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#345: Kamal Ravikant - Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It

Notes:

• Commonalities of leaders who have sustained excellence:
  • A belief in the power of commitment to self:
    • WHO am I going to be that day?
    • Don't just float through life
    • "Excellence means continuing through imperfect days." --> Moving forward: It's a mindset
• How to learn how to keep pushing forward?
  • "Don't wait until you're qualified to do it.  Jump in, learn to swim."
• Kamal's process for selling: "You have to believe it."
• Writing process -- Forced Kamal to deal with rejection... It was part of the process to get better.
  • Studied the greats: Hemingway - Clear, simple, prose.
  • "Writing is more rewarding than anything.  It's just you and the blank page."
• "Love yourself like your life depends on it."  It's story about responding to failure.
• How does this work with someone who already feels great about themselves?
  • "Fundamentally, this is about how to be better.  Learn from the maps of humanity."  It's all about what's intside.
    • "The internal impacts the external."
• Kamal had to come to terms with his tough childhood.  He appreciates the strength developed from sleeping in a car (temporarily homeless)
• What was learned from boot camp (in the Army)?
  • "I can handle anything thrown at me."  It teaches the value of mission and responsibility.
• Leading a team in business:
  • "Hire people for what they're best at."  And then support them to do that work.
  • "The best leaders are those that have actually done stuff."  They understand the nuance of the industry and the work.
  • Must be hungry.
• Why walk across Spain?
  • Having the mentality of, "No matter what, I'll figure it out... Take chances in life.  Go beyond comfort zones."
• How has a life altering event (a surgery that went bad) impacted perspective on life?
  • "I feel blessed and lucky."
  • "You can become a mess or become awesome."
• What Kamal learned from spending time with monks?
  • "The construct of self disappears."
  • "Love and compassion."
• Advice: "Excellence requires persistence."

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#344: Jesse Cole

Jesse Cole is the founder of Fans First Entertainment and owner of the Savannah Bananas. His teams have welcomed more than 1 million fans to their ballparks and have been featured on MSNBC, CNN and ESPN. Cole’s teams have been awarded Organization of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Business of the Year and have won three CPL Championships. The Savannah Bananas currently have sold out every game for three straight seasons and have a waiting list in the thousands for tickets.  In 2018, Fans First Entertainment made the INC 5000 list as one of the fastest growing companies in America. Jesse wrote Find Your Yellow Tux – How to Be Successful by Standing Out.  The book launched #1 in three categories on Amazon and has been sold in 18 countries.   Staying true to his mantra, “ Whatever’s Normal, Do the Exact Opposite,” Jesse launched the book with a World Book Tour….at Epcot. 

Notes:

• How do we define excellence?
  • Hunger like PT Barnum and Walt Disney
  • Curiosity
  • Sustain energy -- Always "bring the energy." --> "When I'm at work, it's show time."
• Understand what brings you energy -- Write it down
• "It was right in front of me.  We sold our house... We needed to create attention.  We couldn't do marketing like everyone else."
• The daily practice of writing Thank You notes:
  • The "thank you experiment."  One per day, every day.  Look for people you're grateful for... Tell them.
• Love:  "Love is something not talked about enough."  Jesse learns the love languages of all of his employees.
• Long term values -- They call all people who buy tickets to his games.  
• Be intentional about EVERYTHING.
• "We don't invest in marketing, we invest in experiences."
• Relate to the normal person:
  • With the hold music
  • Your email signature
  • Business cards
  • Name tags
  • Make everything remarkable
• Write a letter to the parents of young people who work for you.  How are you recognizing people?  
• "Be patient in what you want for yourself, but be impatient in how much you give to others."
• Core beliefs:
  • Always be caring
  • Be different
  • Write your future resume (what do you want to experience)
• "Red flags never go down."  If you find a red flag in the interview process, it's time to move on.
  • "We want people who 'do and learn.'"
  • "You don't fail, you discover things."
• Build your idea muscle -- Write 10 ideas a day, every morning.
  • "I believe in learning by doing."
• Wrote 159 blogs before publishing any of them... "Stop standing still, start standing out."
  • "It's a lot easier to fit in than stand out."
• Create "You wouldn't believe" moments
  • Write the normal list and then do the opposite -- Do the remarkable (like going on a world book tour at Epcot)
• Magic Castle -- "Listen carefully, respond creatively."
• Advice:
  • What makes you different?
  • What makes you stand out?  Be okay with standing for something.  Don't just try to be a little better than someone else.
  • Experiment -- Throw darts until you hit the bulls-eye

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

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Episode #343: Kelly McGonigal

Kelly McGonigal is a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University who specializes in understanding the mind-body connection. As a pioneer in the field of "science-help," her mission is to translate insights from psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies that support personal well-being and strengthen communities.  She is the best-selling author of The Willpower Instinct and The Upside of Stress. You might know her from her TED talk, "How to Make Stress Your Friend," which is one of the most viewed TED talks of all time, with over 20 million views.  Her new book, The Joy of Movement, explores why physical exercise is a powerful antidote to the modern epidemics of depression, anxiety, and loneliness.  Her identical twin sister is the well-known game designer and futurist Jane McGonigal.

