
• How to do this all as a parent? -- "Life is in seasons..."
  • "If you want to double your productivity, get 8 hours of sleep."
• The plateau of latent potential -- A melting ice cube. A 1 degree change
• "Habits don't add up, they compound. It looks like a hockey stick."
• "Outcome based habits vs identity based habits."
  • Focus on identity based habits. Be the type of person who wakes up early and works out.
• The importance of being able to delay gratification
• Weightlifting - Reinterpret signals. "Being sore feels good." Re frame how you think about something like soreness
• "Happiness is simply the absence of desire."
  • When you observe a cue, but do not desire to change your state, you are content with the current situation
• "Being curious is better than being smart."
  • Need to be eager to learn and accomplish things
  • "Your actions reveal how badly you want something"
• "We can only be rational and logical after we have been emotional."
• System 1 = feelings
• System 2 = Rational, math problem
  • System 1 always leads the way

• The Learning Leader Circle -- Apply
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

"Being curious is better than being smart"

Social Media:

• Follow James on Twitter: @JamesClear
• Read: Atomic Habits
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #278: Mitch Albom - Tuesdays With Morrie & The Five People You Meet In Heaven

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • Humility
  • They contribute to the world - "Morrie did the bravest thing I've ever seen."
  • Howard Schultz - The last person in line to get a book signed. After all of his employees
• "Some of the greatest performers I've ever met are painfully shy: jazz musicians, Barry Sanders, Joe Dumars."
• Tuesdays With Morrie - "He was my college professor. I had not talked to him in 16 years. I saw him on TV talking about having ALS."
  • Morrie - "I'm a teacher. That's what I do."
• Why was it so popular and shared so much?
  • "Death ends a life but not a relationship"
  • "You can live within the hearts of people you help/touched."
  • "You have to make time for those relationships while you're here."
• "I write about living. Death informs everything about how we live."
• "I try to write about reflecting on life."
• Why this theme?
  • "I liked listening to stories from my uncle growing up. His World War 2 stories."
  • "I spent so much of my youth myopically focused on career success. For many years I thought how far can I get?"
  • "I wanted to explore what makes a better life?"
• Supporting 47 children in Haiti -- Taking two to college now.
• "Giving makes me feel like I'm living."
• "Taking makes me feel like I'm dying."
• Being part of Sports Reporters on ESPN
  • Writers are critical thinkers and can be good on TV when thinking deeply
• Core pieces of advice:
  • Be humble
  • Be curious - Ask questions
  • Don't lose self in the field you choose. Life can be brief.
  • "Find out who you are and what you value, and do that."
• Advice from a security guard:
  • Read the best books
  • Listen to the best music
  • Observe the best art
  • Surround self with the best people - Osmosis
  • Immerse yourself with what you value

• The Learning Leader Circle -- Apply
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

"I wanted to explore what makes a better life?"

Social Media:

• Follow Mitch on Twitter: @MitchAlbom
• Read: Tuesdays With Morrie
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #277: Tom Goodwin - Life Advice From The #1 Influencer On LinkedIn

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • Confidence + Conviction
  • Ability to make quick decisions with limited amounts of information
  • Faith in their judgement
• "There is a feeling in the room when a quality leader walks in. A charisma, an energy, a presence."
• How does one develop charisma?
  • "Introversion is more interesting to me. Great presenters are introverts. They are empathetic and think of the audience first."
• There is "cultural permission" when you're on stage. The audience is rooting for you to succeed. Use that energy and positive vibes
• The importance of a proper introduction
• Head of Innovation at Zenith. What does that entail? "An observer. Reading a lot. Gain perspective through a lot of global travel. You learn more from countries outside of the U.S. where we have everything that we could want or need."
• How he became the #1 Influencer on LinkedIn?
  • First, look for the differences in commonality vs causation. There is a difference
  • "I orchestrate a conversation on LinkedIn. I facilitate it through my articles. I don't claim to know everything."
  • "I got quite irritated. I got fired at my job for being outspoken. I started sharing my beliefs and it caught on."
  • "Because I wasn't filtered, it hit a nerve with people. I am not careful with my words."
• How to gain support for your passion/side hustle while working at a big company
  • "Encouraging this attracts great candidates and helps retain top talent."
  • "Senior management needs to support and encourage it. If they have envy or are insecure, then it won't work."
• "Large companies need to understand why they got big. Those reasons may not be what gets them to the next level. We need to rethink rigidity."
• "Life is about creating good problems."
• "We need to create a culture of progressive criticism."
  • The Apple commercial: "It took 1,000 No's to get to a Yes"
• "We shouldn't worship busyness. We should worship output."
• The reason for writing Digital Darwinism
• Life/Career Advice:
  • "Don't worry. Too many people spend their youth thinking their career would take a tidy path. It's not. My career has been quite messy, but it's worked out fine. Be humble, thoughtful, and empathetic."
  • Develop curiosity - "The UK education fuels curiosity, fuels interest. That doesn't seem to happen in the States. We need a breadth of the world. Like James Dyson or Elon Musk."
  • Build a network - "Job postings. That's not how the world works and it won't in the future. I want sparkly talent that has five other jobs. Don't be afraid to nurture multiple talents."
  • Have a sense of humor. It helps ease the mood/tension and makes you more enjoyable to be around.
• Issue: "We're obsessed with being correct rather than being helpful. That's not good."
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

Social Media:

• Follow Tom on Twitter: @tomfgoodwin
• Read: Digital Darwinism
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #276: Scott Belsky - How To Find Your Way Through The Hardest Part Of Any Venture

"Management is about people. You have to be at a personal level when you're a manager. It doesn't scale. It's not supposed to."

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • The ability to sustain curiosity - "you need to keep paying attention with a tuned up curiosity."
  • "They say no more often"
• "Get into the motion of trying things instead of perfecting things."
• How to compartmentalize?
  • "I build windows of time in my day to not pay attention to anything but the deep work. No email, no social media, no check book sales."
• On flights, dedicate time to deep work
  • No wifi, this is alone time to do work
  • Odd reward mechanisms: "I only allow myself to listen to certain music when it's time to write. When I've accomplished deep work for hours, I reward myself with treats. But only after the work is done."
• Answering the "what do you do" question:
  • "I am obsessed with products."
  • Adobe purchased his company, Behance
  • Seed investor
  • Best selling author
  • "I help creatives create"
• How to pursue a side hustle when you work at a big company?
  • "Every person needs to be their authentic self"
  • "You have to feed it. The thing that distracts you. The thing you stay up late to keep working on because you love it. That's where you should continue to give energy."
  • "A labor of love is always worth it."
• The Messy Middle -- 820 Evernote notes whittled down to the most effective 120 pieces.
• Making the leap from individual contributor to manager:
  • "Don't depersonalize it when you become a manager. A team is like a carefully crafted immune system."
  • "Management is about people. You have to be at a personal level when you're the manager. It doesn't scale. It's not supposed to."
  • "Don't do reviews, do regular check ins... How's it going?"
• "The stories are the culture of your team. You're the amplifier of the stories."
• Qualities to look for in a person to hire:
  • "Every conversation with that person should be more interesting than the last one. They should become continually more interesting."
  • "There is value on analysis & strategy... But equally important is empathy & intuition."
  • Intuition = truthfulness with self. High level of self awareness. Be willing to seek feedback. Be truthful with yourself.
• "A successful creative entity must be comfortable alternating between the two creative phases: Ideation and Execution."
  • Walt Disney mastered this.
  • "Stimulate people to think differently. Help people suspend disbelief in themselves. What if we did this 100X better?" - Larry Page
• The importance of "staying in the early innings" -- "We're just getting started." This encourages people to keep trying new things.
• "Hire people for initiative rather than experience."
• "Anything extraordinary ever achieved comes from ordinary means."
• Advice for young professionals -- Find these three overlaps:
  • Figure out what you're genuinely interested in. What do you stay up doing for fun?
  • What skills do you have or could possess through learning?
  • What is the opportunity?
    • "Take the steps to get into that overlap"
    • Don't make short term money decisions. Find the overlap over the extra $10K in salary
• Why we all should have a common place journal
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

"Get into the motion of trying things instead of perfecting things."

