Info

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

As Kobe Bryant once said, “There is power in understanding the journey of others to help create your own.” That’s why the Learning Leader Show exists—to understand the journeys of other leaders so that we can better understand our own. This show is full of learnings taught by world-class leaders—personal stories of successes, failures, and lessons learned along the way. Our guests come from diverse backgrounds—CEOs of multi-billion dollar companies, best-selling authors, Navy SEALs, and professional athletes. My role in this endeavor is to talk to the smartest, most creative, always-learning leaders in the world so that we can learn from them as we each create our own journeys.
RSS Feed
The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk
2024
April
March
February
January


2023
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2022
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2021
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2020
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2019
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2018
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2017
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2016
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2015
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April


All Episodes
Archives
Now displaying: 2016
Jun 19, 2016

Episode 134: Patrick Lencioni – Naked Consulting: Why It Works

I read Pat’s Leadership Fable, “The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team” many years ago and became a huge fan of his work.  “Getting Naked” is another seminal piece on shedding fear.  You’ll notice on this episode that Pat also has a great wit and sense of humor.  I was learning and laughing throughout the conversation.

Pat Lencioni is the founder of The Table Group and the author of 10 books which have sold nearly 5 million copies and been translated into more than 30 languages. The Wall Street Journal called him "one of the most in demand speakers in America." He has addressed millions of people at conferences and events around the world over the past 15 years. Pat has written for or been featured in numerous publications including Harvard Business Review, Inc., Fortune, Fast Company, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek.

As CEO, Pat spends his time writing books and articles related to leadership and organizational health, speaking to audiences interested in those topics and consulting to CEOs and their teams.

Episode 134: Patrick Lencioni – Naked Consulting: Why It Works

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

The Learning Leader Show

“Getting naked… Being completely transparent has been the key to our success.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Humility is the core virtue of sustained excellence
  • A drive for excellence is imperative to be successful – Southwest Airlines
  • Why don’t most leaders do this? They think it’s beneath them
  • How do you not get fooled in the hiring process? Pat answers…
  • “Scare people with sincerity”
  • Why the phrase “it’s just business” is horrible
  • Why his business is called The Table Group
  • It’s important to enjoy each step of growth.  If you don’t enjoy owning one restaurant, you won’t enjoy owning 20 of them
  • Getting naked – Being 100% transparent
  • Don’t sell… Help.  Start to do stuff for a potential client immediately.  Help them from the very beginning before they’ve paid you anything.  They will eventually beg to give you money.
  • Naked Consulting =
    • Don’t be afraid to lose the business
    • Don’t be afraid to be embarrassed – Ask questions
    • Don’t be afraid to feel inferior to your client.  Help them.  Clean the office, carry supplies, do the little things
  • The Ideal Team Player is:
    • Humble
    • Hungry
    • Smart
  • Keynote speech process? Make people an insider.  Make it so they are in on it.  Don’t present, just talk as you normally would.  Be honest.
  • A great learning leader is humble enough to know that she is learning constantly

“The best piece of technology is a table.”

Continue Learning

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 130: Ryan Holiday – What Is Your Greatest Enemy? Your Ego

Episode 127: Adam Grant – How Originals Impact The World

Episode 126: Jayson Gaignard – Mastermind Talks – An event with a lower acceptance rate than Harvard

Episode 114: Cal Newport – Deep Work Is Your Super Power

Did you enjoy the podcast?

This was a jam packed episode full of great content.  Pat Lencioni is leader who is constantly learning in order to help us all live a better life. Who do you know that needs to hear this?  Send them to The Learning Leader Show!

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From TableGroup.com  

Pat Lencioni is the founder of The Table Group and the author of 10 books which have sold nearly 5 million copies and been translated into more than 30 languages. The Wall Street Journal called him "one of the most in demand speakers in America." He has addressed millions of people at conferences and events around the world over the past 15 years. Pat has written for or been featured in numerous publications including Harvard Business Review, Inc., Fortune, Fast Company, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek.

As CEO, Pat spends his time writing books and articles related to leadership and organizational health, speaking to audiences interested in those topics and consulting to CEOs and their teams.

Prior to founding The Table Group, Pat worked at Bain & Company, Oracle Corporation and Sybase.

Jun 15, 2016

Episode 133: John Ruhlin – Giftology: Radical Generosity Is Your Secret Weapon

John Ruhlin is the founder of The Ruhlin Group, a gift logistics company that helps clients like the Chicago Cubs, Wells Fargo, Caesar s Entertainment, Miami Dolphins, Morgan Stanley, and The John Maxwell Company execute year-round gifting strategies.

John's unique approach to relationships led him to become the #1 salesman for a $250 Million direct sales company by the time he was 23 (out of 1.5 Million reps). He now speaks widely about strategic gifting and relationship building and helps CEOs and sales teams drive referrals and open doors to elusive decision makers.

He is the author of “Giftology.” Ruhlin breaks down how anyone from mail clerk to managing director can master the magic of Giftology; with these and more: Mastering reciprocity, the hidden bottom line booster Laser-targeting whom to give a gift and when to use thrift Uncovering your client s inner circle and becoming part of it Give wholeheartedly to Giftology and reap the rewards of an expanding business and fruitful relationships, professional and personal alike.

Episode 133: John Ruhlin – Giftology: Radical Generosity Is Your Secret Weapon

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

The Learning Leader Show

“I Help Leaders Not Suck At Saying Thank You.” – John Ruhlin

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • The best gift John ever received – Specific gifts for him, his wife, and his kids based on each of their preferences
  • A thoughtful hand written note on a nice sheet of paper will go a long way
  • Percentage of revenue invested on gift giving
  • Reframing your questioning to: “What’s the most I could give?”
  • Differentiating from all others
  • Why you shouldn’t give gifts at Thanksgiving or Christmas
  • Why you should never put your own logo on a gift
  • How to be a better gift giver in your relationship with your spouse
  • “Surprise and Delight” – “Planned “Randomness”
  • Why you shouldn’t ask for your gift recipient’s address – Find another one to get it
  • Don’t give consumable safe bets – Be thoughtful
  • Think, “How can I help you look good to your most important relationships?’
  • Paying for each employee to have their homes cleaned every two weeks and the benefit his company receives from it
  • How to dominate your specific space like he dominates the appreciation space

“What’s the most I could give?  What’s the craziest thing I could do to show them how much I appreciate them?”

Continue Learning

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 130: Ryan Holiday – What Is Your Greatest Enemy? Your Ego

Episode 127: Adam Grant – How Originals Impact The World

Episode 126: Jayson Gaignard – Mastermind Talks – An event with a lower acceptance rate than Harvard

Episode 114: Cal Newport – Deep Work Is Your Super Power

Did you enjoy the podcast?

This was a jam packed episode full of great content.  John Ruhlin is leader who is constantly learning in order to help us all live a better life. Who do you know that needs to hear this?  Send them to The Learning Leader Show!

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From RuhlinGroup.com

John Ruhlin is the founder of The Ruhlin Group, a gift logistics company that helps clients like the Chicago Cubs, Wells Fargo, Caesar s Entertainment, Miami Dolphins, Morgan Stanley, and The John Maxwell Company execute year-round gifting strategies.

John's unique approach to relationships led him to become the #1 salesman for a $250 Million direct sales company by the time he was 23 (out of 1.5 Million reps). He now speaks widely about strategic gifting and relationship building and helps CEOs and sales teams drive referrals and open doors to elusive decision makers.

He is the author of “Giftology.” Ruhlin breaks down how anyone from mail clerk to managing director can master the magic of Giftology; with these and more: Mastering reciprocity, the hidden bottom line booster Laser-targeting whom to give a gift and when to use thrift Uncovering your client s inner circle and becoming part of it Give wholeheartedly to Giftology and reap the rewards of an expanding business and fruitful relationships, professional and personal alike.

Jun 12, 2016

Episode 132: Kevin Kelly -  How To See The Future...

Much of what will happen in the next thirty years is inevitable, driven by technological trends that are already in motion. In this fascinating, provocative new book, Kevin Kelly provides an optimistic road map for the future, showing how the coming changes in our lives—from virtual reality in the home to an on-demand economy to artificial intelligence embedded in everything we manufacture—can be understood as the result of a few long-term, accelerating forces. Kelly both describes these deep trends—interacting, cognifying, flowing, screening, accessing, sharing, filtering, remixing, tracking, and questioning—and demonstrates how they overlap and are codependent on one another. These larger forces will completely revolutionize the way we buy, work, learn, and communicate with each other. By understanding and embracing them, says Kelly, it will be easier for us to remain on top of the coming wave of changes and to arrange our day-to-day relationships with technology in ways that bring forth maximum benefits. Kelly’s bright, hopeful book will be indispensable to anyone who seeks guidance on where their business, industry, or life is heading—what to invent, where to work, in what to invest, how to better reach customers, and what to begin to put into place—as this new world emerges. (Per Amazon.com)

Kevin Kelly is Senior Maverick at Wired magazine. He co-founded Wired in 1993, and served as its Executive Editor for its first seven years. His new book for Viking/Penguin is called The Inevitable, with a publication date of June 6, 2016. He is also founding editor and co-publisher of the popular Cool Tools website, which has been reviewing tools daily since 2003. From 1984-1990 Kelly was publisher and editor of the Whole Earth Review, a journal of unorthodox technical news. He co-founded the ongoing Hackers’ Conference, and was involved with the launch of the WELL, a pioneering online service started in 1985. His books include the best-selling New Rules for the New Economy, the classic book on decentralized emergent systems, Out of Control, a graphic novel about robots and angels, The Silver Cord, an oversize catalog of the best of Cool Tools, and his summary theory of technology in What Technology Wants (2010).