Notes:

• How do we define excellence?
  • What's the metric?
    • It's about contributing to the world consistent and personal values.  A sense of who
    • Let your strengths and talents be what guides you
  • Trust in self, intuition, take risks
• Kelly has a strong sense of direction.  She's had that for a long time.  When to say yes or no?  She discovered she loved teaching.
• The story/science approach -- "I want to connect you with a stranger."  Help people connect with others.
  • "The science reveals something about human nature."
• Willpower -- "The ability to make choices to do what you want even when part of you doesn't want to do it."
  • Immediate gratification combined with an investment if your future.  Both are important.  "This is a skill that can be developed."
• Be clear about your values and goals.  Know what you want.  "Every morning, do a 30 second commitment to what's important to you."  Remember who you are.
• "Create an environment that reminds me of my goals and makes it easier to accomplish them."
• Disciplined people do what they say they will do.  "They are clear about what they want to do.  Create an environment that supports them.  Have a sense of purpose."
  • "Anyone can develop discipline if they are clear on what they want."
• "Stress is what happens when we care/have a lot at stake."
  • "Stress is what gives you energy.  It reminds you that it matters."
  • Think, "How is stress trying to direct me?"
  • "What is my body and brain trying to nudge me towards?"
  • "Figure out your healthy stress responses."
• Real life example:  How to prepare for your first meeting with your new team (that you are leading):
  • Get rid of the idea that you shouldn't be stressful.  It is part of the process.  It's a signal that you care.
  • Bigger than self-perspective.  Go beyond the ego.  Think it's allowing the team to have a moment.  Support the mission.  Think bigger than just making a good impression.  It helps you connect with clear intentions.  It's a mindset shift.
  • Always assume others have something as valuable as you.  They have wisdom.  Let it be co-created with others.
• "Being a leader is bringing what's best in the room.  People will rise to the expectations of them."
• Thoughts Kelly had in her mind prior to her TED Talk (that has since gone viral):
  • The woman that went before her had a panic attack.  Kelly noticed that the crowd had incredible goodwill towards the speaker.  They wanted the speaker to do well.
    • "Breathe in anxiety, breath out encouragement."
    • "I'm going to put the audience at ease.  I got you."
• The joy of movement:  When you go from sedentary to active, when you move your body, there is increased optimism, hope, connection.
  • The story about my mom working as an aerobics instructor when I was a kid -- Moving your body to the beat of the music is powerful and helpful.
• Walking in nature:  "When you're in nature, the brain shifts to the present moment."  Take more walks.
• The "Runner's High"-- Persistence is high, put the body in motion and just keep going.  Your brain releases chemicals to provide pleasure, reduce pain.  It creates energy and optimisim
• "We learn from movement.  We endure.  We learn what we're capable of."
• General advice:
  • Take care of your self -- invest in your well being.  It will help you deal with challenges
  • Tell me about someone who's made a positive influence on your life
  • Don't wait for permission.  Start it.  Do it.  You need feedback.

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

#342: Shane Snow - The #1 Skill Of An Effective Leader (Intellectual Humility)

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For full show notes go to www.LearningLeader.com

Notes:

• Commonalities of leaders who sustain excellence:
  • Pattern recognition - The ability to connect ideas and people
  • Systems thinking - Connect dots, zoom out
  • The ability to continue to question yourself, a hunger to improve, a "voracious learner" (Liv Boeree)
  • Must relearn how to humble yourself
  • The #1 skill is intellectual humility -- The ability to sit between gullibility and stubbornness
• Why are people so unwilling to change their mind?
  • "So much of our ideas are attached to our identities."
  • "You must separate your ego from intellect."
• What is a solution (as a leader)?
  • If you're the one in power, invite people with a different perspective to the table.
  • Don't invoke identity.  Just ask for perspective.
  • Leave space to change your mind... "I could be wrong but..."
• Strength and flexibility should not be in conflict
• Ben Franklin idea:
  • Use idea, leave space for change, set opinion, but use phrases less defensive, only change your mind based on evidence.  Say things like:
    • "I could be wrong but..."
    • "The research suggests..."
    • "The evidence suggests..."
• Elon Musk -- His pattern to persuade people...
  • It's purpose based leadership ("to make life multi-planetary")
  • The strength is in his vision and his purpose.  He's seen as strong by being willing to change his mind.
• Compliance versus Committed = Cult vs Culture
  • Difference between a cult and culture:
    • Cult - Must act and think in a certain way
    • Culture - Asked to contribute your ideas in your way
• Key part of leadership: "Understand what matters to your people."
• Intellectual humility:
  • Respect for others' viewpoints
  • Lack of intellectual overconfidence
  • Separating your ego from your intellect
  • Being open to revising your viewpoints
  • Openness to new experiences
• Separate feelings/thoughts from facts
• Trying something new creates new opportunities
• Advice:
  • Learn about intellectual humility - take Shane's assessment
  • Frame changing your mind as a strength -- reward others for doing this
  • Habits: Instead of saying "I feel" say "I think."  Words matter.
• Separate facts from stories
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea

Order my book: WELCOME TO MANAGEMENT

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

#341: Behind The Scenes Of The Learning Leader Show With Jay Acunzo

Full Shownotes can be found at www.LearningLeader.com 

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Notes:

• SECTION ONE: Superlatives
  • Hardest interview:  -- Jim Collins.
  • Most-downloaded all-time:Show has steadily grown since it was created, so the most downloaded is a recent episode.  From this year: #310 David Epstein. He wrote Range and The Sports Gene,  Some popular ones from the past are: #300 with my dad and brother AJ, #216 Jim Collins episode is a popular one. 
  • Most referenced: the one you cite the most in conversation or your work - #78 with Kat Cole (Courage/Confidence + Curiosity/Humility) = Productive Achievers.
  • Biggest delta between what you thought they'd be like...and what they were actually like?  General Stanley McChrystal.  War hero. 4 star General.  Expected him to be super intimidating, but he was so kind, thoughtful, curious, and caring.  Followed up to ask him to write the Foreword to my book and he said yes. 
  • Hardest part of running this show?  It’s never ending.  Must always be working on it - Reaching out to guests, cold emails, preparing for each conversation, reading their books, watching everything they have online, etc.  It never stops.
  • Where have you most improved? Better conversationalist.  Understand how to ask better questions, be more thoughtful, intentional with my actions/behavior. 
  • Biggest benefits to your life...  1) The more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know…  I've become more curious. 
  • Most active listeners: who do you see popping up a lot?  - My Leadership Circle
•  SECTION TWO: Stagnation Is The Enemy
  • We undervalue the power of consistency:  Consistency + Quality is the key to long term success.  Most people quit.  Must keep going.
  • Why start it? - I wanted to create my own Leadership PhD.  One where I get to choose the professors.  Share with others, be a multiplier… Had dinner with Founder of Broadcast.com, Todd Wagner. Publishing work is the best form of networking.  Create a reason for people to WANT to contact you.
  • The preparation process -  Read their books, watch their talks, read articles written by them and about them.  Talk to friends we have in common. Read the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT section of their books to ask questions about meaningful in their lives (this gets them to open up and feel free to speak more emotionally… Which can be great audio and REAL)
  • Given repeat ability and longevity, how do YOU stay engaged? Mental heuristics, intrinsic things that you just do/try, proactive remixes and reinventions? -- Have to be genuinely curious in the guest.  Have to enjoy the pain of preparation. What are you willing to struggle for? Because that seems to be a greater determinant of how our lives turn out (Neil Pasricha). I love the preparation process, reading/thinking of angles to take a conversation with a specific guest that I’m curious about.
  • Given that stagnation isn't just caused by US but also by the market saturating, how do you operate today compared to before? Early mover advantage wanes...and so many more podcasts about your topic specifically now exist. -- Willing to try new things (like this).  Study and understand my listeners. You’ll often hear me speak to the exact avatar of my listener.  I’m not trying to have the biggest show ever. I’m trying to be the right show for the people who email me (mid-level manager in corporate America.  Building teams, hiring/firing, qualities to look for when building a team). It helps directly with those people, but have also found niche audiences in other spaces like NCAA basketball coaches, NBA players, etc.
•  SECTION THREE: What's next? 
  • What are you excited to do next?  Try new projects like this episode… Continue to do live shows with an audience, travel more for in person recordings (Koppelman, Roberge), and keep going.  My book.
  • Where does this show go? What other projects surround it now, vs what you want to try? - Live shows, travel for in person.  Bring on guests for my Leadership Circles (paid Mastermind groups.  My groups ask for a guest, I bring them on). Creates group teaching and a ton of value for my Leadership Circles. My book.
  • What's pissing you off about leadership in the corporate world that you'd like to explore and help solve? - Bad bosses.  I’ve worked for a few (as have we all).  I wrote about that goes through the process of being a bad boss to being a better one.  I lived it and I’ve learned so much from others. That’s what WELCOME TO MANAGEMENT is all about.

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

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

Text LEARNERS to 44222 to receive the first chapter of my new book, WELCOME TO MANAGEMENT for free.

Episode #340: Liz Bohannon - co-founder and co-CEO of Sseko Designs and the author of Beginner's Pluck: Build your life of purpose, passion and impact now. Liz and the Sseko story has been featured in dozens of publications including: Vogue Magazine, Redbook Magazine, O Magazine, Inc, Fortune and others. Sseko has appeared on national broadcasts including ABC's Shark Tank and Good Morning America. 