Social Media:

• Follow Scott on Twitter: @scottbelsky
• Read: The Messy Middle
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #275: Joe Navarro - The World's #1 Body Language Expert (FBI Special Agent)

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • They are exceptional observers
  • They understand the needs, wants, desires, fears, and opportunities of themselves and others
  • Strong attention to detail
  • High levels of self and situational awareness
  • "I don't go where the puck is. I go where it's going to be." - Wayne Gretzky
• Some leaders can get mired in the mindless day to day actions. The great ones focus on what's most important.
• Understanding non-verbals can lead to deep relationships.
• "One of the reasons we study non-verbals is so we can be empathetic."
• Moving to The U.S. as an 8 year old refugee from Cuba -- Joe could not speak the language, so it forced him to pay close attention to the non-verbal communication from his teachers and peers.
• The amazing focus of The Wright Brothers and how that led to their success
• Why the FBI called Joe when he was graduating from BYU
• "In the FBI, I was a paid observer. I detected when something was wrong with the person right in front of me."
• How do we become what we are capable of?
  • "It starts today. What are my limitations right now? Am I observing the things I should be observing?"
  • "People are what's most important. We have to be better observers."
• "Education is a continuous process. I still see myself as a student."
• "Curious people are usually exceptional."
• "Communication is both reflexive and fluid."
• Do not be cynical or expect people to lie. Treat everyone with a blank slate. Ask questions. Listen. Ask follow up questions...
  • "I never assume to have all the facts. I want to hear what you have to say before I make a conclusion."
• "Our job as leaders is to ask questions, not presume we know all the answers."
• JFK vs Nixon debate:
  • Why did the TV viewers think JFK won while the radio listeners thought Nixon won?
    • JFK was tan, good looking, put makeup on, wore a tailored suit. Nixon had a cold, suit didn't fit as well, didn't wear makeup, he didn't look as good as JFK.
• How we dress is important:
  • "Everything is communicating something about us."
• Winston Churchill -- "He always rehearsed what he planned to say in a meeting."
• Also think, "How can I say this in the fewest number of words?"
• Abraham Lincoln spoke for 2 minutes and 26 seconds for the Gettysburg Address. The speaker before him spoke for 2 hours. We remember people who can effectively be concise.
  • "Choose each word carefully."
• How an introvert can succeed at a networking event?
  • "It's a performance. Lead with curiosity. Ask questions. Get to know one person at a time."
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

"When you ask someone for help, you're giving them the opportunity to feel amazing."

Social Media:

• Follow Joe on Twitter: @navarrotells
• Read: What Every BODY Is Saying
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

More Learning:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 216: Jim Collins -- How To Go From Good To Great

Episode 200: Keith Hawk & AJ Hawk -- Showing Up, Doing The Work, Earning Trust, Helping Others, Winning The Super Bowl, Celebrating #200

Episode 234: Jocko Willink -- Why Discipline Equals Freedom

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

#274: Heidi Grant - How To Get People To Help You (Reinforcements)

The Learning Leader Show

"It's not about being good. It's about being better. Be in a constant state of continuous improvement."

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • "All management is change management"
  • "What's made you successful in the past may not be the case in the future."
  • "How can I learn to be a better leader?'
  • "A constant state of continuous improvement"
  • "You've never arrived."
• "It' not about being good. It's about being better."
• "Focus on getting better, rather than being good."
• Growth mindset helps you find enjoyment in what you do
• "Focus on what you will do, not what you won't"
• Willpower -- Need to be specific. Get to a level of specificiaty
• Make steady progress
  • "Have realistic optimism. I will succeed, but it will be hard."
• How to define success?
  • Intrinsic vs extrinsic goals:
    • A connected-ness to other people
    • Autonomy - Do what feels authentic
    • Being effective - Inherently get satisfaction by "I'm making things by making things happen in the world"
    • "Human beings are wired to to want to feel effective" -- It creates lasting happiness
• Balance - Fundamental things stand in our way. "We all have issues with not being great at everything."
• Why don't we ask others for help when we need it? The Milgrim subway experiement
• What does a helper need from you?
  • Must ask and help the helper be successful
• Why we need to eliminate the phrase "Can I pick your brain?"
  • Just say what you want. Be direct.
  • Send questions in advance. Create opportunities for helpers to be effective
• "When you ask someone for help, you're giving them the opportunity to feel amazing"
• Reinforcements - Extra personnel sent to increase the strength of an army or similar force --> Something that makes a behavior more likely
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

"When you ask someone for help, you're giving them the opportunity to feel amazing."

Social Media:

• See why over 91,000 people follow Scott on Twitter: @profgalloway
• Read: The Four
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

More Learning:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 216: Jim Collins -- How To Go From Good To Great

Episode 200: Keith Hawk & AJ Hawk -- Showing Up, Doing The Work, Earning Trust, Helping Others, Winning The Super Bowl, Celebrating #200

Episode 234: Jocko Willink -- Why Discipline Equals Freedom

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #273: Chip Conley - How To Be Wise Beyond Your Years

The Learning Leader Show

"When you're the leader, you're the emotional thermostat for the people you lead."

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • "An operating system unique to them. It defines how they operate no matter what the context is."
  • Understand Maslow's hierarchy of needs
  • A way of thinking about people
• The importance of being both a practitioner and an author
  • Having a finely tuned sense of your greatest strengths... And hire for the gaps
• "The capacity for holistic or systems thinking that allows one to get the gist of something by synthesizing a wide variety of information quickly." -- Pattern recognition
• How to develop self awareness:
  • Having an internal and external antennae
    • External -- "read a room"
    • Internal -- "understand your intuition" --> How to tap into your "gut brain"
    • The ability to be vulnerable is critical
    • Action: Journal, meditate, speak with a coach. Converse in a vulnerable way
• Why being part of The Learning Leader Circle is so valuable
• Stanford Business School classmate of Seth Godin
  • "Random Acts of Initiative"
• "When you're the leader, you're the emotional thermostat for the people you lead."
• "People get very attached to their identity."
• Learn to "listen to hunches and take chances."
• The story about the time Brian Chesky (founder of AirBnB) called him
  • "Instead of trying to prove himself, he was trying to improve himself."
  • We had an "EQ" for "DQ" relationship - Emotional intelligence for Digital intelligence
• A mentern = Mentor + Intern at the same time.
  • The importance of having a beginners mindset -- "Ask questions. Be catalytically curious."
  • The "modern elder" is as much a student as they are a sage
• Chip's inquisitiveness became contagious at AirBnB
• It's important to "intern publicly," and "mentor privately"
• There is progress to go from hubris to humble
• Wisdom: "Move out of trying to prove yourself, and instead work on improving yourself."
• As the leader, always ask: "How can I support you to do the best work here?"
  • Know you boss has your back -- Support
  • Put direct report in a role to create conditions to grow
• Set learning and development programs
  • The biggest gap at AirBnB was "understanding humans. There were 28 year olds leading 24 year olds."
• How to build an alliance with someone who disagrees with you?
  • Find some sort of alignment. Even the smallest amount is progress.
  • Find the intent...
• "We're all like plants/flowers. Look at the soil. If you're a sunflower in the arctic, you have to get out of there."
• "Make sure you have a boss that has the capacity to get you there."
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

"Move out of trying to prove yourself, and instead work on improving yourself."