Episode 132 Kevin Kelly – How To See The Future...

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“Their success can prevent future success. It’s difficult to move off that peak.  It’s important to know nothing at times.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Those who cultivate, create, make, and have an ability to see the world a little differently sustain excellence
  • With technology advancements, it’s difficult to sustain a different view
  • Why we should think of ways to optimize our lives
  • The art of making allies instead of enemies
  • “I write in order to tell myself what I think”
  • The power of sharing your journal with the world
  • Why humans will own less and will pay for access to more things
  • Why do we need to sleep? Can we optimize it?
  • Why hasn’t the speed of commercials airlines increased in 30 years?
  • “You are not late – Go do something now”

“What are you trying to optimize in your life?”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 130: Ryan Holiday – Ego Is The Enemy

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Kevin Kelly on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

 

Bio From KK.org

Kevin Kelly is Senior Maverick at Wired magazine. He co-founded Wired in 1993, and served as its Executive Editor for its first seven years. His new book for Viking/Penguin is called The Inevitable, with a publication date of June 6, 2016. He is also founding editor and co-publisher of the popular Cool Tools website, which has been reviewing tools daily since 2003. From 1984-1990 Kelly was publisher and editor of the Whole Earth Review, a journal of unorthodox technical news. He co-founded the ongoing Hackers’ Conference, and was involved with the launch of the WELL, a pioneering online service started in 1985. His books include the best-selling New Rules for the New Economy, the classic book on decentralized emergent systems, Out of Control, a graphic novel about robots and angels, The Silver Cord, an oversize catalog of the best of Cool Tools, and his summary theory of technology in What Technology Wants (2010).

Jun 8, 2016

Episode 131: Marshall Goldsmith – The #1 Leadership & CEO Coach In The World

When you google “helping successful leaders,” the name that will appear on almost all 3,500+ results is Marshall Goldsmith…  It was an absolute thrill to learn directly from him during this conversation on The Learning Leader Show.

Dr. Marshall Goldsmith is the author or editor of 35 books, which have sold over two million copies, been translated into 30 languages and become bestsellers in 12 countries. He has written two New York Times bestsellers, MOJO and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There – a Wall Street Journal #1 business book and winner of the Harold Longman Award for Business Book of the Year. His newest book Triggers: Creating Behavior that Lasts – Becoming the Person You Want to Be was published on May 19, 2015.

Marshall’s global professional acknowledgments include: Harvard Business Review – World’s #1 Leadership Thinker, Institute for Management Studies – Lifetime Achievement Award (one of only two ever awarded), American Management Association - 50 great thinkers and leaders who have influenced the field of management over the past 80 years, BusinessWeek – 50 great leaders in America, Wall Street Journal – top ten executive educators, Forbes – five most-respected executive coaches.  Leader of the Future Award, and Global Gurus ranked Marshall #1 World's Top 30 Coaching Professionals for 2016. Marshall's work has been recognized by nearly every professional organization in his field.

Episode 131: Marshall Goldsmith – The #1 Leadership & CEO Coach In The World

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“He Who Is Not Busy Being Born Is Busy Dying”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Courage, Humility, and Discipline leads to sustained excellence
  • Giving speeches in 96 countries and earning 11 million frequent flyer miles
  • 27 CEO’s have endorsed his new book, “Triggers”
  • Marshall’s strategy and how he “bets” on himself (he doesn’t get paid unless his coaching works)
  • The amount he gets paid and time length: 18 months of coaching for $250,000
  • He’s been coaching for 39 years – He feels incredibly worthy of coaching the best in the world. 
  • He’s the world’s #1 CEO/Leadership coach
  • If you google “helping successful leaders,” Marshall’s name will appear in virtually every result (over 3,500)
  • The daily 2 minute exercise that will change your life – Why you should email Marshall and ask him to send it to you (he sent it to me.  It’s incredible)
  • Don’t use the phrase, “I have this problem.”  Instead say “I used to do that” – Make it past tense, not current
  • Doing your best to set clear goals every single day
  • Being a learning leader means reading and constantly striving to improve

 “I Wrote The Theory About How To Change Behavior”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Marshall Goldsmith on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From MarshallGoldsmithLibrary.com

Dr. Marshall Goldsmith is the author or editor of 35 books, which have sold over two million copies, been translated into 30 languages and become bestsellers in 12 countries. He has written two New York Times bestsellers, MOJO and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There – a Wall Street Journal #1 business book and winner of the Harold Longman Award for Business Book of the Year. His newest book Triggers: Creating Behavior that Lasts – Becoming the Person You Want to Be was published on May 19, 2015.

Marshall’s global professional acknowledgments include: Harvard Business Review – World’s #1 Leadership Thinker, Institute for Management Studies – Lifetime Achievement Award (one of only two ever awarded), American Management Association - 50 great thinkers and leaders who have influenced the field of management over the past 80 years, BusinessWeek – 50 great leaders in America, Wall Street Journal – top ten executive educators, Forbes – five most-respected executive coaches.  Leader of the Future Award, and Global Gurus ranked Marshall #1 World's Top 30 Coaching Professionals for 2016. Marshall's work has been recognized by nearly every professional organization in his field.

Jun 5, 2016

Episode 130: Ryan Holiday – What Is Your Greatest Enemy? Your Ego

If you enjoyed the first conversation Ryan Holiday and I had, then you will absolutely love this one.  We went much deeper on a number of really interesting topics including: Destiny (does it choose us?), Ego, Stoicism, Risk, Metallica, Focus, Silence, and Gawker Media… I loved it.

Ryan Holiday is a media strategist and prominent writer on strategy and business. After dropping out of college at nineteen to apprentice under Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power, he went on to advise many bestselling authors and multiplatinum musicians. He served as director of marketing at American Apparel for many years, where his campaigns have been used as case studies by Twitter, YouTube, and Google and written about in AdAge, the New York Times, and Fast Company. 

His most recent book, “Ego Is The Enemy” draws on a vast array of stories and examples, from literature to philosophy to his­tory. We meet fascinating figures such as George Marshall, Jackie Robinson, Katharine Graham, Bill Belichick, and Eleanor Roosevelt, who all reached the highest levels of power and success by con­quering their own egos. Their strategies and tactics can be ours as well.

Episode 130: Ryan Holiday – What Is Your Greatest Enemy? Your Ego

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

“Ryan Holiday is one of his generation’s finest thinkers, and this book is his best yet.” - Steven Pressfield, author of New York Times bestseller “The War of Art”

The Learning Leader Show

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • The importance of always being a student – “One cannot learn that which they think they already know.”
  • The remarkable story of Kirk Hammett, lead guitar player for Metallica – His actions upon being hired will blow you away (and inspire you)
  • Ryan’s process for receiving feedback and coaching
  • Why it’s not wise to try and impress others
  • Being motivated to prove people right
  • The importance of your spouse
  • The power of silence and how it relates to Robert Greene’s work in The 48 Laws of Power
  • The phrase confident and secure leaders are willing to say that others are not
  • Don’t follow your passion, follow your effort – Nobody quits what they’re good at
  • What is destiny?  Is it predetermined?
  • Meeting your heroes in person
  • Why Ryan feels that Gawker is one of the worst media companies of all time and the piece he wrote about Peter Thiel
  • Great giveaways for his book

“Be an anteambulo – Clear the path for others to be successful.”

“One cannot learn that which they think they already know.”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

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

Episode 127: Adam Grant – How Originals Impact The World

Episode 117: Tim Urban – Using Procrastination To Perform A TED Talk

Episode 114: Cal Newport – Deep Work Is Your Super Power

Did you enjoy the podcast?

This was a jam packed episode full of great content.  Ryan Holiday is a leader who leads an very interesting life. Who do you know that needs to hear this?  Send them to The Learning Leader Show!

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

From The Prologue of “Ego Is The Enemy”

“While the history books are filled with tales of obsessive visionary geniuses who remade the world in their image with sheer, almost irrational force, I’ve found that history is also made by individuals who fought their egos at every turn, who eschewed the spotlight, and who put their higher goals above their desire for recognition.”

Jun 1, 2016

Episode 129: Rory Vaden – Why The Best “Take The Stairs”

Self-Discipline Strategist Rory Vaden’s book Take the Stairs is a #1 Wall St Journal, #1 USA Today, and #2 New York Times bestseller. As an award-winning entrepreneur and business leader, Rory Co-Founded Southwestern Consulting™, a multi-million dollar global consulting practice that helps clients in more than 14 countries drive educated decisions with relevant data. He’s also the Founder of The Center for the Study of Self-Discipline (CSSD).

Rory is the world’s leader on defining the psychology around modern day procrastination, called Priority Dilution™ - in fact, he coined the term. He speaks and consults on how to say no to the things that don’t matter, and yes to the things that do. His client list includes companies and groups such as: Cargill, The Million Dollar Roundtable, P&G, True Value, YPO, Wells Fargo Advisors, Land O’Lakes, Novartis, and hundreds more. His insights have recently been featured on/in: Fox News, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Inc, Fortune, and the New York Times.