• Commonalities of leaders who sustain excellence:
  • They do work that taps into their intrinsic motivation and they know WHY they do what they do.
    • You must drill down far to know this
  • Vulnerable -- Look at Brene Brown.  A "truth teller."
  • Shoshin - An openness with eagerness.  Have to have both.
• Why is the "Beginner's Pluck" message resonating with so many people?
  • "I believe it, but not sure if I really do..." People (women especially) tend to doubt themselves too much.
• "You don't need to be extraordinary to build a life making a difference."
• "Passion is something you build... I learned it through telling an untrue story."
• Be driven by interest, and curiosity...
• "I'm the CEO of a for-profit fashion company."
• "My ego wasn't super involved.  It gave me the freedom to just do it."
  • "I got so obsessed with the problem and finding a solution to it."
• "The work of an artist is to know what's inside of you.  Be solutions agnostic."
  • "The artist creates without thinking of the audience."
  • "The entrepreneur has to think of the audience." -->  What's the actual problem this fixes?
  • Sit in the complexity of what it means to be a world changer.
  • "We live in a world that is so quick to critique... Show up, do the work."
• How did Liz learn to run a business?
  • She took a six week crash course on basic accounting and followed her curiosity to learn each skill as she went.
    • Don't be caught in analysis paralysis
    • "The thing I had connected to me was my WHY."
    • "You don't get to know Step 7 when you're in stage 1.  That's not how it works."  Must take it a step at a time.
    • "What do I absolutely need to figure out?
      • The MVP - Minimum Viable Product -- Know that it's only Version 1.  Can iterate as you go.
• The 4 stages of Learning:
  • Unconscious incompetent
  • Conscious incompetent
  • Conscious competent
  • Unconscious competent
• How often am I feeling out of my league? -- You should feel this often in order to grow.

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Ep: #339: Robert Greifeld - Lessons Learned From A Decade Of Change As CEO Of NASDAQ

Robert Greifeld served as the CEO of Nasdaq from 2003 to 2016. During his tenure, Bob led Nasdaq through a series of complex, innovative acquisitions that extended the company’s footprint from a single U.S. equity exchange to a global exchange and technology solutions provider, nearly quadrupling revenue, growing annual operating profits by more than 24 times and achieving a market value of over $11 billion. He is the author of a new book called: Market Mover: Lessons from a Decade of Change at Nasdaq. 

Notes:

• Commonalities of leaders who sustain excellence:
  • "Once you achieve competency, they're on a daily battle with complacency."
  • Always looking forward - never resting on laurels
  • A mindset that: "Success in the past is no guarantee that success will happen in the future."
• Self reflection is important for self awareness: "Being focused on the present doesn't preclude self reflection."
• Has being rich made you happy?  "Wealth makes you more secure?"
• How to balance family time and work time?
  • "Balance is a dangerous word.  I prefer having an integrated life instead."  "I made a rule that I did no business dinners unless I was doing the selling."
  • Make multiple short trips instead of longer ones... Only miss seeing your family for a day or two at a time
• Bob describes the story of how he was recruited to NASDAQ and why he took the job...
  • During the interview process, he shared the five things he would do within the first 100 days:
    • Get right people on board
    • Reduce bureaucracy
    • Embrace fiscal discipline
    • Overhaul technology
    • Stop being satisfied with number 2
  • Have to have the right people on the bus
    • Bob met with many people prior to starting as the CEO of NASDAQ:  "I fired a lot of people before 8:00am on the first day I started.  I did a lot of work prior to starting to learn who was going to buy in."
    • "Good morale in a bad organization is not a good thing."
• With promotions, live by the 80/20 rule: "We tried to promote 80% from within our organization."
  • "When interviewing people from the outside, the odds of being wrong are higher."
  • Qualities to look for in people to promote:
    • Positive attitude/energy -- "Happy campers"
    • Pure skills
    • How well do they play with others?
    • Won't tolerate prima donnas
• How to be a great leader?
  • Must be in front of your customers
  • Stand in the shoes of your people
  • Do a lot of individual contributor work
  • "Don't be a conference room pilot" -- Don't spend all your time in meetings
• Learned knowledge vs. Lived knowledge
  • Learned: "Don't know what's coming, you just learned it."
  • Lived: "You've sat in the seat, you can see around corners."
• Acquisitions:
  • Geography - If location is near us, that helps
  • Industry - If it's the same industry, just smaller, that helps
• Overall advice:
  • Never had a career path or end goal
  • Wanted to do something that energized me
    • "I'll do that job well."
  • "Don't focus on climbing the mythical career ladder."
  • "Don't take a job to just get another job."
• Why leave NASDAQ?
  • "I like controlling my schedule."
• The benefits of growing up with blue collar parents.  His dad worked for the Post Office, he was always upbeat and believe that life can be better.

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #338: Jason Fried

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

Text LEARNERS to 44222 to learn more

Jason Fried is the founder & CEO at Basecamp. He's the co-author of Getting Real, Remote, REWORK, and It Doesn't Have To Be Crazy At Work.  Basecamp is a privately-held Chicago-based company committed to building the best web-based tools possible with the least number of features necessary.
Their blog, Signal vs. Noise, is read by over 100,000 people every day. Jason believes there's real value and beauty in the basics. Elegance, respect for people's desire to simply get stuff done, and honest ease of use are the hallmarks of Basecamp products.