Social Media:

• Follow Chipon Twitter: @ChipConley
• Read: Wisdom @ Work
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

More Learning:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 216: Jim Collins -- How To Go From Good To Great

Episode 200: Keith Hawk & AJ Hawk -- Showing Up, Doing The Work, Earning Trust, Helping Others, Winning The Super Bowl, Celebrating #200

Episode 234: Jocko Willink -- Why Discipline Equals Freedom

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #272: Scott Galloway - The Algebra of Happiness

The Learning Leader Show

"Steve Jobs is the most famous deadbeat dad. We should worship character and kindness." -- Scott Galloway

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • They are demonstrably great at multiple specialty areas
  • They have grit -- a willingness to roll up their sleeves. And work a lot.
  • They hold people accountable -- "If they don't perform, show them the door. Strategic firing."
  • They have empathy - They understand other people and what they want to achieve
• Scott explains why he's a builder and a teacher
  • He's an NYU professor. He also has started and ran three successful businesses at the same time. This allows him to give practical, real life, advice to his students
• The best method for learning is teaching -- "It forces you to really know what you believe."
  • "You have to prepare, have themes, support them with research. You have to bring it."
• His viral videos -- "I try to behave as if nobody is watching... I need to be real and myself."
  • Why he said, "Mark Zuckerberg is Putin's bitch."
• "Steve Jobs is the most famous deadbeat Dad. We should worship character and kindness."
• The power of saying "exactly what you think."
• "You're smart to be afraid when you're younger."
• Scott Galloway's Career Advice:
  • 1) Get certified. Get your degree. College grades make 2X that of those who don't graduate.
  • 2) Be remarkable ("So good they can't ignore you"). What two attributes can you bring together that make you unique (the artist who knows how to use excel).
  • 3) Invest in variance - find the 6-8 things that are most important to your firm. Become in expert in a couple of them (Be a great public speaker, great writer)
  • 4) Get to a city (Allen Gannett agrees)
  • 5) Boring is sexy
  • 6) Delay gratification - Power of compound interest. Invest in something that will pay off
  • 7) Demonstrate strength and grit. Exercise everyday. Be stronger
  • 8) Don't follow your passion - be passionate about being great at something.
  • 9) Ignore the myth of balance. He has balance now because he worked like crazy for 20 years.
  • 10) Build credibility.
• Advice I received from my Dad when I first became a manager -- "You can't just be an inspiration guy. You need to understand the numbers, the business side, too."
• The best managers "move their chair next to the person their leading and have a real conversation with them."
• The myth of balance: "If you want to be a top 1% earner, then you won't have balance. I don't know anyone who's able to do that who doesn't work their ass off."
  • Did the money bring happiness? "Yes, but also a divorce. Money is a means to an end."
• The Harvard happiness study:
  • "Happiness is love full stop." -- "Love who you are, who you're with... Love WHAT you do and who you do it with."
• Sweating vs watching: "You should spend more time sweating than watching other people sweat. High performers are physically fit. Work out."
  • "The only youth serum is exercise."
  • "When it gets real, I want to be able to run fast or kill them all. Working out gives me the confidence to do that."
• Things vs Experiences:
  • "We overestimate the happiness things will bring us. We underestimate the happiness experiences bring us."
• The Four:
  • The hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google.
  • Google = God. Knows more about you than anything else
  • Facebook = Love
  • Amazon = Consumption
  • Apple = Signals your worth. Sex.
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

Social Media:

• See why over 91,000 people follow Scott on Twitter: @profgalloway
• Read: The Four
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #271: Phil Hellmuth - From Poker Brat To #Positivity. 15 Time World Champion

The Learning Leader Show

"Therapy is very helpful. I want to know what I am doing wrong."

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • They believe they can do great things. That have energy, buzz, and confidence
  • They have drive, intelligence, and the will to get it done
  • Elon Musk, Bill Lee are examples
• Phil is known for having a legendary ego... He shares why that's not true
• Why didn't he have friends for many years?
• His midwest roots and being ridiculed for having an ego
• Why does he verbally berate people at the poker table?
  • "That is 1% of what happens, but it always gets shown on TV."
• Most great poker players never tell the bad players they are bad, they just take their money. Why does Phil tell them how bad they are and how good he is?
  • "It's because of my own insecurity."
• I asked if he goes to therapy... "Yes, if I can get 2 1/2 hours a week, that is great. Therapy is very helpful. I want to know what I'm doing wrong."
• How Phil felt that he could never live up to his Dad's lofty expectations (get good grades, be good at sports... Phil didn't do either) and how that impacted him
• "I'm like Draymond Green and John McEnroe... I lose it sometimes"
• "The poker brat made me famous"
• His friendship with Daniel Negreanu... And how it's grown over the years
• How to tell if someone is lying?
  • "It's instinctual. Everyone has physical tells."
  • "Look for thumbs and pinkies together as a power move"
  • "There's always a full story. I put it all together and rely on my instincts from that story."
• Your instincts can be developed with a lot of repetition
• "The art of reading people is lost on the new generation."
• "Look into their eyes!"
• #Positivity -- New book focused on being in the right place at the right time
  • Write your goals and tape them on your mirror
  • Write your blessings and tape them on your mirror
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

"The art of reading people is lost on the new generation."

Social Media:

• See why over 270,000 people follow Phil on Twitter: @phil_hellmuth
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #270 - Sam Jones: A Comfortable Life Is Overrated

Sam Jones is an acclaimed photographer and director whose seminal portraits of President Obama, Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Bob Dylan, Kristin Stewart, Robert Downey Jr, Amy Adams, Jack Nicholson, and many others have appeared on the covers of Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Esquire, GQ, Time, Entertainment Weekly and Men's Journal.

In 2013 he launched Off Camera with Sam Jones on Directv's Audience Network. Off Camera is an hour long show created out of his passion for long form conversational interviews.

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • "They did not have a back up plan. They had a desire to do what they loved even if it wasn't the obvious choice."
• "A comfortable life is overrated." -- "I've always followed the things that excited me most."
• "It almost feels like a lie when I'm doing something that doesn't excite me."
• "I connect with this idea of listening to your gut feeling."
  • For artists, the goal is to make art
• "No one knows you like you know you. There is no set path for how things get done."
• A life well lived = "Did I live up to my full potential?"
• "I've always been curious about the questions to ask that open people up."
  • Sam started doing an interview show on camera when he was 14 years old
• "I think my own theories through voicing my thoughts."
  • "Conversations are how I learn things... I've always been very curious."
• Rose Byrne - "It's good to look back and see where you've come from."
• The Jeff Daniels interview (one of my personal favorites)
  • As an interviewer, the importance of seeing their body language, how they react, "the look in their eye."
• The interview preparation process
  • Identify possible themes of the conversation
• As a communicator and conversationalist -- Think about how to do something better. A form of scrutiny. This leads to growth.
• Two things a guest needs to have
  • Be willing
  • Be able
• Is the guest open, honest, and self aware? They need to be...
• The guest needs to be able to tell a good narrative
• "If you're going to find something true and authentic, you have to go down a path."
• Goal = Make best environment for the human being to come out."
  • "I really want to know who this person is."
• How to define success? "They keep letting us make more."
• Interviewers Sam looks up to:
  • David Letterman -- He didn't adhere to strict rules. You shouldn't have to...
  • Terry Gross -- NPR
  • Howard Stern -- Consistently done it well over time
• Sam's upbringing:
  • "I didn't fit in at school."
  • "I always questioned social norms" -- "Why does this have to be this way?"
• How to decide where to start an interview?
  • "That's the hardest part." -- "The best conversations are when your open to let it go anywhere."
• Dream guests? -- Paul McCartney, Cameron Crowe
• How to create an environment for people to articulate insecurity...
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

"I've always questioned social norms. Why does it have to be this way?"