Episode 129: Rory Vaden – Why The Best “Take The Stairs”

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“When I think of a learning leader, I think of someone who is learning and applying.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Being willing to take on the tough moments (like a buffalo does a storm) leads to sustained excellence
  • The relation to Kevin Ollie and “Take The Stairs” that he used with his UConn basketball team
  • The specific number of “reps” Rory has gained as a speaker (Deliberate Practice)
  • The science behind habit forming
  • 70 speaking dates per year
  • The mindset of multiplying time
  • Understanding the most significant tasks
  • Why one of his books totally failed (really interesting and transparent talk from Rory)
  • The impact Zig Zigler had on him as a mentor
  • Being a learning leader means putting what you’ve learned into action.  Action is critical

 “Multipliers create more time tomorrow.”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Rory Vaden on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

 

Bio From RoryVaden.com

Self-Discipline Strategist Rory Vaden’s book Take the Stairs is a #1 Wall St Journal, #1 USA Today, and #2 New York Times bestseller. As an award-winning entrepreneur and business leader, Rory Co-Founded Southwestern Consulting™, a multi-million dollar global consulting practice that helps clients in more than 14 countries drive educated decisions with relevant data. He’s also the Founder of The Center for the Study of Self-Discipline (CSSD).

Rory is the world’s leader on defining the psychology around modern day procrastination, called Priority Dilution™ - in fact, he coined the term. He speaks and consults on how to say no to the things that don’t matter, and yes to the things that do. His client list includes companies and groups such as: Cargill, The Million Dollar Roundtable, P&G, True Value, YPO, Wells Fargo Advisors, Land O’Lakes, Novartis, and hundreds more. His insights have recently been featured on/in: Fox News, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Inc, Fortune, and the New York Times.

He is a regular contributor for American Express Open Forum, Huffington Post, and The Tennessean and his articles and insights average more than 4 million views every month. Additionally, he hosts The Rory Vaden Show which is the only nationally syndicated weekly radio show for “movers and shakers in the world of business.”

May 30, 2016

Episode 128: Donna Dubinsky – Standing Up To Steve Jobs And Being Right

Donna Dubinsky was made famous by the Harvard Business School study about the time when she disagreed with Steve Jobs (when he decided that Apple should eliminate their distribution warehouse).  She ultimately prevailed and we discussed what happened next in her incredible career.  We had a fascinating conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show.

Donna Dubinsky first partnered with Jeff Hawkins at Palm, Inc. in 1992, where she served as president and CEO. She held this position throughout Palm’s acquisition by U.S Robotics and subsequently 3Com Corporation. In 1998, Donna and Jeff co-founded Handspring, creator of the category-defining Treo smartphone. Handspring merged with Palm in 2003, and Donna continued to serve on Palm’s board until 2009. Previously, Donna spent 10 years at Apple Inc. in a multitude of sales, sales support, and logistics functions—both at Apple and at Claris, an Apple software subsidiary.

Donna earned a B.A. from Yale University, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. She is currently on the board of Yale University.

Episode 128: Donna Dubinsky – Standing Up To Steve Jobs And Being Right

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“When I Worked With Steve Jobs, He Was Interested In Vision, Not Practicality”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • The ability to defy conventional wisdom and curiosity leads to sustained excellence
  • The specifics on the story when she vehemently disagreed with Steve Jobs and what happened
  • Why Donna wanted to change the world and how she set out to do it
  • What it was like working with Steve Jobs in the early days at Apple
  • Steve Jobs initially said he would never be involved in mobile phones… Donna and her colleagues changed his mind when they came out with the first version of a smart phone
  • The future is built on learning machines
  • Steve Jobs redefined the relationships with the phone carriers – Something that nobody before him could do
  • What it’s like to find patterns in streaming data
  • Being a learning leader – It’s not a batch process, you have to continue learning and always deploy as you learn more

 “The Future Is Built On Learning Machines”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Donna Dubinsky on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Numenta.com

Donna first partnered with Jeff Hawkins at Palm, Inc. in 1992, where she served as president and CEO. She held this position throughout Palm’s acquisition by U.S Robotics and subsequently 3Com Corporation. In 1998, Donna and Jeff co-founded Handspring, creator of the category-defining Treo smartphone. Handspring merged with Palm in 2003, and Donna continued to serve on Palm’s board until 2009. Previously, Donna spent 10 years at Apple Inc. in a multitude of sales, sales support, and logistics functions—both at Apple and at Claris, an Apple software subsidiary.

Donna earned a B.A. from Yale University, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. She is currently on the board of Yale University.

May 25, 2016

Episode 127: Adam Grant – How Originals Impact The World

Adam Grant has been a leader I’ve admired since I read his NY Times best-selling book, “Give and Take” in 2013.  The book changed my life.  It changed how I view the world and how I view success.  The path to success and sustained excellence is different than I originally thought and I have Adam to thank for you.  It was an absolute thrill to have this conversation with Adam.

Adam Grant is Wharton’s top-rated professor and a New York Times writer on work and psychology. He has been recognized as one of the world's 25 most influential management thinkers, the 100 most creative people in business, the 40 best business professors under 40, and Malcolm Gladwell’s favorite thinkers.

Adam is the author of two New York Times bestselling books translated into 35 languages. Originals explores how individuals champion new ideas and leaders fight groupthink; it is a #1 national bestseller and one of Amazon's best books of February 2016. Give and Take examines why helping others drives our success, and was named one of the best books of 2013 by Amazon, Apple, the Financial Times, and The Wall Street Journal—as well as one of Oprah's riveting reads and Harvard Business Review’s ideas that shaped management.

Adam received a standing ovation for his 2016 TED talk on the surprising habits of original thinkers and was voted the audience's favorite speaker at The Nantucket Project on the success of givers and takers. 

Episode 127: Adam Grant

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“It’s a myth that you have to be a big risk taker to be a successful entrepreneur.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Being a dedicated learner and always raising the bar leads to sustained excellence
  • Realizing he had no excuse not to share his ideas with the world after he made tenure
  • Why Adam does not consider himself an Original
  • It’s not that we struggle with creativity, it’s Originality where we are lacking
  • Getting invited to the main TED conference
  • The process for writing and delivering a world class TED talk
  • The importance of having a coach – Adam had 4 speaking coaches helping him prepare and edit his TED Talk
  • How to deal with a Taker who has success
  • Why procrastination helps spur creativity
  • Creativity and curiosity are the starting point for all originality
  • The best originals think about risk like a stock portfolio
  • A learning leader cares more about getting better than they do about their own ego

 “I don’t think we struggle at creativity, we struggle at originality.”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

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

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Adam Grant on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From AdamGrant.net

Adam Grant is Wharton’s top-rated professor and a New York Times writer on work and psychology. He has been recognized as one of the world's 25 most influential management thinkers, the 100 most creative people in business, the 40 best business professors under 40, and Malcolm Gladwell’s favorite thinkers. Previously, he was a record-setting advertising director, a junior Olympic springboard diver, and a professional magician.

Adam is the author of two New York Times bestselling books translated into 35 languages. Originals explores how individuals champion new ideas and leaders fight groupthink; it is a #1 national bestseller and one of Amazon's best books of February 2016. Give and Take examines why helping others drives our success, and was named one of the best books of 2013 by Amazon, Apple, the Financial Times, and The Wall Street Journal—as well as one of Oprah's riveting reads and Harvard Business Review’s ideas that shaped management.

Adam received a standing ovation for his 2016 TED talk on the surprising habits of original thinkers and was voted the audience's favorite speaker at The Nantucket Project on the success of givers and takers. His speaking and consulting clients include Google, the NBA, Merck, Goldman Sachs, Pixar, Facebook, Johnson & Johnson, the United Nations, the U.S. Army and Navy, and the World Economic Forum, where he has been honored as a Young Global Leader. His New York Times articles on Raising a moral child and How to raise a creative child have each been shared over 300,000 times on social media.

 

Adam was profiled in The New York Times Magazine cover story, Is giving the secret to getting ahead? He was tenured at Wharton while still in his twenties, and has received the Excellence in Teaching Award for every class that he has taught. He is the founder and host of the Authors@Wharton speaker series, and co-director of Wharton People Analytics. He has designed experiential learning activities based on The Apprentice in which students have raised over $325,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation while developing leadership, influence, networking and collaboration skills. He serves on the Lean In board and authored a New York Times series on women and work with Sheryl Sandberg, including Speaking while female and Madam C.E.O., get me a coffee.

Adam earned his Ph.D. in organizational psychology from the University of Michigan, completing it in less than three years, and his B.A. from Harvard University, magna cum laude with highest honors and Phi Beta Kappa honors. He has earned awards for distinguished scholarly achievement from the Academy of Management, the American Psychological Association, and the National Science Foundation. He has more than 60 publications in leading management and psychology journals, and his pioneering studies have increased performance and reduced burnout among engineers and sales professionals, enhanced call center productivity, and motivated safety behaviors among doctors, nurses and lifeguards. His studies have been highlighted in bestselling books such as Quiet by Susan Cain, Drive  by Daniel Pink, and David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell.