Notes:

• Commonalities of leaders who sustain excellence:
  • Willingness/ability to know what's the work worth doing
    • The skill to discern what's important
  • How to develop that skill?
    • Must become a good auditor of your time.  Practice.  Look back on what you've done.  Analyze what you do? Discern what's worth it.
• Remote work:
  • Basecamp has 56 employees in 30 cities around the world... Why remote?
    • "You don't want the best people, you want the right people."  The odds of all the right people living near your headquarters is small.
  • The business started in Chicago with three people.
    • They hired DHH to be their first programmer.  He lived in Denmark.  Then they hired someone in Utah.  "It just worked.  We didn't worry about where, just wanted to find the right people."
• Jason never writes a business plan -- No 1, 3, or 5 year plan.  They work in six week project increments.
  • Why? "Planning is simply guessing.  Setting your course over a guess doesn't seem like a good idea.  We have an idea of where we're headed, but we work in six week chunks."
• What Jason learned from Jeff Bezos:  "People who were right often changed their minds." --> Be willing to change your mind when better evidence presents itself.
• The "anti-goal" mindset:
  • "(Financial) Goals are made up. There's nothing about them that's true.  They are guesses... Made up numbers."
    • "Asking if I hit the goal is the wrong question.  Asking if I enjoyed the run is the better question."
    • "One of the problems with setting goals is you are a different person when you set them than when they need to be met."  You grow, evolve, and change.
    • "Too many companies focus on numbers instead of their customers." --> That is because they have number based goals to hit.  It can ruin the customer experience (Jason had a terrible experience trying to cancel his satellite radio service)
• Qualities Jason looks for when making hiring decisions:
  • Communicate clearly - "You must be a great writer."  Much of their communication is done in writing.  "We look at the cover letter first.  That must be good.  If that's not well written, then we do not look at the resume."
  • Quality of character - "You must be a good person.  We hire people that we want to be with.  No ego.  We like to hire people that use "we" and "us" instead of "I"
  • Must be able to give and take feedback - Need to be coachable.  "For designers, we give them a project to do in the interview process and then we provide them feedback.  If they can't handle it, we will not hire them."
• Transition from individual contributor to leader... How to do it well?
  • "It is REALLY hard. Very few people are born being good managers."
  • "Come to terms that you can no longer do everything."
  • Advice Jason got from Tobi (CEO of Shopify) - "As the CEO, you are working on longer term strategic initiatives.  You don't get to feel the day-to-day progress that people lower in the organization feel."  Need to get comfortable with that.
• Some of the benefits at Basecamp: Fully paid vacation every year for all employees ($5K), 3 day weekends all summer, $1K/year in continuing education outside of your job, $100/month for a massage, $100/month gym membership, $2K/year charity match, paid in the top 10% of your salary range as if you lived in San Francisco (even though no employees live in San Francisco)
  • Why do it? "It's the right thing to do.  I wanted to start a business that I wanted to work at.  We're a company that cares about service."
  • "People are not the place to save money.  They are the place to spend money."
• "Give people their time.  A contiguous block of time every day to do their work."  Don't muddle it up with meetings in the middle of that time.
• "I'll work hard now so I can relax later" is not the optimal way to live.  Create the habits now to enjoy it as you go.  "Later" is where intentions go to die.  "When calm starts early, calm becomes the habit."

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

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Episode #337: Scott H. Young - How To Become An Ultra Learner

Scott Young is a writer who undertakes interesting self-education projects, such as attempting to learn MIT's four-year computer science curriculum in twelve months and learning four languages in one year. Scott incorporates the latest research about the most effective learning methods and the stories of other ultralearners like himself—among them Ben Franklin, Judit Polgár, and Richard Feynman, as well as a host of others, such as little-known modern polymaths like Nigel Richards who won the World Championship of French Scrabble—without knowing French.  He is the author of the best-selling book, UltraLearning.

Notes:

• Commonalities of leaders who sustain excellence:
  • Understand how excellence works
  • Learning, constantly thinking about the process of improving
• Being interested in learning new things... Scott finds the mind fascinating
  • Encountering things that people have done that are jaw dropping
• Projects:
  • Why he failed to learn French as an exchange student
    • "Simple decisions you make early on can have big consequences."
    • Because he didn't go all in and immerse himself in the language, he always reverted back to his native tongue
• Go for inversion from the beginning.  This is why he did the "year without English."
• "Doing the hard thing makes it easier in the long run, it accelerates skills more quickly"
• UltraLearning - A strategy for acquiring skills and knowledge that is both self-directed and intense
• As a manager, recognize that there are many different skills you can possess to be successful...
  • Know what you need to be good at.  Break it down to the component skills... Have a process
  • Get better at each important skill
  • Think: "What would it be like to be amazing at this?"
• Tristan de Montebello:  He wanted to learn a new skill that was completely outside of his current skill set (he's a musician)
  • Instead of learning another instrument, he chose to become a world class public speaker
  • He started as an amateur and ended as a finalist for a public speaking championship.
    • How?  He got on stage twice a day, took improv class, and compressed the process.
    • "He made the conscious decision to become excellent."  And then executed...
• Process for a person who has a full time job/family/mortgage:
  • This doesn't need to be a full time endeavor
  • "How are you using every minute of every day?"
  • Take on intensive bursts
  • Follow your curiosity and obsessions
  • Ramit Sethi -- "See the game being played around you"
• Principles:
  • Spend time figuring out the best way to learn what you want to learn.  What tools and resources are available?
  • Drill, attack your weakest point.  Sometimes you shouldn't learn a skill (ex: fixing your car... Hire a mechanic instead)
  • Every complicated skill has components
  • Test to learn
    • Repeated review - read over and over
    • Free recall - read the text once, then close the book.  Try to recall what you learned.  In an experiment, free recall learners retained more.  PRACTICE remembering something.  It impacts how you process information.
• Anders Ericsson - Deliberate practice:
  • In 40% of the cases, feedback hurt.  Task oriented feedback works best.
  • How we process feedback is most important
    • "If you're doggedly trying to be an ultra learner and sustain excellence, emotional consequences are important..."
• Born with it vs. Ability to learn:
  • Anyone has the ability to learn anything
  • Everyone has their own abilities, their own pace.
  • Recognize your capacity to improve but don't compare to others
• Life advice:
  • Read more books - It expands your mind
  • Meet more interesting people - Subtlety informs choices, expands group you meet
  • Go do ambitious things - bold projects
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #336: Neil Pasricha: How To Build Resilience & Live An Intentional Life