Social Media:

• Follow Sam on Twitter: @samjones
• Watch Off Camera With Sam Jones
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

More Learning:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 216: Jim Collins -- How To Go From Good To Great

Episode 200: Keith Hawk & AJ Hawk -- Showing Up, Doing The Work, Earning Trust, Helping Others, Winning The Super Bowl, Celebrating #200

Episode 234: Jocko Willink -- Why Discipline Equals Freedom

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

#269: Charlie Spaniard (UFC Fighter) Interviews Ryan Hawk - My Leadership Framework

Show Notes:

• The WHO - "The most important question is WHO. Who will be your mentor? Who will be your friends? Who will you help? Who will you spend time with? You don't need to answer what until well after you've answered WHO." -- Jim Collins
• The importance of cognitive diversity
• Growth oriented people -- Why I like to be surrounded by those types of people
• The importance of time and maturity and "life reps" to develop my curiosity.
  • "As you learn more, you realize there is so much more to learn"
• "Great leaders are willing to push." -- The impact Ron Ullery and Bob Gregg had on my life
• How preparation builds confidence -- "The greatest medicine for fear is preparation"
  • Learning how to prepare for big moments
  • How to use productive paranoia as fuel
• Building leadership skill over time
  • "Finding your voice as a leader. It's time to speak up."
  • There is a part of leading that is the "directing" part
  • Earning respect through your actions before saying a word
• Playing quarterback is the "most cerebral position in all of sports"
  • The incredible mind recall and brain capacity of Aaron Rodgers
• Why the Arena Football League helps you anticipate
• The importance of consistency - "Showing up" everyday
  • Why loving the work is so important when embarking on a difficult challenge
• Who you marry will play a big role in your future success -- "Marry well"
  • Reading The Five Love Languages
  • Say "thank you" multiple times per day to your spouse
  • Write "thank you" notes every week
• "How you do anything is how you do everything"
• The impact of my family upbringing -- Episode to listen to: Keith Hawk & AJ Hawk
  • The responsibility to sustain excellence because of being lucky to have great parents and siblings
  • The importance of "showing up" as a parent
• The decision to go to Miami University and compete against Ben Roethlisberger to be the starting QB at Miami
  • Why I moved to Oxford the day after I graduated high school
• "Taking the next step" -- What I learned from Alison Levine
• Why I started The Learning Leader Show instead of pursuing A PhD at a University
• Framework: Learn, Experiment/Do, Reflect, Teach.
• The practice of writing one "thank you" note per day from John Kralik and how it could change your life
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

Social Media:

• Follow Charlie on Twitter: @charliespaniard
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #268: Allen Gannett - How To Create "Aha" Moments And Spark Creativity

Allen is the founder and CEO of TrackMaven, a marketing analytics platform that enables creativity. Marketers use TrackMaven to measure and improve performance across every channel Some clients are: The NBA, Microsoft, Saks Fifth Avenue, and many more modern marketers. His book, The Creative Curve, was published in June 2018 from Currency, an imprint of Penguin Random House. It is all about how anyone can learn to have moments of creative genius.

We are hosting a workshop on developing YOUR personal excellence as a leader. For details and availability, go to RyanHawk.me

"Learn how to learn. View the world as being a less fixed place. Anyone is capable of making it happen."

Show Notes:

• Sustaining excellence:
  • Surround self with others who are great at what they do. A very social phenomenon
    • Collaborate with those who support their weaknesses
  • Be aligned with an executive sponsor
  • Live at the creative center -- Move to corporate headquarters if you work for a big company
    • Need to build relationships outside of 9:00-5:00
• The importance of building generational friends (friends from all age groups)
• What makes a hit? -- "Familiar but also novel."
• "As humans we're fearful of unfamiliar. It's the brains' elegant way of risk and reward."
  • A balance of the novel and the new
• The truth about Mozart
  • He didn't create his first music until he was 17
  • He had a helicopter Dad. He practiced music for three hours a day from a very early age
  • He became great because of deliberate practice
• JK Rowling spent five years writing the first Harry Potter
  • She was extremely deliberate in her process. It wasn't just a light bulb moment on a train.
• Paul McCartney spent years to write the song, Yesterday
• How to create "Aha" moments for self? -- Go for a run, drive, take a shower, lay down. Need to calm the brain.
• Writing a "descriptive" and "prescriptive" book:
  • Consume a lot about your topic of choice
  • Need to build prior knowledge
  • Not just "what," but "how much"
• Ben Franklin -- He outlined previously written articles
• Andrew Ross Sorkin consumed mass amount of literature and worked to "copy" the style in which other greats wrote
• Confidence building - "Learn how to learn." View the world as being a less fixed place. Anyone is capable of making it happen.
• Creativity is something you can learn.
• How to get cast of "Wheel Of Fortune"
• TrackMaven is a marketing analytics platform
• Making the shift from individual contributor to manager -- A "communicator and coach" to others
• Mistakes new managers make:
  • Need open lines of communication. "I was conflict averse initially and that's not good."
  • Remember when hiring. It's hard to fire people. "It's brutal."
  • Not everyone has all the answers. Get advice from people with different perspectives and incentives
  • "You need to hire slow AND fire slow. Give people a chance."
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

"A great manager must be a great communicator and coach for others."

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

We are hosting a workshop on developing YOUR personal excellence as a leader. For details and availability, go to RyanHawk.me

#267: Louie Anderson - How To Crush It on Stage From One Of The Greatest Stand-Up Comedians of All Time

Show Notes:

• Louie's approach to stand up comedy -- It appears as if he is just "riffing off the cuff," however it is highly structured and prepared
• The pain of growing up with an alcoholic dad and how that fueled him as a professional
  • This helps him pull from any of it at anytimeCreating a catalog of material
  • It takes years to develop
  • "I'm in complete control." That gives Louie the ability to handle a heckler in the crowd or go with a comment and tell an additional joke
• Going on Johnny Carson or Conan
  • "They don't step on your lines, but they are prepared for where the conversation is going to go."
• "Just like you, I've worked hard to create freedom with my work."
• Sustaining excellence:
  • "Be who you are"
  • Ask yourself, "Does this mean something to you? If it doesn't mean something to you, why would it mean anything to someone else?"
  • Confidence
• Nervous before a performance?
  • "It depends on the event and how much importance I put on it." -- Saturday Night Live was a nerve racking experience
• Advice to keynote speakers?
  • Be prepared
  • Know your message
  • Surprise the audience
  • Piggy back on a great introduction -- Listen to the room prior to your time on stage
• "I'm always tilling the ground for comedy bits."
• Storytelling:
  • "Tell them something they don't know. Humanize the story. Give a piece of yourself. Don't lecture."
• How did he get his start as a comedian?
  • "A dare. I was a social worker and went up on stage for an open mic night and it went great."
• "I volunteered to be the emcee for experience."
  • "Don't be afraid of trying new things"
  • The importance of "getting the reps:" "I did seven nights a week, four shows per night. I was creating who I was."
• "We don't see all the work that goes into being great on stage. It takes years and years of work."
  • "You need good friends who will tell you the truth."
• His mom's best advice: "Be nice to people. You never know what they're going through."
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

Social Media:

• Follow Louie on Twitter: @LouieAnderson
• Read: Hey Mom
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #266: Ryan Caldbeck - CircleUp CEO: How To Build The Frameworks Of Your Life & Career

We are hosting a workshop on developing YOUR personal excellence as a leader. For details and availability, go to RyanHawk.me

The Learning Leader Show

"What we look for in a person: Horsepower, Integrity, Work Ethic, Teamwork, Pride."

Show Notes:

• Sustaining excellence:
  • Persistence - regardless of skill, willing to run through unlimited doors with no light at the end of the tunnel. It can be soul crushing
  • Identified focus passion - an understanding of the passion that is identifiable.
  • Drive - A motor. Really good at email and/or communication. Can't take too long. "Have a motor." Always moving
  • Values - "I don't say that lightly." You can't sustain excellence without values. "A framework to understand you."
• Isn't it hard to know what your passion is? "Yes. I got scared about the treadmill that I saw others get on." However, people don't think they can leave the corporate job that pays well. But you can. Begin by thinking about the framework to make it happen.
• "Silicon Valley is a hard town to talk about challenges."
• What it's like to lead 60 employees
• What mistakes were made in the hiring process?
  • "We took too long to make frameworks."
  • "Frameworks show others what to do."
• What traits/values do you look for in hiring?
  • "The airport test doesn't make sense to me. I don't have to want to spend a day around them in the airport."
  • "We have crystallized what we look for in a person."
    • Horsepower - intelligence over experience
    • Integrity - don't talk negatively about others
    • Work ethic - must be willing to work hard
    • Teamwork - need to work well with others
    • Pride - Care
• How to gauge work ethic in a job interview?
  • "It starts with everyone knowing we are looking for that."
• Advice for the individual contributor making the leap to manager...
  • "Figure out framework for your specific role. Get clarity on what each person's role is."
  • "Learn how to develop empathy for what your team goes through. Sit with them without micromanaging them."
  • "Make sure you have a resource (person) to talk to about being a manager. Hire a coach. Get a peer group outside of your company."
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea
• Ryan has a coach and a group of 12 CEO's that he meets with regularly
• Building culture:
  • Focus on your mission
    • "To help entrepreneurs thrive by giving them the capital and resources they need."
• Their Values:
  • Do it right
  • Be brave
  • Be a solution
• Constantly reinforce the vision
• Most useful advice:
  • Winston Churchill - "Never give up."
  • "Do what you're passionate about"
• How to have balance at home?
  • Two kids and his wife is a senior leader at her company
  • Mediation after the kids go to bed
  • Online working from 8:30-10:00
  • Spend time with spouse only
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

"If you don't keep growing, you will become irrelevant."