May 22, 2016

Episode 126: Jayson Gaignard – Mastermind Talks: An Event With A Lower Acceptance Rate Than Harvard

Jayson Gaignard has become a great friend over the course of the past year.  He calls himself a “talent scout” – Meaning he looks for people on the rise and works hard to support them on that journey.  Jayson believes building those relationships are more important than just simply seeking the “already famous” people in the world.  I’m grateful that he’s been such a great supporter of me for the last year. 

The event that Jayson Gaignard has created (Mastermind Talks) is harder to get an invitation to than it is to get accepted to Harvard (5.2% for Harvard).  Mastermind Talks accepts less than 1 half of 1% of applicants.  Jayson Gaignard says this is the key to the long term success of his business.  In 2016, the event was held in Ojai, CA and I was fortunate to be one of those in attendance.  During this conversation today, we discussed the details and specifics around executing a world class event.  You’ll be amazed at Jayson’s attention to detail and his care for each and every member.  He’s one of the most thoughtful leaders I’ve ever met.

"Business, like life, is all about how you make people feel. It’s that simple, and it’s that hard."

Episode 126: Jayson Gaignard – Mastermind Talks: An Event With A Lower Acceptance Rate Than Harvard

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“We’re Drowning In Information, But Starving For Wisdom.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Success breeds complacency and arrogance.  Leaders who sustain excellence are not arrogant and are never complacent
  • “Amazing people often know other amazing people”
  • How and why Jayson has resisted the temptation to have open enrollment – He actively leaves a large sum of money on the table ever year
  • Jayson’s remarkable ability to develop trust with his colleagues
  • Going into an event without sharing an agenda or featured speakers – Again Jayson has built massive trust
  • Why it’s helpful to build in a great deal of time for people to mingle
  • Roundtables/Breakout Sessions – The power of having subject matter experts as attendees
  • Peer to Peer learning is huge part of Mastermind Talks
  • The element of surprise – Gary Vaynerchuk, Tony Hawk, James Altucher, Damien Escobar
  • If you want to be blown away, watch this: Damien Escobar
  • “My focus is on scaling trust.  If I have trust, I can make magic happen”
  • The importance of having a morning “movement event” – Get people together early to workout, eat breakfast, and then start the formal information at 10:00
  • Advice given to event attendees: How to stand out and make an impact on your fellow attendees

“Amazing People Know Other Amazing People.”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Jayson Gaignard on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

 

Bio From MastermindTalks.com (In Jayson’s words)

Just a few years ago, I was stuck on the entrepreneurial "hamster wheel" building a business I hated, which enabled me to buy things I didn't need, to impress people I didn't even like. I was "successful” on the outside, but the heaviness of that success left me yearning for the lightness of being a beginner again.

That business made me "burn the boats" in search of something different... something fulfilling. I didn't know what this would be at the time, but by the end of our first event in May of 2013, I knew I had found it.

Entrepreneurs may come to our events for content - but they leave with something far more valuable... community. Entrepreneurship can be very isolating at times, and it's hard to find like-minded individuals. Over the last few years I've spent my time carefully curating an incredible network of entrepreneurs without using rational benchmarks such as their type of business, or revenues. Instead, I curate based upon who they are and what they stand for. Just like an investor investing in businesses, I invest in people, because I believe that amazing people become increasingly amazing over time.

I dedicate my life to supporting and serving a small group of individuals. These people value legacy over currency. They know that good is the enemy of great, and are never satisfied with what is considered "good" in any area of their life.

They are not afraid to sacrifice who they are for who they want to become.

These are the people I'm committed to - Is that you?

May 18, 2016

Episode 125: Garry Ridge – How To Build A Tribal Culture (CEO WD-40)

Garry Ridge is president and chief executive officer of the WD-40 Company (NASDAQ WDFC) headquartered in San Diego, California. WD-40 Company is the maker of the ever-popular WD-40. A native of Australia, Garry has served as national vice president of the Australian Marketing Institute and the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association.

Garry is an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego. He teaches leadership development, talent management & succession planning in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership program.  In March 2003, Garry was awarded Director of the Year for Enhancement of Economic Value by the Corporate Directors forum.  In 2006, Garry was awarded the Ernst & Young - Master Entrepreneur Award.

In 2009, Garry co-authored a book with Ken Blanchard titled “Helping People Win at Work: A Business Philosophy called “Don’t Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A.”

Episode 125: Garry Ridge – How To Build A Tribal Culture (CEO WD-40)

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“The Number That Predicts Long Term Sales Success Is Employee Satisfaction”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Having a high level of empathy (EQ), being a great listener, and a passion to see others succeed leads to sustained excellence
  • How he grew WD-40 from $250 million to $1.6 Billion
  • How to build a tribal culture
  • Turning up the volume on training, learning, and development
  • What it means when Garry says, “Don’t waste a good crisis”
  • Setting SMART goals
  • Why the employee needs to set the goal and be supported by the leader
  • “Wisdom is putting knowledge to work”
  • “You learn a lot by shutting up”
  • A great line from “The Bridge of Spies” When the prisoner is asked if he’s worried about something potentially bad happening to him, he quietly responds, “Would that help?” – It’s a waste of energy to worry about things outside of your control
  • Don’t Mark My Paper – Help Me Get An A
  • Having a rigorous hiring process to ensure bringing great people into the business
  • Learning Leader – Aggressive self-education

 “I Never Lose… I Either Win Or I Learn” – Garry Ridge

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Garry Ridge on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From TheLearningMoment.com

Garry's passion about learning is driven from his personal experience of working in an environment where learning was not encouraged or sought out. As Garry recalls, "I knew we as a team could be better, but when looking into the eyes of my employees, I didn't see the hunger. I took a hard line approach and starting asking tough questions, such as, 'what kind of environment would help feed your hunger?' My employees were direct and honest, 'give me an environment where I can learn, be challenged, and rewarded for taking a risk.' So, I did just that, I set out to create a learning environment.

Today, Garry has the desire to continue with his learnings by sharing them with others. Garry says, "Change is difficult, and as I was going through this transitional period, it would have been helpful to have a big brother/sister who could have provided additional insights. Today, knowing others will want to create a learning environment, I would like help and support this by sharing my learnings.

May 15, 2016

Episode 124: Don Wettrick – Pure Genius: Learning From The Innovation Teacher

Don Wettrick has become a great friend over the last three months.  I absolutely love what he is doing for the students he’s leading at Noblesville High School.  It takes a dynamic and fearless leader to create and implement his idea for an Innovation factory within a high school.  I love it!  

Don Wettrick is an Innovation Specialist at Noblesville High School, just outside Indianapolis, IN. He is the author of “Pure Genius: Building a Culture of Innovation and Taking 20% Time to the Next Level”. Wettrick has worked as a middle school and high school teacher; educational and innovation consultant; and educational speaker. Don is passionate about helping students find their educational opportunities and providing them with the digital tools they need to give them a competitive edge.

Don has lectured across the US and Europe about collaboration, social media use, and work environments that enable innovation. He also hosts an internet radio program, InnovatED, for the BAM! Radio Network.  Most importantly Don works with educators and students to bring innovation and collaborative skills into education.

Episode 124: Don Wettrick – Pure Genius: Learning From The Innovation Teacher

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“Students Have The Arrogance Of Belief”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Having a broader view of the journey leads to sustained excellence
  • Why Prince is the definition of “sustained excellence” to Don (**Note – This conversation was recorded prior to Prince tragically passing away)
  • How Don was inspired by Dan Pink’s TED Talk
  • The students have the arrogance of belief – it’s great
  • Learning can be a problem if the only destination is getting into college
  • The art of non-conformity
  • The heroes journey is life
  • Don wants adventure – “Too many people are busy watching someone else’s and not doing it themselves”
  • The importance of “Just Asking…” And what it can lead to
  • Being a learning leader means you are embrace the failures and learn from them

“Don Wettrick has incorporated a range of creativity-generating concepts into his teaching and turned his classroom into an innovation factory.” – Dan Pink

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Don Wettrick on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From The InnovationTeacher.com

Don Wettrick is an Innovation Specialist at Noblesville High School, just outside Indianapolis, IN. He is the author of “Pure Genius: Building a Culture of Innovation and Taking 20% Time to the Next Level”. Wettrick has worked as a middle school and high school teacher; educational and innovation consultant; and educational speaker. Don is passionate about helping students find their educational opportunities and providing them with the digital tools they need to give them a competitive edge.

Don has lectured across the US and Europe about collaboration, social media use, and work environments that enable innovation. He also hosts an internet radio program, InnovatED, for the BAM! Radio Network.  Most importantly Don works with educators and students to bring innovation and collaborative skills into education.

May 11, 2016

Episode 123: David Allen – How To Get Things Done

David Allen is an incredible leader.  Between his best-selling book, “Getting Things Done,” The 5 I’s, and living in Europe, I was blown away by the depth of David.  There is a great deal to learn from him and his experiences.  We had a fascinating conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show.

Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them. That’s why David Allen created Getting Things Done®. GTD is the work-life management system that has helped countless individuals and organizations bring order to chaos. GTD enables greater performance, capacity, and innovation. It alleviates the feeling of overwhelm—instilling focus, clarity, and confidence.

After decades of in-the-field research and practice of his productivity methods, David wrote the international best-seller Getting Things Done. Published in over 28 languages, TIME magazine heralded it as “the defining self-help business book of its time.” In 2015, he released a new edition of the book, with new insights, updates, and discoveries about the world of Getting Things Done and its many personal and professional applications.