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

How To Build Resilience & Live An Intentional Life

NEIL PASRICHA is the the author of six books including: The Book of Awesome, a spinning rolodex of simple pleasures based on his 100-million-hit, award-winning blog 1000 Awesome Things, The Happiness Equation, originally written as a 300-page love letter to his unborn son on how to live a happy life, Awesome Is Everywhere, an interactive introduction to guided meditation for children, and How To Get Back Up, a memoir of failure and resilience released as an Audible Original. His latest book is called You Are Awesome. His books are New York Times and #1 international bestsellers and have sold millions of copies across dozens of languages.  His first TED talk “The 3 A’s of Awesome” is ranked one of the 10 Most Inspiring of all time.

Notes:

• Commonalities of leaders who sustain excellence:
  • They read a lot
  • They unplug regularly - "the genesis for all my best ideas."
    • "Create untouchable time" for yourself
• The CEO of Wal-Mart -- How did he create this time?
  • He's the CEO BECAUSE he always made this part of his way of operating.
• Neil worked in a senior level corporate role for Wal-Mart for 10 years
  • His side hustle was writing and speaking
    
    • He didn't quit his job until he had successfully built his side hustle for eight years!
• Ask yourself two questions:
  • Which of these two decisions will I regret not doing more on your death bed?
  • What will you do if it fails?
• The farmer with one horse fable: A farmer had only one horse. One day, his horse ran away. His neighbors said,“I’m so sorry. This is such bad news. You must be so upset.” The man just said,“We’ll see.” A few days later, his horse came back with twenty wild horses following. The man and his son corralled all twenty-one horses. His neighbors said, “Congratulations! This is such good news.You must be so happy!” The man just said,“We’ll see.” One of the wild horses kicked the man’s only son, breaking both his legs. His neighbors said,“I’m so sorry.This is such bad news. You must be so upset.” The man just said,“We’ll see.” The country went to war, and every able-bodied young man was drafted to fight. The war was terrible and killed every young man, but the farmer’s son was spared since his broken legs prevented him from being drafted. His neighbors said, “Congratulations! This is such good news.You must be so happy!” The man just said, “We’ll see . . .”

  What is up with this crazy farmer, right?

  Well, what’s up with this crazy farmer is that he has truly developed resilience. He has built up his resilience. He is resilient! He’s steady, he’s ready, and whatever the future brings, we all know he’s going to stare it straight in the face with eyes that scream,“Bring it on.”

  The farmer has come to understand that every skyrocketing pleasure or stomach-churning defeat defines not who he is but simply where he is.

• What do most commencement speeches get wrong?
  • Do what you love only if you're willing to accept the pain to continue doing it...
  • The grind.  A lot of small losses add up.  Can you handle the pain that you will need to endure to do what you love?
• Is it better to be a big fish in a small pond?
  • Yes.  Academic research shows it benefits you even up to 10 years after you leave the pond...
  • Don't but the $5m condo in NYC.  Continue to find places where you can purposefully win.
  • Rig the game to win.
• "Different is better than better."
• Add a dot-dot-dot...
  • Neil's mom: "I always just added the word yet to everything..."  It's not a NO, it's a "not yet."
  • You have to just "keep going."
• The two minute morning routine that takes the worry out of waking up:
  • In your journal write three things:
    • I will let go of...
    • I am grateful for...
    • I will focus on...
• Neil's goal setting:
  • Set the lowest possible goals.  Set goals that you will hit.
  • "Extrinsic goals don't work."  
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

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

Episode #335: Deconstructing The Art & Science Of Public Speaking With Jay Acunzo

This is another bonus episode with my friend, Jay Acunzo.  We deconstruct the art and science of public speaking in this bonus episode. "I'm trying to help you see something different that fundamentally changes your work for the better."