Social Media:

• Read Ryan's tweet storms: @ryan_caldbeck
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

More Learning:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 216: Jim Collins -- How To Go From Good To Great

Episode 179: How To Sustain Excellence - The Best Answers From 178 Questions

Episode 234: Jocko Willink -- Why Discipline Equals Freedom

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #265: Clay Mathile - Self Made Billionaire Shares His Keys To Success

Former CEO and owner of The Iams Company, Clay is the founder and Chairman of the Board of Aileron. He believes strongly in free enterprise and has a high respect for business owners who risk their capital to employ others. Clay attributes professional management as one of the key reasons he was able to grow Iams to a $1 billion organization. In 1999, the Mathile family sold Iams to international conglomerate Procter & Gamble for the sum of $2.3 billion.

The Learning Leader Show

"I bought the business with borrowed money. I was scared to death. I didn't know how to run a business. I had to learn." -- Clay Mathile describes his feelings after buying Iams

Show Notes:

• Sustaining excellence:
  • Vision of what they want to do and where they want to go
  • A good idea of how to get there
  • Committed to their vision and idea
  • Clay's 4 things he wanted
    • Own his own business
    • Have that business be something that was excellent and stood for something
    • To help entrepreneurs grow
    • To use technology learned to help develop food for indigenous people
• Was hired at Iams in 1970 as the 7th employee
  • It took five years to figure out the problems and five more years to fix it
  • Convinced Paul Iams to sell Iams to him in 1975 (half) and the rest in 1981
  • Borrowed money to buy it
  • Why Clay? "Paul had seen me work and seen me make an impact on the business. I spent a lot of time on the sales and marketing strategy."
    • Focused on the breeders and vets. The people who influence the actual user. Clay was ahead of his time.
• Went to President's Course in 1982 at American Management Association
  • "I'm scared to death, I don't know how to run a business. I needed to learn."
  • The key was hiring a President and super charging their growth
  • What went in the decision to sell the company?
    • Sat down with his family to decide what each child wanted to do - "They all wanted to chase their own dreams, their own passions. They didn't want to own Iams."
  • The CEO of Procter & Gamble called...
    • Clay takes us inside the room to negotiate the deal: "We told them what our number was... And they exceeded it. It ended up with $2.3 billion."
• Starting the family office in anticipation of the sale of his business -- To build a new organization for the future.
• Aileron started as the center for entrepreneur organizations in 1994
• Aileron - "We give lift and guidance to the business owner."
• "How can I possibly repay you?" -- Clay said to his mentors. They said, "Don't pay me... Just pass it on to others."
• "People are looking for immediate help for a problem they are having right now. And we've designed this place to help them solve those problems."
• Been married for 55 years, have raised a successful family... How?
  • "When I was home, I was home. I was present. I wasn't playing golf or out with the boys."
  • Keys: "Trust... You have to like the person too. Like hanging out with them."
• Why everyone should have a board?
  • "They see things that you don't see. A strategic overview. It's something you can't do yourself."
  • "After you've been in business for 10 years, 75% of all problems are because of you."
• Having a "Personal Board of Advisors"
  • "I recommend all senior executives have mentors. All you have to do is ask. I've never had anyone turn me down when I've asked them."
  • "Build trust and mutual respect."
• Culture
  • "I built it so I could work in it."
  • "I had strange things in my management style. I was promoting empowerment before it was popular."
  • "Most people do the right things for the right reasons if you put them in the right environment."
  • "The value of the individual is so important. Treat them with respect. They feel important and special. I saw every single employee at least once per year all over the world."
  • "People are inherently good."
• Bad leaders = "Big egos, not trusting of others, insecure people."
• "When you push people outside of their comfort zone, you can't beat on them when they fail. You have to let them make mistakes."
• Individual contributor to manager jump... Advice:
  • "You have to accept the fact that management is a profession as anything else is a profession."
  • "Just because you're the best sales person doesn't mean you'll be the best sales person."
• "As a manager, you're job is to develop others."
• "You need to manage spontaneity, responsiveness. Don't react, be proactive."
• A good example of a proactive leader is a fire chief: They analyze the situation prior to making decisions. Manage in crisis
• "In 1984, we built Iams University to help people learn..."
• Most passionate about? "Teaching people, focus on the dreams of the people. Read the book Dream Manager. That's what we're all about."
• Example of a typical day: "I do about anything I want to do."
• One dream for Aileron -- "It will survive forever."
• Learning Leader = You have to be a continuous learner
• How much of his success is luck?
  • "60% luck. Be in the right place at the right time."
• "Your listeners need to think about passing it on. To help others."
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

"We give lift and guidance to the business owner."

Social Media:

• Read: Run Your Business, Don't Let It Run You
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

More Learning:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 216: Jim Collins -- How To Go From Good To Great

Episode 179: How To Sustain Excellence - The Best Answers From 178 Questions

Episode 234: Jocko Willink -- Why Discipline Equals Freedom

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #264: Liv Boeree - The Three Life Lessons From The Poker Table

Liv Boeree is a poker player, television presenter and speaker. She is a World Series of Poker and 2010 European Poker Tour champion, and is the only female player in history to hold both titles. Born in Kent, Boeree studied at Ashford School before going on to earn a First Class Honours degree in Physics with Astrophysics at the University of Manchester. Livis a three time winner of the Global Poker Index European Female Player of the year and currently sits at #5 on the female all-time live poker winnings list.

We are hosting a workshop on developing YOUR personal excellence as a leader. For details and availability, go to RyanHawk.me

The Learning Leader Show

"Our instincts are built off our life experiences."

Show Notes:

• Sustaining excellence:
  • Humility to continue question themselves
  • Growth mindset
  • Confidence
  • Curiosity to try new things
• "My hyper competitive mindset propelled me to do well in school... Even though I wasn't as naturally smart as others. I had to work at it."
• There are two people that exist in the world: Those who are humble and those who are about to be humbled.
• Why poker?
  • "I wanted to be a musician and a rock star, but I wasn't good enough. Poker was even better. I'm able to play a great game and travel the world."
• The mental framework of Poker: The foundation:
  • Rational decision making
  • Communication skill
  • Read LessWrong.com
• How does poker thinking apply to life?
  • "Our instincts are built off our life experiences" -- The Jesse Itzler model for decision making (trust your gut) vs the analytical approach... They are more similar than you think
• How can you tell when someone is bluffing? (lying)
  • "It's rare that people have physical tells"
  • Most of the time it's based on the math and your knowledge of how that person has played in the past (you see what they have played)
• How poker relates to the interview process... How can you spot when someone isn't telling the truth in a job interview?
  • "Ask them to re-tell their career story... But this time do it backwards" --- It's hard to do this unless you are telling the truth
  • Look for baseline behaviors when you meet someone and they don't feel like they are in the "interview process" yet
    • Walking in from their car, checking in, going to happy hour, dinner
  • Thoughtfulness -- Are they willing to admit a mistake
• Three life lessons from the poker table:
  • Quantifying - Increase granularity in thinking. Willingness to work in uncertainty. What action will achieve the best response?
  • Intuition can be great with lots of data, but it's not magic
  • Don't let a run of good luck make you think you're good
    • But how can you know the difference? -- Find a great set of peers who will tell you the truth
• Advice to an amateur player in the World Series main event of poker
  • Recognize the other players at the table. Who is great? Who isn't? Watch closely when you are not in the hands to see the showdown value and gain information. Balance your play based on who is in the hand with you
• Read WaitButWhy.com from Tim Urban
• "There is no other leader than The Learning Leader."
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

"If you don't keep growing, you will become irrelevant."