Today, the David Allen Company is a thriving global training and consulting company, widely considered the leading authority in the fields of organizational and personal productivity.

Episode 123: David Allen – How To Get Things Done

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“This Material Is For Anyone But Not For Everyone.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Having a mix of strong ego and humility leads to sustained excellence
  • It’s important to have an “openness” to what could be coming next
  • It took David 25 years to “figure it out”
  • He spent 4 years writing “Getting Things Done”
  • This process helps you create more space
  • Creating an “In” basket – Find things that have your attention, list them all out
  • Unwrap it – A “to do” list on steroids
  • Clarify you decisions and KEEP TRACK of them… Very important
  • The 5 I’s:
    • Information
    • Inspiration
    • Installation
    • Implementation
    • Integration
  • Bottom Up – Start where you are, not where you need to be
  • How heroin affected his thought process
  • Being a learning leader means you are authentic and will spend a lifetime learning

 “Anything That Takes 2 Minutes Or Less… Do It Immediately”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing David Allen on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

 

Bio From GettingThingsDone.com

Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them. That’s why David Allen created Getting Things Done®. GTD is the work-life management system that has helped countless individuals and organizations bring order to chaos. GTD enables greater performance, capacity, and innovation. It alleviates the feeling of overwhelm—instilling focus, clarity, and confidence.

After decades of in-the-field research and practice of his productivity methods, David wrote the international best-seller Getting Things Done. Published in over 28 languages, TIME magazine heralded it as “the defining self-help business book of its time.” In 2015, he released a new edition of the book, with new insights, updates, and discoveries about the world of Getting Things Done and its many personal and professional applications.

Today, the David Allen Company is a thriving global training and consulting company, widely considered the leading authority in the fields of organizational and personal productivity.

May 8, 2016

Episode 122: Sarah Robb O’Hagan – EXTREME YOU: Unlocking Your Potential

Executive, activist and entrepreneur, Sarah Robb O’Hagan is described by the media as everything from “Superwoman undercover” to the “Queen of the Jocks” to the ultimate example of where fierce business woman, mother and fitness fanatic combine. Named among Forbes “Most Powerful Women in Sports” and recognized as one of Fast Company’s “Most Creative People in Business” Sarah is an internationally recognized re-inventor of brands, but if you ask Sarah, she’ll say she’s in business to help individuals and teams achieve their potential.

Sarah was born in New Zealand – the first country in the world to give women the vote and home to the first man to climb Mt Everest. The pioneering spirit of her country cultivated Sarah’s drive and imagination for “what’s possible” enabling her to found a movement she currently leads called “Extreme Living” – helping individuals, teams and businesses unlock their potential by discovering their own uniquely exploitable traits. Her book EXTREMEYOU will be published by HarperCollins in 2017. (From CAASpeakers.com)

Episode 122: Sarah Robb O’Hagan - EXTREME YOU: Unlocking Your Potential

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“Don’t worry about making the right decision, worry about making the decision right.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Curiosity and humility leads to sustained excellence
  • How to build a career that builds upon itself
  • How to be persistent when going for a job you really want
  • What it was like to work for Nike, Virgin, Gatorade, Equinox, and now as an entrepreneur
  • ExtremeYOU – Building the platform and writing the book
  • What Sarah learned from getting fired – The embarrassing moment when she had to pack her box and leave
  • Resilience is key
  • The importance of mentors – How they can fast track your career
  • The biggest mistake young leaders/managers make
  • Expect your team to be extraordinary – Watch them live up to your expectations
  • The reason for leaving massive jobs to start her own company
  • The best piece of advice she ever received and how Sarah implements it
  • Being a learning leader to Sarah – “I love it!”

 “If you don’t experience failure early, then you begin to fail it later.  You can’t fear it.”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Sarah Robb O’Hagan on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Fortune.com

Sarah Robb O’Hagan is the founder and Chief Extremer at EXTREMEYOU which is a a content platform of inspirational and educational articles, as well as programs, tools, workshops and experiences for ALL Extremers of ALL levels who have the guts and drive to achieve their potential and want to learn how to get it done.” Prior to that she was the President of Equinox -- the world’s premier fitness lifestyle company, comprising the Equinox, Soul Cycle, Blink Fitness and Pure Yoga brands.

Before earning the role of leading Equinox, she was the President of Gatorade. During her tenure, the Gatorade brand was returned to healthy growth and succeeded in evolving into sports nutrition with successful launches of the G Series platform in the USA, Latin America, UK and Australia.

Robb O’Hagan joined Gatorade after nearly six years at Nike where she held marketing and general management roles. She was a member of the team that launched Nike Plus in collaboration with Apple.

Prior to Nike she worked at Atari Interactive, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Virgin Megastores and Air New Zealand.

May 4, 2016

Episode 121: Ryan Michler – How To Build Your 1,000 True Fans

If you have a desire to build your own tribe full of raving, engaged fans, then this is a great episode for you.  I originally met Ryan Michler over a year ago… He was in the midst of building his community, “The Order of Man.”  It’s incredible to see how far and impactful his community has become in just 12 months.  In addition… Ryan and his wife had their 4th child the DAY BEFORE we recorded this episode.  Ryan is a man of his word and didn’t want to cancel even in the midst of having a child!  Incredible.

Ryan Michler is the creator of “The Order of Man” and “The Iron Council.”  The Order of Man is a website that provides fantastic value to leaders who strive to improve on a daily basis.  Ryan also has a podcast with the same name.  I was fortunate to be a guest on his show in May of 2015.  You can listen to that episode HERE  if you would like.

Episode 121: Ryan Michler – How To Build Your 1,000 True Fans

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“The Reality Is You Get To Choose Your Environment”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • The ability to take action on a consistent basis leads to sustained excellence
  • Read Teddy Roosevelt’s “The Strenuous Life”
  • How and Why Ryan created “The Order of Man”
  • The impact it had on Ryan’s life by not having a father figure
  • The Iron Council – Why he created it and what they do for their members
  • Spending a year in Ramadi (Iraq) in a combat zone
  • Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook – Gary Vaynerchuk
  • The benefits of having an accountability partner
  • How to build your own community
  • “Decentralized Command” – Having team leaders
  • Focusing on the ONE thing that will yield the most impact
  • The 3 P’s of Masculinity
  • Learning Leader = Being Humble, realizing you don’t have it all figured out yet and you never will

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

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

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Ryan Michler on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From OrderOfMan.com (In Ryan’s Words)

Most of my childhood was spent without a permanent father figure in my life. I never learned how to work on my car, I never had the chance to roughhouse with my dad, and I didn’t even learn how to throw a baseball correctly until I was a freshman in high school.

Looking back on it now, I wonder how my life would have been different if I had a permanent male influence in my life. What would the world look like if there were more men in it? I’m not talking about males. I’m talking about MEN (there is a difference).

Now that I have sons, I’m committed to being the dad that I never had. We do all kinds of great things together-sports (I coach ALL their teams), build tree houses, and roughhouse ’til we’re exhausted.

As I talk with other men, I can see that there is a huge need for learning how to be a better father. But I’ve also seen a need for strong and honorable men outside of the home.

Guys, we’re losing the meaning of manhood. We’ve gone away from being strong, rugged, independent, and tough to a collection of wimpy, dependent, whiners. Something has got to be done!

May 1, 2016

Episode 120: Andrew Brandt – Learning From A World Class Negotiator

Andrew Brandt leads a fascinating life.  A great mentor of mine told me to always be on the lookout for others who have had “success in multiple life categories.” In Andrew’s case, he’s done that throughout his life: Stanford graduating Cum Laude à Georgetown Law à NFL Player agent à VP and head negotiator for The Green Bay Packers à Top Business analyst for ESPN/Writer for The MMQB/ Leader at Villanova.  This is a very insightful conversation on The Learning Leader Show.

Andrew Brandt is an ESPN Business Analyst. He’s a weekly columnist; at The MMQB.com Andrew is also the Exec. Director, Moorad Center at Villanova. He focuses on trying to stay true to the good and never peaking.  Previously, he was the Vice President of Player Finance and General Counsel of Green Bay Packers.  He was in charge of The Packers Salary Cap as well as negotiating all of the player contracts for the team.

Episode 120: Andrew Brandt – Learning From A World Class Negotiator

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“There are a lot of fathers of success but few of failure.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Self-discipline, internal motivation, having a lack of complacency leads to sustained excellence
  • The story of Ricky Williams asking him to work for Master P!
  • What it was like being in the middle of an NFL “war room” on draft day
  • Working as an NFL agent with David Falk and Bobby Orr
  • Writing, teaching, broadcasting are the three pillars of his career
  • Wharton to Villanova
  • Supporting coaches who are forward thinking and innovative like Chip Kelly
  • Unfortunately, most coaches and GM’s are just trying not to get fired
  • How to become a great negotiator
    • Never let emotion override focus – “Emotions fade, focus doesn’t”
  • Keeping Aaron Rodgers on hold while waiting for a trade offer prior to drafting him!
  • An incredible Drew Rosenhaus story
  • Not using the word “former” in the description for anything he does – Looking forward, living in the present.  Learn from the past but moving forward
  • Stay true to the good and being in “constant beta mode” is the definition of a learning leader

 “Stay true to the good… And never peak.” – Andrew Brandt

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

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

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Andrew Brandt on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Twitter

Andrew Brandt is an ESPN Business Analyst. He’s a weekly columnist; at The MMQB.com Andrew is also the Exec. Director, Moorad Center at Villanova. He focuses on trying to stay true to the good and never peaking.  Previously, he was the Vice President of Player Finance and General Counsel of Green Bay Packers.  He was in charge of The Packers Salary Cap as well as negotiating all of the player contracts for the team.

