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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.
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Now displaying: May, 2018
May 27, 2018

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

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

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

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

The Learning Leader Show

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

Show Notes:

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

"Silence is the enemy of innovation."

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More Learning:

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

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

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

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

May 20, 2018

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

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

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

The Learning Leader Show

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

Show Notes:

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

Social Media:

More Learning:

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

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

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

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

May 13, 2018

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #257: David Marquet - Intent Based Leadership (Turn The Ship Around!)

Captain Dave Marquet is a 1981 U.S. Naval Academy graduate.  He served in the U.S. submarine force for 28 years. After being assigned to command the nuclear powered submarine USS Santa Fe, then ranked last in retention and operational standing, he realized the traditional leadership approach of “take control, give orders,” wouldn’t work. He “turned his ship around” by treating the crew as leaders, not followers, and giving control, not taking control. This approach took the Santa Fe from “worst to first,” achieving the highest retention and operational standings in the navy.
Stephen R. Covey said it was the most empowering organization he’d ever seen and wrote about Captain Marquet’s leadership practices in his book, The 8th Habit.

Captain Marquet is the author of Turn the Ship Around! A True Story of Turning Followers Into Leaders. Fortune magazine called the book the “best how-to manual anywhere for managers on delegating, training, and driving flawless execution.”

"Leadership is not for the select few at the top. In highly effective organizations, there are leaders at every level. When we give our people more authority, we actually create more effective leaders."

Show Notes:

  • Sustaining excellence:
    • "The ability to decouple from their personal feelings their personality. It can't all depend on one person. In a consistent organization, the leader is part of it, but not all of it."
  • How parenting helps you become a better leader:
    • "That's really interesting. As a parent, you're trying to create an independent decision maker."
  • The United States Naval Academy definition of leadership = Leadership can be defined as directing the thoughts, plans, and actions of others... So as to obtain their command and obedience, their confidence, their respect, and their loyal cooperation." --> Why this is wrong and not effective.
  • "I intend to..." -- Intent based leadership
  • How to create the environment for the team to make decisions
  • Intent based environment:
    • People don't need to be told what to do. Lean back, team leans forward. Don't make yourself (as the leader) a bottleneck.
  • Risks = Tune level of control to competence or confidence of the team...
    • Expose my thought process (as the leader) to you to see how I put it together.
  • Ask "what" and "how" questions...
  • If you get hired as a new manager and did not get to choose anyone on your team?
    • "Focus on what you can control.  Do we welcome each other? Do we care? Do we connect?"
  • Making the jump from individual contributor to manager:
    • "Talk less, don't have all the answers... Listen."
  • "Push information to authority.  Be knowing, not telling."
  • The job of the leader is to determine how the team works
  • Minimize cognitive burden -- "The leader defines the structure."

"We act our way to new thinking, not think our way to new acting."

 

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May 6, 2018

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #256: Elena Botelho - How To Become A CEO

Elena Botelho has been a Partner at ghSMART since 2007. Elena initiated and co-leads The CEO Genome Project® featured in a cover article of Harvard Business Review.  Her recent book, The CEO Next Door, is a New York Times Bestseller. The CEO Genome Project® is an extensive research and client practice supporting CEO's and executives on the path to CEO. The research explores paths and behaviors that lead to the top, typical setbacks CEO's encounter and ways to prevent them. Elena is a member of McKinsey M&A Integration Council – an invitation-only forum of senior executives from major corporations to share M&A best practices. Elena is a sought after speaker at leading industry events on leadership and M&A.

The Learning Leader Show

"Charisma is a myth when it comes to success as a CEO. The research suggests introverts are equally or more successful than charismatic extroverts"

Show Notes:

  • How do we define excellence?
    • "Delivering results is how we define it"
  • The keys to excellence (delivering results)
    • Decisiveness - Conviction and speed
    • Adapting proactively
    • Relentless reliability - Delivering consistently -- This is the most powerful and important behavior
    • Engage for impact
  • Self assessments
    • The lowest rated among 11,000 people Elena surveyed was: Reliability
  • Why do people struggle with consistency?
    • Consistency is hard across all domains of our lives
  • Reliability - 3 keys
    • Mindset - basic habits. How do we develop the correct mindset? -> Recognize that others need to be able to count on you. This translates to consistent habits
      • Get an honest look in the mirror
    • The WHO - Who are your surrounding yourself with?
    • Process and culture you build
  • The CEO Myths:
    • Need to go to an Ivy League school (not true)
    • CEO's were destined for greatness (nope)
      • 70% of CEO's never set a goal to be a CEO
    • Charisma - It helps you get the job, however when you look at results, it's not the way the ensure results
      • Introverts are not less likely for success
  • Advice to a current individual contributor:
    • Having powerful mentors didn't seem to help them more than those who didn't
    • Becoming a mentor to others does show it helps
      • It forces you to be clear and become a teacher. Helps you get in the head of others and lead
  • What are some mistakes first time managers make?
    • "It can be messy"
    • Be clear on what success looks like
    • Is this the right team? Do personnel changes need to be made?
  • What are the career catapults?
    • 25% went to a top business school
    • 97% of them did one of these three sprinters:
      • 60% "went small to go big" -> Took a smaller role at an organization that led to something big
      • They took on a big mess and fixed it
      • The big leap - Take a role well before you're ready --> Take a risk
  • Adapting proactively
    • Being able to let go of a profitable business in order for long term success (give up short term for the long term)
    • Key learning = the ability let go of the past

"Becoming a mentor to others forces you to be clear and become a teacher."

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