Social Media:

• See why over 130,00 people follow Liv on Twitter: @Liv_Boeree
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #263: Charlie McMahan - How To Build A Tribe From 50 To 5,000

Charlie McMahan has been the Lead Pastor of SouthBrook Church since 1992. He is driven by a deep concern for those who may feel like they don't belong in a church and a sincere hope that anyone who struggles with faith can end up with a life that looks like the life of Jesus. He is focused on developing future leaders and spends many hours a week mentoring others (including me!).

Charlie has led SouthBrook from a small church that originally met in an elementary school to now hosting more than 5,000 members per weekend. He has a deep understanding for how to build a loyal tribe of people.

The Learning Leader Show

"The Process: Teaser, Tension, Truth, Take Home, Together."

Show Notes:

• Sustaining excellence:
  • Integrated people - They aren't chasing a bunch of different things
  • Consolidated on the self mission
  • Focused - Not distracted
• Family
  • Charlie's dad was gone 25 days a month (he later found out he was in the CIA)
  • The reason he turns down big opportunities is because he doesn't want to travel and wants to be with his family
  • Levels of communication with kids
    • Don't spend money on stuff, spend money on experiences -- Their place is Hilton Head
• Process for Charlie's performances (his speeches/sermons)
  • The word entertainment means "To hold people's attention"
• The Process:
  • Teaser - Something that grabs you
  • Tension - The inductive part of speaking that you have to do today. So the listeners know "this is important." If you don't do this, people will leave
  • Truth
  • Take Home - The practical "do"
  • Together - "Isn't this the kind of person we want to be?"
• Most preachers were trained to be deductive... You can't do that now. You need to help them draw their own conclusions.
• Finding a way to weave stories and science together
• The Medici Effect - The renaissance happened because seemingly disconnected entities were connected.
• "I'm always figuring out how disconnected entities connect"
• "The upside of stress"
  • "Emotions are like waves. You can't choose which ones come, but you can choose which to ride."
  • Choose to embrace stress, it can have a positive impact on you
• Create a habit of how you look at life:
  • How long did it take you to put this message together? "30 hours and a lifetime."
• The intersection of the reality of the struggles with Charlie's kids and applying it to the lives of the people you serve
• What is it like to be the children of someone as successful as Charlie?
  • "Our kids had so much pressure on them. We didn't appreciate how much it was."
    • "The Famous Father Syndrome" - Kids choose to differentiate from their parents because they can't win that game
  • Advice give to parents:
    • "When you walk in the room, the temperature will go up for them. Kids need stress to grow."
    • "The stress free life is the dying life"
    • "When we walked in the room, the temperature went way up for my kids. The same heat that drove me, burned them." --> "Most parenting things you learn 5 minutes too late"
    • PLAY - Personality type, Learning style, Ability level, Yes factor -- "You don't have to cave under the pressure. It doesn't have to destroy you"
• Growing a church from 50 people to 5,000 per weekend. How?
  • Has to be a commitment to excellence that is YOU -- Has to be in ALL areas of your life. "Excellence is a habit."
    • "Excellence is expressing my worth... Ennobling others because I care. Perfectionism is trying to earn my worth by being perfect... And that is dangerous." Be careful to not think, "I have to be perfect or I"m not worth anything."
    • "Maturity is way underrated"
    • "Excellence comes out of peace. In excellence the process is as much of importance as the product."
    • "I don't have grammatical errors on the manuscript that nobody else ever sees."
    • "Excellence is the right people doing the right things for the right reasons."
    • "The right motivations are not so compulsive."
    • "The constant burden of leadership is the constant interception of entropy."
      • "There is constant gravitational pull to become like everyone else."
    • "Our church is for someone who doesn't like church." Why? "Because I didn't like church."
    • How do you handle the immense value of YOU as the leader? And the success moving forward without you?
      • "We're constantly in process of finding the next leader." "When you've been some place a long time, you become in the way."
        • Level 5 leader helps a place be better after they are gone
• How to build a tribe?
  • Max DuPree - What are your unique tribal speaks?
    • The 5 S's of SouthBrook:
      • Solitude, Scripture, Service, Support, Significant Events
  • "A Tribe is where story and strategy meet."
• What is it like the minute before you go on stage?
  • "I used to panic. It took me 10 years to get over the "what am I doing!?"
  • "Leading is so presumptuous."
  • "I've never stepped behind a microphone where I didn't believe that I could save people's lives. I truly believe every word I'm saying."
  • "I can't wait to share this."
  • "I didn't think about public speaking until I had to give a three minute speech my junior year in college. Something happened at that speech. People leaned in."
  • "Hitting the 10,000 hour mark has helped me. It's easier to prepare. I'm a huge believer in putting in the time."

• Charlie writes 3,500 words per week. Then put on the iPad and have it while on stage... "I memorize that by Friday."
• "I'm a master at self condemnation."
• Why be so critical of yourself?
  • "It can be a safety mechanism. If we self criticize, we won't get as much criticism. And it does connect with people."
• Developing future leaders
  • "The test of leadership is the ability to reproduce yourself in others... The good parts of yourself that should be reproduced."
  • "The path from direction to delegation"
  • "If I don't succeed in succession, then I will have failed."
  • "You can't be a farmer, you have to be a rancher who raises up other farmers."
• Ron Howard and Sam Jones -- Why Wall Street leaders hire former athletes?
  • "We like to hire athletes because they lose so much. They are forced to respond to failure."
• "I lose every day. I'm not good at having an accurate understanding of myself. I need people around me."
• "I was a world class (basketball) shooter. I shot 96% from the free throw line."
• Charlie was national player of the year.
• "Grit is the only talent. Those tough moments are the character builders."
• Charlie's biggest challenge today? -- "Figuring out a way to build a succession plan and not leave too soon. I live in that tension everyday."
• "When I watch myself speak, I don't think it's very good."
• The importance of hobbies
• How does it take a toll on your when you can't please everybody?
  • "Leadership is the art of disappointing people at a rate they can handle. You cannot sustain trying to please everyone. "
• The importance of continued growth and having an apprentice
  • PB&J
    • Have to have people ahead of you, stretch you, challenge you
    • Need people alongside you, your peers, in it together, consolidate over shared stories
    • We grow most when we have people to teach. To pour in to...
• "Writing makes a person exact. If it's hazy in the podium, it will be foggy in the chair."
• "If you can't listen, you can't lead."
• "There is no other leader than The Learning Leader."
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

"If you don't keep growing, you will become irrelevant."

Social Media:

• Follow Charlie on Twitter: @CharlieBMcMahan
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

More Learning:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 216: Jim Collins -- How To Go From Good To Great

Episode 179: How To Sustain Excellence - The Best Answers From 178 Questions

Episode 234: Jocko Willink -- Why Discipline Equals Freedom

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

#262: Keith Yamashita - The Keys To Great Execution (Oprah, Starbucks, Steve Jobs)

Keith Yamashita has led SYPartners for the past two decades, a practice that collaborates with CEOs and their leadership teams to build great companies and organizations. He's worked with leaders at Apple, eBay, IBM, General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Facebook, Nike, Starbucks, and Target Corporation, among others. SYPartners has been recognized by The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and Fortune for its unique, human-centered approach, applied to both business and social challenges. Earlier in Keith's career, he was the chief writer for Steve Jobs.

The Learning Leader Show

Action Step - "Build a daily contemplative practice to create mind-fitness."