Apr 27, 2016

Episode 119: Jane Atkinson – How To Launch Your Speaking Career

If you ever plan to speak in front of a group of people, then you’ll want to listen to this episode with Jane Atkinson.  If you have a desire to speak professionally and get paid, then you’ll love this conversation.  I really enjoyed this conversation, specifically the portion of the talk where Jane did a live workshop with me.   I learned a great deal about the speaking profession from

Jane Atkinson has been helping speakers catapult their businesses for over 20 years. As a former speaker’s agent, she has represented numerous speakers, celebrities and best-selling authors. Today, as a speaker coach, Jane has helped some of the industry’s hottest stars. Many of Jane’s clients have vaulted to the top 3% of the field. Her clients are the who’s who…. Executive VP’s of Fortune 100 companies, Editors-in-Chief of Top Magazines, Bestselling Authors, Adventurers, Ivy League Professors and regular everyday people who have a strong message.

Jane’s book entitled “The Wealthy Speaker 2.0: A Proven Formula for Building a Successful Speaking Business” has been touted “the bible” of the speaking. Her follow up book “The Epic Keynote: Presentation Skills and Styles of The Wealthy Speaker” has become the speakers “presentations reference guide”.

Episode 119: Jane Atkinson – How To Launch Your Speaking Career

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“What changed for me working with Jane? Everything…we’ve been together since the beginning and 3 years later we are well on our way to building a million dollar business. She is the definitive Speaker Launcher!” – Ryan Estis

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Focusing… Choosing something you want to be known for leads to sustained excellence
  • Be a specialist… A thought leader in one area
  • How speakers bureaus can be helpful
  • The beginnings of Ryan Estis’ career and how Jane helped him
  • Direct, Live, 1 on 1 coaching
  • Why building in surprise elements to your speech will differentiate you
  • Read The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs
  • How to “make the audience the heroes of your story”
  • Creating audience interaction and engagement – A “How To”
  • Why everyone should invest in a coach (She pays $25K/year for hers)
  • Personal growth, self-development = Learning Leader

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

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

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Jane Atkinson on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From SpeakerLauncher.com

Jane Atkinson has been helping speakers catapult their businesses for over 20 years. As a former speaker’s agent, she has represented numerous speakers, celebrities and best-selling authors. Today, as a speaker coach, Jane has helped some of the industry’s hottest stars. Many of Jane’s clients have vaulted to the top 3% of the field. Her clients are the who’s who…. Executive VP’s of Fortune 100 companies, Editors-in-Chief of Top Magazines, Bestselling Authors, Adventurers, Ivy League Professors and regular everyday people who have a strong message.

Jane’s book entitled “The Wealthy Speaker 2.0: A Proven Formula for Building a Successful Speaking Business” has been touted “the bible” of the speaking. Her follow up book “The Epic Keynote: Presentation Skills and Styles of The Wealthy Speaker” has become the speakers “presentations reference guide”.

Apr 24, 2016

Episode 118: Greg McKeown – Essentialism: The Discipline Of Saying No

I’ve been a big fan of Greg McKeown’s message and his writing since his best-selling book, “Essentialism” came out.  Greg has mastered the art and science behind optimizing his day, creating routines, and always asking the question, “Is this the absolute best use of my time?”  This is a very important and helpful conversation that we all can learn from.  How can we say no more often and eliminate everything that is not essential?

Greg McKeown has dedicated his career to discovering why some people break through to the next level—and others don’t. The definitive treatment of this issue is addressed in McKeown’s latest project: the instant New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.  As well as frequently being the #1 Time Management book on Amazon, this book challenges core assumptions about achievement to get to the essence of what really drives success.

Episode 118: Greg McKeown – Essentialism: The Discipline Of Saying No

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“Very Successful People Say No To Almost Everything.” -  Greg McKeown

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Saying “No” to almost everything leads to sustained excellence
  • Essentialism is defined as “The Disciplined Pursuit of Less”
  • What would you do if you could do anything?
  • Success creates an increase in options and opportunities which can actually create failure
  • Ronda Rousey – Her success led to an abundance of opportunities which may have caused her loss to Holly Holm
  • Always think, “Is this the very best use for me?”
  • The word priority initially meant “the one thing.”  For some reason it’s evolved to now priorities.
  • There is no such thing as having 20 priorities
  • Explore, Eliminate, Create a Routine
  • Learn to say No gracefully
  • Set up systems to optimize your work
  • Learning Leader as a noun = Focus
  • Learning Leader as a verb = Constantly adjusting to maintain clarity, reflecting, asking, “What’s the most important thing I can be doing right now?”

 “What Would You Do If You Could Do Anything?

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

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

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Greg McKeown on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From GregMcKeown.com

Greg McKeown has dedicated his career to discovering why some people break through to the next level—and others don’t. The definitive treatment of this issue is addressed in McKeown’s latest project: the instant New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.  As well as frequently being the #1 Time Management book on Amazon, this book challenges core assumptions about achievement to get to the essence of what really drives success. McKeown is the CEO of THIS Inc, a company whose mission is to assist people and companies to spend 80 percent of their time on the vital few rather than the trivial many. Clients include Adobe, Apple, Google, Facebook, Pixar, Salesforce.com, Symantec, Twitter, VMware and Yahoo!. His writing has appeared or been covered by Fast Company, Fortune, HuffPost, Politico, and Inc. Magazine. He is among the most popular bloggers for the Harvard Business Review and LinkedIn’s Influencers group: averaging a million views a month. McKeown has been interviewed on numerous television and radio shows including NPR’s All Things Considered and NBC’s Press: Here. Entrepreneur Magazine voted his interview at Stanford University the #1 Must-See Video on Business, Creativity and Success.

Apr 20, 2016

Episode 117: Tim Urban –  Using Procrastination to Perform A Ted Talk & Befriend Elon Musk

Listen carefully to both the beginning and the end of this conversation.  Tim Urban is one of the most thoughtful leaders that I have ever met.  As a listener I found Tim to be patient and thoughtful in his responses to my questions, sometimes taking a minute or so before his point came across.  Genuinely, I loved that about him.  Be prepared for an incredibly funny, yet insightful conversation on The Learning Leader Show.

Tim Urban has become one of the Internet’s most popular writers. With wry stick-figure illustrations and occasionally epic prose on everything from procrastination to artificial intelligence, Urban's blog, Wait But Why, has garnered millions of unique page views, thousands of patrons and famous fans like Elon Musk. (Bio from Ted.com)

Episode 117: Tim Urban –  Using Procrastination to Perform A Ted Talk & Befriend Elon Musk

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“Life is like a white canvas.  Most people paint in white.  White paint on white canvas.  You don’t even notice them.  The people who paint in different colors make things happen.  They lead.  You notice them.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Doing something that makes a splash… Changing what others do, continuing to reinvent yourself leads to sustained excellence
  • Seth Godin has a great knack for constantly reinventing himself because he’s always searching and noticing
  • How writing about a number of different topics helps you learn
  • 7 Ways to be insufferable on Facebook
  • The secret (not really) to getting 4,000 people to pay you for your blog content
  • Getting invited to the main TED conference
  • The pain of coming up with a topic for his TED speech
  • The imposter syndrome… Feeling like he didn’t belong with the other TED speakers
  • The process for writing and delivering a world class TED talk
  • How Elon Musk became a fan of Tim’s work
  • Getting a phone call from Elon and discussing how they could work together
  • Humility and confidence are the qualities of great learning leaders
  • The opposite of arrogance… Having an open mind and being humble is the definition of a learning leader

 “One of the few things I feel like an expert on is procrastination.” – Tim Urban

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

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

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Tim Urban on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Ted.com

Tim Urban has become one of the Internet’s most popular writers. With wry stick-figure illustrations and occasionally epic prose on everything from procrastination to artificial intelligence, Urban's blog, Wait But Why, has garnered millions of unique page views, thousands of patrons and famous fans like Elon Musk.

What others say:

With “Wait But Why,” Tim Urban demonstrates that complex and long-form writing can stand out in an online wilderness choked with listicles and clickbait.

“Wait But Why has captured a level of reader engagement that even the new-media giants would be envious of.” — FastCompany, 2015

Apr 17, 2016

Episode 116: Paul Madera – Why He Invested $10 Million In Facebook In 2005

Paul Madera is one of the most down to earth and humble people I’ve ever spoken to… Considering the immense level of success in multiple life categories, I initially expected that he would have at least a semblance of an ego.  As you’ll hear, that does not exist within Paul.  What a refreshing and enjoyable conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show.

Paul Madera is the founder of Meritech (1999).  Meritech is known as the pioneer of late stage investing. Paul currently focuses on the SaaS, storage, e-commerce, financial technology, digital consumer, and medical device sectors.  In 2005, Paul sat down with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and made the decision to invest $10 million to earn 2% of Facebook at the time ($500m valuation).  As most people know, Facebook is now worth hundreds of billions of dollars.  Paul also led the charge for Meritech to be an early investor in Salesforce.com among many other great decisions.