Notes:

• The goal:
  • Help your audience see something different that fundamentally changes their work for the better.
  • Everything I'm doing (when speaking) is helping you get from where you're at to where you want to be.
• How to put a talk together:
  • Prompt driven -- Anticipate the questions that will be asked and answer them.
  • The coaching of Andrew Davis for Jay... "He's been really instrumental in helping me build a speaking business
    • "The Dialog Outline" -- You break up a talk you're giving into it's component pieces making it a modular talk.
      • "You're sharing the things others need to hear at the right moment they need to hear it... So they're anticipating what comes next..."
  • Put yourself in situations to "talk out your thoughts" to generate ideas... "Learn through speaking."
•  Process to prepare:
  • The value of rehearsal -- Is it needed?  How much?
  • Memorization vs. knowing your content cold → How to not sound like a robot, but still remember what to say?
  • Visual aids (PowerPoint, Keynote) -- "If I need the slides, I'm not ready." - Jay.  Slides should be use to reinforce the message.  You should never need to look at them.  They are there to be additive to your message for your audience.  
  • The 30 seconds before going on stage?  The optimal self talk... Interesting to hear the dramatic difference between Jay's approach and mine...
    • Get emotionally cross-faded.  "Wow, I get to do this.  This is so cool." (The words Jay says to himself the instant before he goes on stage."  And then... "Watch this." Assuring people that "I'm going to have some serious fun."
    • "Get ready... I'm about to put on a show." -- Use your excitement and confidence to serve the audience.
• How to start a speech:  What to do and what NOT to do:
  • The first part of the speech is the shared goal - "What does everyone in the room want?"
    • "The Vanguard." - The front line you send out to begin the attack...
  • Do NOT start by saying, "I'm so excited to be here."  Of course you're excited.  Don't waste that time.  It's too important to wander into the speech.

• Speaking Framework:
  • (Mine: story → science → practical application)
    • Story -- People remember stories
    • Science -- Empirical evidence/data to support the story
    • Application -- This is what it means for YOU
  • Storytelling -- How to become a better storyteller?  Great storytellers can rule the world...
    • Give a "feature story" -- And then reveal your hidden truth.
    • And then break it down into a methodology.
  • Engaging the audience - some speakers walk in the crowd, some ask questions regularly… The optimal ways to engage the audience
  • The element of surprise -- How to create ‘moments’ for the audience (surprise, ‘aha’ etc)?  How to ensure you are enlightening them and not just regurgitating stuff they already know...
  • The keys to Q & A and why it should never be the last thing you do on stage...
• Film the audience to see their reaction to your message... Study that to see what hits.
• How to add humor appropriately
• Coaching/feedback -- The intentional actions taken to ensure improvement.  Why you should have a coach.  Who is your kitchen cabinet?
• For corporate world mid-level managers who have to do QBR’s (quarterly business reviews) -- How can they make those more exciting?  (Most are dreadfully boring full of random stats, charts, bar graphs, etc)
• Study the 'intentionality' of stand up comedians.  Everything you say is for a specific reason.
• Be thoughtful and intentional with your actions.
• Persuasive presentations have logos, ethos, and pathos (from Talk Like TED)
  • Logos - Backing up your argument with data
  • Ethos - Credibility of the speaker 
  • Pathos - Establish an emotional connection

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

#334 Yancey Strickler

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

Yancey Strickler is a writer and entrepreneur. He is the cofounder and former CEO of Kickstarter and author of This Could Be Our Future: A Manifesto for a More Generous World.Yancey has been recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People. He’s spoken at the Museum of Modern Art, Sundance and Tribeca Film Festivals, Web Summit, and events around the globe. 

Notes:

• Commonalities of leaders who sustain excellence:
  • Selflessness - "You have to get over yourself first"
  • Have strength to know what's important
  • Flexible
  • It requires more time living into the minds of other people - "Not necessarily compassion, but 'what's going on with them?'"
  • Curiosity - A desire to know more
• Amazon thinks 'customer maximization' - thinking in the best interest of the customer
• How to get hired for the next management role?
  • Spend 1 hour a day with your current team -- Learn from them.  What's really going on?
  • Be the "go to" person for important objectives
• What was Day 1 as the CEO of KickStarter like?
  • "I remember the new fancy office... I needed to set proper expectations."
  • "People need to know how to make decisions"
  • "The weight I felt as a new CEO was very high"
  • The "on-me-ness was so high" - A huge responsibility that was felt
• The skill of "sandwiching ideas" -- Using metaphors to put together different ideas
  • Japanese cuisine
    • "Hara Hachi Bu: stop eating when you’re 80% full so that you're still hungry for tomorrow."
      • We shouldn't overfull ourselves because there is always something to learn tomorrow
• "My brain is really good at storing and making connections."
• "As a CEO/Leader, you need to be able to speak in metaphors to bring more oxygen to the situation..."
• How can we all do this?
  • Read --> Write it down --> Take notes of something interesting
  • "Metaphors are powerful."
• The power of story --> science --> application
• During his time at KickStarter, they grew from 70 employees to 155 in just a few years... What did Yancey look for in candidates?
  • Selflessness, servant mindset
  • "When they shared accomplishments, did they use 'we' or 'I'?  We like the people who use 'we'"
  • Mission driven
  • Honest
  • Not afraid to share bad news
  • "Whenever I found myself having to talk myself into something and overlook a red flag, I often found that was a mistake."
• Why did he leave KickStarter?
  • "I got tired, it took the energy out of me.  It was my identity for a decade..."
  • Had a rough 360 review (full review of people above, beside, and below him in the organization)
  • "One morning, I got to the door to leave my house, and I could not do it.  I broke down crying to my wife and said, 'I don't want to be a CEO today.'"
• Why writing is so beneficial:
  • Forces clarity of thought
  • "It forces you to accept rejection and just roll."
• Why write a manifesto(the book)?
  • "I gave a talk, had it transcribed, put it online, and it went viral."
• When deciding to work for himself:
  • "I need to treat myself as if I'm a company." -- How to properly plan and strategize as a solo entrepreneur
  • "I wrote down five options... One of them was writing a book.  I chose that option."
  • A publisher said to Yancey, "You don't need to hide. Your book is good enough without all the fancy artwork."
• Going against the grain: "I'm challenging the dominant ethos of our time."
• Bentoism - A balanced view of what's in our rational self-interest as inspired by the layout of a Japanese lunchbox.
  • Now me, future me, now us, future us.  The four quadrants...
  • Do you want do this in a small group with Yancey? Email me
• How Adele did this?
  • She used an algorithm to measure how loyal a fan was.  She used that information to help them get tickets at a decent price instead of the extraordinary prices on the secondary market.
    • This is both emotional and rational.  It's possible to be done for all of us.
• Life advice:
  • Yancey originally felt like a failure because he didn't identify with what the magazine covers were telling him: He didn't feel the urge to want to crush his competitors.  It's hard to be aware of the water you swim in...
  • Have awareness... Be curious, read a lot.
  • Have a plan... An idea of where to go.  Understand new values.
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