Show Notes:

• Sustaining excellence:
  • The ability to envision a future that doesn't currently exist -- Make it a reality
  • Optimistic
  • Creative
  • A diverse background
  • Authentic communicator
  • Daring and bold
• People Keith has worked with who have sustained excellence:
  • Oprah Winfrey - magnetic personality, she can envision the future we want. She constantly re imagines herself. She has a strong creative core. She has a sense of deep creativity.
  • Howard Schultz - He's always restless, reinvents regularly. He's earned 9,000% return on investors money
• How do you respond when Oprah calls you for help?
  • "We are always on the outer edge of incompetence. We take on projects that we don't know the answer to. And then figure it out. We respond to those calls with deep humility."
• Why choose Keith and SYPartners?
  • "If a leader wants to try something new... We help them experiment."
• Starbucks:
  • Closed 8,000 stores for racial bias training.
  • Keith and team helped them build new habits
• SYPartners origin story:
  • "Our goal has never been to be famous, our goal is to be impactful"
  • 25 years ago with "three partners and $912 in my checking account"
  • Started as a communications firm --> Strategy --> Innovation --> Culture --> Transformation
  • There are 200 employees now
  • "We fight for greatness. We help leaders choose a more daring path"
  • "Everything is set with intentions" --> "Set your intentions and be very open to the universe"
• How do you respond to skeptics?
  • "When I started I had $912 in my checking account. I had to borrow money for rent."
  • Only you know what's inside of you. "Your skepticism needs to be inward, not outward."
  • "If greatness is your choice, it's not made in big leaps, it's made in daily focus."
    • "Micro actions add up"
• How to make the leap from individual contributor to manager?
  • Leadfully.com has been helpful
• What was it like working for Steve Jobs?
  • "I showed up with writing samples. He said they were awful. He was testing me to see if I believed in my work. It was the worst interview of my life... However, I got the job."
  • "He's the toughest boss I ever had. But I learned more from him than anyone I've worked for."
  • Steve was gifted in seeing what people were capable of and he was willing to push. He knew how to motivate you to your capacity
  • The danger in mimicking Steve's behavior? "People try to mimic the behavior, but they don't have his intentions." Mimicking the behavior without the intentions is a recipe for disaster.
• Execution and implementation:
  • Mind-fitness - Creativity in moments that matter. Be connected to others in a calm way. Ideas are just ideas. "You can train your mind to be present in this moment." Don't judge others. "Build a daily contemplative process."
  • Build a daily creative practice - Read, write, take notes, be awake, alive, aware. Get a folder, cut out articles, pictures. Create inspiration. Recall past events.
  • Understand what moment you're in - What's happening? Develop keen awareness to the moments
• Why books are the greatest investment ever (my thoughts)
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

#261: Darryl Strawberry - MLB Superstar: World Series, Home Runs, & Substance Abuse

Darryl Strawberry helped lead the New York Mets to a World Series championship and the New York Yankees to three World Series championships. He was also suspended three times by Major League Baseball for substance abuse. He was a nine time all star and he hit 335 home runs during his illustrious career.

He is an ordained minister, speaker, and author. He is taking his message to the masses with his new book, Don't Give Up On Me -- Shedding Light on Addiction.

The Learning Leader Show

"My Dad beat the crap out of me. He told me I would never amount to anything. I believed him." -- Darryl Strawberry

Show Notes:

• Sustaining excellence:
  • A calming presence... Confidence in what you know
  • Time spent learning to lead
  • Davey Johnson and Joe Torre -- A measured, confident approach to understanding each individual and how they needed to be managed
• Best teammates?
  • Gary Carter
  • Keith Hernandez
  • Lead by example type people... Those who are consistently doing the work every single day
  • They understand how to prepare and do not get distracted from the work
• Darryl struggled to be consistent because of his wondering focus
• How to bounce out of a slump?
  • "When you're 2 for 30, how do you get yourself out of a jam? Go to the batting cage and do the work."
• What was the key to winning the World Series in 1986?
  • "A complete team effort. We were a WHOLE team. Complete. Every guy did their part."
• Why did Darryl use drugs?
  • "An emptiness. I've never been well on the inside. Pain led me to greatness, but was also the cause for drug use."
  • "My dad beat the crap out of me. He told me I would never be anything and I believed him."
• Why are so many world class athletes insecure?
  • "They are yearning for love and do not always get it. I never had a good Dad. I had to learn lessons on my own. Nobody taught me."
• Advice to young people who do not have a Dad?
  • "Listen to your mom. I wish I would have. Take her direction. Allow mentors to help you. Allow people to power into your life. It was hard for me to trust people."
• Being a dad to successful athletes -- (His sons are professional basketball players and his daughters are scholarship volleyball players)
  • "I did not coach them, but I encourage them continually work to get better. I didn't push them to play baseball."
• The Doc and Darryl 30 For 30
  • "I love Doc. We are still good friends. We've been through a lot."
• Why write Don't Give Up On Me?
  • "There are so many problems in the world. Addiction is everywhere. I want to help people. I was great, but broken at the same time."
• A defining moment?
  • His wife said, "If you're ever going to get well, you have to take that uniform off." Had to stop identifying as a baseball player
• "You must take responsibility for your actions"
• "You need people in your inner circle who will be honest with you and tell you no."
• Day to day work: Pastor, travel, bring hope to those who are struggling"
• Would you ever work in baseball again?
  • "No... Unless Derek Jeter called and asked me to help his team."
• Toughest pitcher ever faced?
  • Nolan Ryan
• Why were you a great hitter?
  • Preparation... On deck circle. Always getting ready
  • "Focus on hitting line drives to the opposite field. That's how you know you're on it" -- Keith Hernandez was very helpful
• "It's about people. I should have been dead, had cancer twice, chased women, drug issues. I have urgency everyday."

• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

"It's about people. I should have been dead. I had cancer twice, chased women, had drug issues. I have urgency everyday."

Social Media:

• Read: Don't Give Up On Me
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

More Learning:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 216: Jim Collins -- How To Go From Good To Great

Episode 179: How To Sustain Excellence - The Best Answers From 178 Questions

Episode 234: Jocko Willink -- Why Discipline Equals Freedom

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #260: Mark Divine - How To Create An Unbeatable Mind

At twenty-six Mark Divine graduated as Honor Man (#1-ranked trainee) of SEAL BUD/S class number 170. Mark served for nine years total on active duty and eleven as a Reserve SEAL, retiring as Commander in 2011. His leadership of teams was so effective the government tasked him with creating a nationwide mentoring program for SEAL trainees. He earned his MBA at NYU. In 2007 he launched the SEALFIT program to provide transformational personal and team training experiences. The training utilizes an integrated warrior development model he developed, called Unbeatable Mind, which draws from his 20 years as a SEAL and business leader, 25 years as a martial artist and 15 years as yoga practitioner. Mark has written has written four books, including The Way of The SEAL, and Unbeatable Mind.

The Learning Leader Show

"Do today what others aren't willing to do. You're 20X more capable than what you think."

Show Notes:

• Sustaining excellence:
  • People who have practices that value excellence and practice it regularly
  • Optimized training, sleep, and balance
  • Mental health:
    • Meditation, nature, learning, reducing potential to be stuck in biases
  • Emotional health:
    • Not afraid of going to therapy, spritual
• Why is therapy helpful?
  • Mark married a therapist
  • They can be an emotional coach
  • "It's preventative maintenance" --> Must be proactive
  • A "check up from the neck up"
• You should always be investing in improving your "self"
  • Be mindful - yoga, zen. It's an evolutionary skill to help you connect at a deeper level
• Why become a Navy SEAL?
  • Got MBA and a CPA -- Got a job on Wall Street and hated it after three months
  • Started Zen meditation... It changed his brain
  • It created a structured program to look within himself and reflect
  • Mark did not like what was happening in the outer world (with his job)
  • He was meant to be a warrior and a leader
• Did he ever have doubts?
  • No... Because he had prepared for the difficult moments through visualization and fully understanding his WHY
  • "I created total certainty in my mind. 100% that I was going to become a SEAL. I won in my mind."
  • This outlook helped him finish #1 overall in his BUD/S class
• How can we apply this to our world? Outside of the military?
  • You must deeply care about what you're doing... And then visualize your success.
  • A "personal practice of excellence"
  • "It must be something in your vision that you are really passionate about"
  • "Visualize it as a completion. Visualize doing it to completion."
  • "You're the type of person who is worthy of completing that challenging task... Of achieving THAT"
• How do you respond to skeptics?
  • The science backs it up... Do your research
  • Give it a try... Why wouldn't you?
• VUCA = Volatility, Uncertainty, Complex, Ambiguous -- How to handle these situations
• Creating a decentralized organization -- Why this works in the military and in business (trust and certainty)
• Why you must "learn to embrace risk" -- Cannot be afraid of failure... And the plan must be flexible
• "Do today what others won't" -- 20X more capable than what you think
• "Society has weakened us... Everything is easy now. You need to force yourself to do hard things."
• "Challenge leads to growth."
• "Your body will adapt to the new reality." "Push it past where you think it can currently go"
• "You must challenge yourself every single day"
• Exercise - Write your own obituary. Think "What would people say about me?"
  • Do the deep self awareness work to "know thyself"
  • "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for everything"
• "Derive your passion around purpose. Create your set of principles."
• Originally, there was a scathing obituary written for Alfred Nobel... It was meant for his twin brother, but there was a mistake and someone wrote it about him. It changed his life. He was not aware of how badly he was thought of... And he became known for peace moving forward. So much so... That they named a prize after him.
• How Brad Stevens and Bill Belichick have mastered the art of coaching
• Why the "hacking movement" is not good according to Mark
• There must be deep learning over many years to get to mastery level of anything
• Simplify = Be narrow on what you want, get rid of everything else. And focus
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