Paul holds a B.S. from the United States Air Force Academy and an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and currently serves as the Chairman of the US Air Force Academy Endowment. Previously he flew F 16’s on missions that included dropping bombs on targets and dealing with enemy aircrafts (dogfighting).

Episode 116: Paul Madera – Why He Invested $10 Million In Facebook In 2005

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“I Love To Invest In Leaders Who Are Obsessed About Their Company.  Those Who Absolutely Love What They Are Doing.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • The most dedicated, focused individuals who stress personal excellence tend to sustaine excellence
  • Why Paul initially wanted to invest in MySpace
  • What his first thoughts of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg were in 2005
  • Agreeing to a deal with Mark Zuckerberg – Investing $10m at a $500m company valuation
  • How his company makes decisions on who to invest in
  • The specific qualities he looks for in a CEO to invest in (He loves leaders who are obsessed with their company and certain of their future success)
  • The biggest mistakes young leaders/managers make
  • The specific missions he flew as a fighter pilot – dropping bombs on enemy targets and dealing with combative opposing aircrafts
  • Dogfighting like they did in the movie “Top Gun” – incredible stories!
  • Great leaders are always “doing” – Always striving to learn more

 “It’s Important To Have a Commitment Strategy… Not An Exit Strategy”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Jay Baer on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From MeritechCapital.com

Paul Madera founded Meritech in 1999. He currently focuses on the SaaS, storage, e-commerce, financial technology, digital consumer, and medical device sectors.

He has led Meritech's investments into 2Wire (Pace), Acopia (F5), BlueArc (Hitachi Data), DataStax, DealerSocket, Facebook (FB), Force10 Networks (DELL), Glaukos, Homestead Technologies (INTU), IntraLase (AMO), Openlane (KAR), Panzura, Prosper, Riverbed Technology (RVBD), Salesforce.com (CRM), Tegile, Tensilica (CDNS), Topspin (Cisco), Wonga, Yammer (MSFT) and 21Vianet (VNET).

Prior to Meritech, Paul was Managing Director and Head of the Private Equity Group at Montgomery Securities/Banc of America where he assisted tech and consumer-based startups in raising capital. He began his career in finance as an investment banker with Morgan Stanley & Co. in New York. Before joining Morgan Stanley, he served in the United States Air Force as an F-16 Instructor Pilot based in South Korea, Spain, and Utah. He also spent a tour at the Pentagon as a member of the Air Force Legislative Liaison Office.

Paul holds a B.S. from the United States Air Force Academy and an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and currently serves as the Chairman of the US Air Force Academy Endowment. Paul spends his off hours cycling the hills west of Palo Alto to prepare for "century" rides as well as jogging throughout the San Francisco Peninsula (when he is not gathering material to terrorize his partner Mike Gordon).

Apr 13, 2016

Episode 115: Amy Porterfield - Working With Tony Robbins, Harley Davidson, & Launching Your Own Business

Amy Porterfield is remarkably intelligent and an absolute joy to talk to.  I love her attitude and approach to her life and business.  Sometimes you have a conversation where it just clicks and this is one of those.  Between being a world class leader/coach/trainer, Amy is successful in multiple life categories.  I loved this conversation.

Amy Porterfield is the co-author of “Facebook Marketing All-In-One for Dummies” and a Social Media Strategist.  She creates educational programs for small businesses and entrepreneurs to help them get more traffic, leads and sales with social media marketing. She’s been in the marketing arena for over 12 years and spent over 6 years working alongside Peak Performance Coach, Tony Robbins, where she managed his content marketing team and major online marketing campaigns.

Episode 115: Amy Porterfield - Working With Tony Robbins, Harley Davidson, & Launching Your Own Business

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“A Learning Leader Has A Lack Of Ego… There’s So Much To Learn.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Consistency and regularly “showing up” is the key to sustaining excellence over an extended period of time. 
  • The way to build trust is to be consistent and always do what you say you’re going to do
  • What it was like working with Tony Robbins for 6 years
  • Side Hustle? Why should everyone start one...
  • The importance of approaching your business in phases
  • Specific tactics for Facebook marketing
  • Building your email list – why you must do this
  • Creating your first webinar – how it will help you
  • Always have an opportunity for people to “opt in”
  • The strategy for building a warm audience
  • Creativity is a habit.  It’s a way of thinking
  • As a learning leader, lose the go and look to grow and learn

 “As A Leader You Said You Were Going to Do It… You Have To Do It.”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Amy Porterfield on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

 

Bio From AmyPorterfield.com

Amy Porterfield is the co-author of “Facebook Marketing All-In-One for Dummies” and a Social Media Strategist.  She creates educational programs for small businesses and entrepreneurs to help them get more traffic, leads and sales with social media marketing. She’s been in the marketing arena for over 12 years and spent over 6 years working alongside Peak Performance Coach, Tony Robbins, where she managed his content marketing team and major online marketing campaigns.  

Amy also speaks at marketing events, businesses, and networking events about the power of social media. Presentation hot topics include: Facebook marketing "how to", social media marketing strategy, how to streamline your social media chaos, ways to engage in the online world, how to build real, valuable relationships online, and why Facebook just might be your secret weapon to change the game forever for your business.

Apr 10, 2016

Episode 114: Cal Newport – Deep Work Is Your Superpower

Cal Newport is a remarkably intelligent leader… I am a massive fan of his writing and have been following his work for years.  It was a thrill to speak with him directly.  This conversation went deep on many levels.  The importance of doing deep work is something I've written about for The Huffington Post as one of the core qualities of a leader who has sustained excellence over an extended period of time.  

Cal Newport is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University, who specializes in the theory of distributed algorithms. He previously earned his Ph.D. from MIT in 2009 and graduated from Dartmouth College in 2004.

His most recent book, Deep Work, argues that focus is the new I.Q. in the knowledge economy, and that individuals who cultivate their ability to concentrate without distraction will thrive. On publication, Deep Work became an instant Wall Street Journal bestseller, and received praise in the New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and The Guardian.

Newport’s previous book, So Good They Can’t Ignore You, argues that “follow your passion” is bad advice. Since its publication, it has been selected for several best business books of the year lists, including those by Inc. Magazine, The Globe and Mail, and 800-CEO-Read. Newport’s New York Times op-ed on the book became the paper’s most e-mailed article for over a week.

Episode 114: Cal Newport – Deep Work Is Your Superpower

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“The Ability To Do Deep Work Is A Super Power”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • A leader who respects how hard everything is leads to sustained excellence
  • We should all study Teddy Roosevelt
  • Why “follow your passion” is bad advice
  • Passion evolves over time… Developing skills through hard work creates passion
  • Deep Work is an activity
  • The ability to do Deep Work is a Super Power
  • How to schedule Deep Work into your day/week/month
  • Why e-mail can be eliminated
  • The power of rituals and routines in order to do deep work
  • Adam Grant and his 4 days of hibernating deep work
  • Why you must claim YOUR time
  • Productive meditation – what is it? And how it benefits you
  • Why Cal is not on any form of social media
  • Learning Leader – Aggressive self-education

 “You Don’t Follow Your Passion, Your Passion Follows You”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Cal Newport on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From CalNewport.com

Cal Newport is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University, who specializes in the theory of distributed algorithms. He previously earned his Ph.D. from MIT in 2009 and graduated from Dartmouth College in 2004.

In addition to studying the theoretical foundations of our digital age as a professor, Newport also writes about the impact of these technologies on the world of work.

His most recent book, Deep Work (Grand Central, 2016), argues that focus is the new I.Q. in the knowledge economy, and that individuals who cultivate their ability to concentrate without distraction will thrive. On publication, Deep Work became an instant Wall Street Journal bestseller, and received praise in the New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and The Guardian.

Newport’s previous book, So Good They Can’t Ignore You (Grand Central, 2012), argues that “follow your passion” is bad advice. Since its publication, it has been selected for several best business books of the year lists, including those by Inc. Magazine, The Globe and Mail, and 800-CEO-Read. Newport’s New York Times op-ed on the book became the paper’s most e-mailed article for over a week.

Newport is also the author of three books of unconventional advice for students: How to Be a High School Superstar (Random House, 2010), How to Become a Straight-A Student  (Random House, 2006), and How to Win at College (Random House, 2005). The How To student series has sold over well over 150,000 copies since its inception, and Newport has been invited to speak on these topics at some of the country’s top universities, including Harvard, Princeton, MIT, Dartmouth, Middlebury, Georgetown and Duke.

Between books, Newport explores related ideas on his popular Study Hacks blog.

Apr 6, 2016

Episode 113: David Meerman Scott – How Donald Trump Has Mastered NewsJacking

David Meerman Scott is a remarkable leader… I really appreciate that he’s actively seeking out opportunities to learn, grow, and help others. On this episode, I learned a great deal about Newsjacking – what that meant and how we all can do it.  I also learned a lot about how David became a world class speaker commanding over $25,000 per hour.  We had a fascinating conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show.

David Meerman Scott’s book The New Rules of Marketing & PR opened people’s eyes to the new realities of marketing and public relations on the Web. Six months on the BusinessWeek bestseller list with over a quarter of a million copies sold in more than 25 languages from Bulgarian to Vietnamese, “New Rules” is now a modern business classic.

He is the author of ten books and the series editor of six. His other international bestsellers include Real-Time Marketing & PR and Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead (written with HubSpot CEO Brian Halligan).

His latest book is The New Rules of Sales and Service: How to Use Agile Selling, Real-Time Customer Engagement, Big Data, Content, and Storytelling to Grow Your Business.

Episode 113: David Meerman Scott – How Donald Trump Has Mastered NewsJacking

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“I Help People Understand How To Reach Buyers In The New Age Of The Web”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Being incredibly curious and not afraid to try something new leads to sustained excellence
  • How Donald Trump is a master at news jacking
  • The power in building a substantial platform
  • Seeing patterns that others don’t – how to do it
  • The importance of being fearless in your approach to the market
  • Newsjacking – injecting your thoughts into the current hot topics
  • Creating multiple streams of revenue – how to do it
  • How to get paid speaking gigs
  • Taking equity over cash for advisory roles
  • Hiring a speaking coach even when you’re one of the best in the world
  • Walk on stage like Mick Jagger
  • A learning leader recognizes that they don’t have it all figured out and never will

 “I Saw Patterns That Nobody Else Was Seeing”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing David Meerman Scott on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

 

Bio From DavidMeermanScott.com

David Meerman Scott’s book The New Rules of Marketing & PR opened people’s eyes to the new realities of marketing and public relations on the Web. Six months on the BusinessWeek bestseller list with over a quarter of a million copies sold in more than 25 languages from Bulgarian to Vietnamese, “New Rules” is now a modern business classic.

He is the author of ten books and the series editor of six. His other international bestsellers include Real-Time Marketing & PR and Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead (written with HubSpot CEO Brian Halligan).

His latest book is The New Rules of Sales and Service: How to Use Agile Selling, Real-Time Customer Engagement, Big Data, Content, and Storytelling to Grow Your Business.

Apr 3, 2016

Episode 112: Liz Wessel – Why You Should Cold E-Mail Your Heroes

Liz Wessel is a remarkably talented leader… I found her to be extremely interesting and dynamic during this conversation on The Learning Leader Show.  I also admire her guts, will, and determination to create, grow, and sustain her company.  We had a fascinating conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show.

Liz Wessel is the CEO of WayUp.  WayUp is the largest online marketplace exclusively for college students and recent grads to find employment.  Their mission is to connect students with awesome opportunities.  Liz and WayUp have since raised $9.1 million in funding.

Liz is a University of Pennsylvania graduate who’s had the entrepreneurial bug since birth.  Initially after graduation she took on a leadership role at Google and famously told them on her first day, “Consider this my 2 years notice.”  Liz stayed true to her word and exactly two years after starting at Google, she left to launch her own business.

Episode 112: Liz Wessel – Why You Should Cold E-Mail Your Heroes

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“A Learning Leader Is Positively Skeptical”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • A positive attitude and being fearless leads to sustained excellence
  • How working for Google in India helped prepare her to lead WayUp
  • How she was able to raise over $9M in funding
  • The decisions she has to make in regards to spending all of that money
  • Why she pushes her employees to cold e-mail their heroes
  • How she manages to only sleep a few hours a night
  • Advice she has for millennials
  • The fear of burn out?  Does she have it? Why not?
  • How reading auto-biographies can help you be more creative
  • A learning leader is positively skeptical

 “You Need To Understand What You Love AND What You Don’t Love”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Liz Wessel on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio – Liz Wessel

Liz Wessel is the CEO of WayUp.  WayUp is the largest online marketplace exclusively for college students and recent grads to find employment.  Their mission is to connect students with awesome opportunities.  Liz and WayUp have since raised $9.1 million in funding.

Liz is a University of Pennsylvania graduate who’s had the entrepreneurial bug since birth.  Initially after graduation she took on a leadership role at Google and famously told them on her first day, “Consider this my 2 years notice.”  Liz stayed true to her word and exactly two years after starting at Google, she left to launch her own business

Mar 30, 2016

Episode 111: Chris Guillebeau – How To Create Your Dream Job

Chris Guillebeau is an extraordinary leader.  Between his best-selling books and hosting the World Domination Summit every summer, he’s constantly inspiring and empowering others to be creators and leaders.  During this conversation, you’ll get to hear why Chris specifically wanted to come on the show and his personal backstory (It’s incredible).  We had a fascinating conversation on this episode of The Learning Leader Show.

During a lifetime of self-employment that included a four-year commitment as a volunteer executive in West Africa, he visited every country in the world (193 in total) before his 35th birthday. Since then he has modeled the proven definition of an entrepreneur: “Someone who will work 24 hours a day for themselves to avoid working one hour a day for someone else.”

Chris’s first book, The Art of Non-Conformity, was translated into more than twenty languages. His second book, “The $100 Startup,” was a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, selling more than 300,000 copies worldwide. His latest book, “Born For This” will be released April 5, 2016.  This book is the culmination of years of research on people who’ve found or created their “dream job.” From the outside, it looks like these people have been lucky. But in reality, they’ve followed a process of trial-and-error to get exactly what they want.

Every summer in Portland, Oregon, Chris hosts the World Domination Summit, a gathering of creative, remarkable people with thousands in attendance. Chris is also the founder of Pioneer Nation, Unconventional Guides, the Travel Hacking Cartel, and numerous other projects.

Episode 111: Chris Guillebeau – How To Create Your Dream Job

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“Never Give Up? That’s Terrible Advice.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Curiosity and persistence leads to sustained excellence
  • Why some of the greatest achievers in the world have given up at times
  • Why we should all think like a janitor
  • Fulfillment = Success
  • How to build a tribe through creating interesting content
  • The art of non-conformity
  • Build a business on vision and relationships… Not on tactics
  • Receiving life coaching from Jay-Z
  • You Inc. – Build a small empire
  • Why a side hustle is something that everyone should have
  • How to be a DIY Rock Star
  • Why you shouldn’t think like a CEO
  • Being a learning leader means you are actively engaged in learning – positioning yourself as a learner

 “Think Like A Janitor… He Knows Everybody”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Chris Guillebeau on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

 

Bio From ChrisGuillebeau.com

During a lifetime of self-employment that included a four-year commitment as a volunteer executive in West Africa, he visited every country in the world (193 in total) before his 35th birthday. Since then he has modeled the proven definition of an entrepreneur: “Someone who will work 24 hours a day for themselves to avoid working one hour a day for someone else.”

Chris’s first book, The Art of Non-Conformity, was translated into more than twenty languages. His second book, The $100 Startup, was a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, selling more than 300,000 copies worldwide. His latest book, The Happiness of Pursuit, was published in September 2014 and was also a New York Times bestseller.

Every summer in Portland, Oregon, Chris hosts the World Domination Summit, a gathering of creative, remarkable people with thousands in attendance. Chris is also the founder of Pioneer Nation, Unconventional Guides, the Travel Hacking Cartel, and numerous other projects.

Mar 27, 2016

Episode 110: James Clear – How To Habits Using Warren Buffett’s 2 List Strategy

James Clear is a leader who has researched and learned how the best leaders in the world form fantastic habits.  On this episode, I was inspired to hear how James has made it his life’s work to study leaders who have sustained excellence and then has shared what he’s found with the world.  I particularly enjoyed the part of our conversation where we discussed the specific ways all of us can implement and form great habits in our lives.

James Clear studies successful people across a wide range of disciplines — entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, and more — to uncover the habits and routines that make these people the best at what they do. Then, he shares what he learns in his popular email newsletter.

James teaches others to: Use small habits to multiply your mental and physical performance by 10x.  Beat procrastination and shave wasted hours off your workweek. Overcome their inner fears and actually follow through on what they set out to do.

Episode 110: James Clear – How To Build Habits Using Warren Buffett’s 2 List Strategy

Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio

The Learning Leader Show

“Stop Trying To Manage Time… Instead Manage Your Energy”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Having an ability to focus and ruthlessly eliminate all unnecessary things leads to sustained excellence
  • It’s an exercise in getting started… Find a way to get started
  • The 2 minute rule – Initially start with the tasks that take only 2 minutes
  • The science behind habit forming
  • Habits take an average of 66 days to form
  • The science of habit forming needs to be a small, but permanent lifestyle change
  • The Compound Effect and getting 1% better everyday
  • The Warren Buffett 2 list exercise
  • The four burners theory – Family, Friends, Work, Healthy
  • The aggregation of marginal gains
  • Being a learning leader means reading and constantly striving to improve

 “The Friction In Most Habits Is At The Beginning.  You Must Get Started.”

Continue Learning:

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector W/ Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

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

Episode 082: Dan Pink – The Science of Motivation, Legendary Writer & Ted Talk

Episode 086: Seth Godin – How To Become Indispensable & Build Your Tribe

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing James Clear on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From JamesClear.com

James Clear studies successful people across a wide range of disciplines — entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, and more — to uncover the habits and routines that make these people the best at what they do. Then, he shares what he learns in his popular email newsletter.

James teaches others to: Use small habits to multiply your mental and physical performance by 10x.  Beat procrastination and shave wasted hours off your workweek. Overcome their inner fears and actually follow through on what they set out to do.

« Previous 1 2 3 4 Next »