Social Media:

• Read: Unbeatable Mind
• Follow Mark on Twitter: @MarkDivine
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #259: Shane Snow - How To Build A Dream Team

Shane Snow serves as Founder at Large at Contently, which works with Fortune 500 brands and has helped over 100,000 freelance journalists, artists, and photographers put food on the table.

His writing has appeared in Wired Magazine, The New Yorker, GQ, Fast Company, Advertising Age, The Washington Post, and others. He's author of Smartcuts, and is now releasing his most important book yet: Dream Teams, a journey through history, neuroscience, psychology, and business to reveal what separates groups that simply manage to get by from those that get better together--and how we might make our companies and communities better by understanding the difference. Shane has been named one of Details Magazine's "Digital Mavericks," called a "Wunderkind" in the New York Times, and honored as a fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts. Originally from Idaho, he studied journalism at Columbia University and lives in New York City.

The Learning Leader Show

"Two heads are only better than one if they think differently."

Show Notes:

• Sustaining excellence:
  • 2 X @ Matrix chart
    • Skepticism and credulity
    • Optimism and pessimism
  • They believe the world can be better, but they don't always take things at face value
  • Be skeptical AND optimistic as a leader
• The leader should provide complete emotional AND intellectual support
  • Be willing to push. Be okay with conflict.
  • Be a "disagreeable giver" and create psychological safety
• How to improve? Get help?
  • "I have a lot of faith in my self. A healthy ego. But I'm paranoid about my blind spots. I want to learn so much. I collect inputs that are critical from my business partner."
• Why write Dream Teams?
  • The desire to study the best teams. The best cultures. "I wanted to learn this for my own business."
  • "When human beings come together, we can do incredible things."
• The impact his Dad on Shane - A nuclear engineer
• The importance of cognitive diversity
  • "Two heads are better than one only if they think differently."
• The power of ragtag teams
  • Buddy cops
    • Street smart
    • By the book
    • Man/woman teams solve crimes better
• How to implement and execute?
  • WHO is on the team?
  • How you deal with problems/issues?
    • "We need to re-frame how we think about this. Set up a pool to make it as cognitively diverse as possible
      • Perspective - How you view the world, who you are
      • Heuristic - The way you approach solving problems. (eg: different university, different piano teacher)
• Think about solving problems how a movie director acts?
  • Do they use the exact same actors for every movie they direct? No, it doesn't make sense. They cast the best actors for each movie. "If you're solving different problems, why would you cast the same people every time?"
• Shane explains why "culture fit" is not a good characteristic in hiring
• The disaster that was the Daimler-Chrysler merger
  • Miscalculation on how much companies complimented each other
  • Culture kills most - "It's the fact that they didn't speak to each other."
  • Mergers that don't go well... People need to talk. It's okay to fight and disagree. It's ruined when people stop talking (just like a marriage)
  • "Silence is the enemy of innovation"
• The Wright Brothers - They would argue one side of a point. Then have lunch... And switch sides of the argument. It forced expansion of the way they thought about problems
• Wu Tang Clan - "Competition breeds excellence"
  • Magic Johnson & Larry Bird
  • DJ's in the Bronx
  • Competing against Ben Roethlisberger
• Why is it okay to argue and compete?
  • "An overriding cause that's worth it. A purpose. A passion... To win."
• Build an empire with people - Intense, full emotional support. Learn each others stories, their motivations
• Blackrock - Form a new team, have everyone tell their personal stories, develop a sense of connectedness
• If you dislike a colleague (like Shane did): "I went to her house and met her family and friends. I learned about her life growing up and the people who support her. It changed my perspective of her."
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

"Silence is the enemy of innovation."

Social Media:

• Read: Dream Teams
• Follow Shane on Twitter: @shanesnow
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

More Learning:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 216: Jim Collins -- How To Go From Good To Great

Episode 179: How To Sustain Excellence - The Best Answers From 178 Questions

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

258: Jesse Itzler - Creating Your LIFE Resume (Living With The Monks)

Jesse Itzler is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Living with a Seal, cofounded Marquis Jet, the world's largest private jet card company which he and his partner sold to Berkshire Hathaway/NetJets. Jesse then partnered with Zico coconut water, which he and his partner sold to The Coca-Cola Company. His latest book is titled, Living With The Monks. He's a former rapper on MTV and wrote and performed the NBA's Emmy Award-winning "I Love This Game" music campaign and the popular New York Knicks anthem "Go NY Go." When he's not running ultra-marathons, eating vegan food or being a dad to his four kids, Jesse can be found at the NBA's Atlanta Hawks games, where he's an owner of the team. He is married to Spanx founder Sara Blakely.

The Learning Leader Show

"I invest in people... You must look into their eyes before making a decision."

Show Notes:

• Sustaining excellence:
  • Spending time around the 4,000 people who used Marquis Jet, "I always asked them about their habits."
  • You have to create the system that works best for YOU:
    • Attack fear, take risks
    • Get up early in the morning
    • Create daily wins, momentum
    • Be a great connector, build relationships
    • Run -- Create great exercise habits
    • Winning habits, routines, mindset. A system for self
• For 27 years, Jesse has only eaten fruit before noon
• Relying on gut instinct... How to build this, make better? Must spend time alone, to think. Running is where this happens for Jesse (in the car for Sara)
• Why?
  • Awareness with time... Understand your own mortality
  • A constant drive to build a "life resume"
  • You only get 1 shot to do this thing
• Hiking Mount Washington -- Helps you feel "super alive... It's addicting."
• Have you always been this way? "I get bored easily. This has nothing to do with money."
• Always being urgent to accomplish something
• Always carving out time for yourself. Carve at least 1 hour per day.
• Put parameters around your time
• YOU are the business plan. "I invest in people... Have you ever looked into his eyes?"
• "At the end of the day, people drive companies."
• Why live with the monks?
  • "I did the physical part while living with a SEAL. I needed to focus on the spiritual part."
    • Lived in a monastery with 8 monks... 4 had been there for 50 years
• How living with the monks helped him handle "decision fatigue"
  • How it free'd up so much energy
• "The power of cumulative work"
• "Always do something hard"
  • It sets the tone for yourself
• Don't back away from challenges -- Build the grit muscle
  • Do small things every day (clean, make the bed, finish tasks, do the dishes now)
• "I'm turning 50. I only have 28 summers left if I'm lucky."
• The perfect day =
  • Family time
  • Wellness time (running)
  • Business time
• "Get your heart rate up!"

Social Media:

• Read: Living With The Monks
• Follow Jesse on Twitter: @the100MileMan
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community
• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

More Learning:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 216: Jim Collins -- How To Go From Good To Great

Episode 179: How To Sustain Excellence - The Best Answers From 178 Questions

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why