#333: Chris Savage - How To Bet On Yourself & Scale Through Creativity

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

Chris Savage is the co-founder and CEO of Wistia, a web-based video hosting solution built for businesses. He founded the company in 2006 with the goal of helping businesses effectively market their products or services in a smarter way through video. Under Savage’s leadership and vision, Wistia has experienced 100 percent growth over the past three years, expanding the company’s client portfolio to more than 110,000 users in more than 50 countries, including companies such as HubSpot, MailChimp and Starbucks.

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Notes:

• Commonalities of leaders who sustain excellence:
  • Voracious learners - "they celebrate learning more"
  • Crave feedback - a strong desire to improve - "They are wired to want that"
  • Patrick Campbell - "He's trying hard to learn as fast as possible"
• Chris's process for continual improvement:
  • Placing people in his life to push him
    • "I go to them to push my thinking"
  • Block time to think - "Being busy is not a sign of success"
  • Spend time with customers and employees
• Enjoying the process:
  • "It was stimulating and exciting.  It took us a year to get our first paying customer."
  • The business was funded by savings.  They kept their expenses very low
• Key to a successful partnership:
  • Ensure values are aligned - "These are intrinsic"
  • Know that everything takes longer than you think
  • Have a decision making framework - Demystify the process to make big decisions
• The product strategies/options:
  • Operational efficiency - The cheapest (No, this is not optimal)
  • Product leadership - Be different
  • Customer intimacy - This will solve customer problems
• Their values:
  • Long term company thinking
  • Creativity
  • Presentation - An elevated experience. Aesthetics matter.
  • Simplicity
• Hiring - "Hiring is everything."  Qualities he looks for:
  • "How are people intrinsically motivated?"
  • "Are they excited about the craft, the challenge?"
  • Give them a real-life problem to solve -- And see how they handle it/resolve it
• Inside their process to hire a VP of People:
  • Clearly define what success is in the role
  • Do a project after the first round of interviews - "Do the job, get critiqued."
  • Build out strategy - Not a perfect plan, but have a process
  • Meet with management team, present the plan.
• Building your network:
  • "Take the weight of your friends.  You're the average of them."
  • Be proactive who you want to be --> Look for people who challenge you.
  • Reflect on that...
  • Tactically: Make connections with people who you admire.  People like honest, sincere compliments.  Tell them WHY they inspire you
• Financials: Raised angle round of $650K.  Then $800K.  All individual angels.  No venture.  They have $10m in revenue.
• Crisis:
  • "We were losing this money, we weren't having fun anymore... People tried to buy us."
    • They raised debt to do a buy back... "I felt amazing."
• Wistia:
  • Creative risk taking
  • Have to scare self - made a feature length documentary
  • Host of the Brandwagon show
  • "Take risks that scare you"
• Growth and profitability aren't mutually exclusive - "Focus on building products and experiences that people love... Growth follows."

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

The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk

Ep # 332: David Brixey & Doug Meyer LIVE! - How To Build A Business From The Ground Up

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

This episode was recorded in front of 150 of our closest friends, family, and clients in Dayton, Ohio.

Doug Meyer formed Brixey & Meyer alongside Dave Brixey with a dream to give clients a different way of working with their tax professionals. In his role as Managing Director, Doug serves as a trusted business advisor to Business Owners, CEOs, CFOs and Boards of Advisors, driving value and accountability in the following strategic areas: succession & ownership planning, strategic planning, owners agreement structures, compensation planning, family business advisory & issue mediation, professional management practices, mergers & acquisition strategy, and family charter implementation.

David Brixey formed Brixey & Meyer with Doug Meyer in 2002 utilizing his insatiable entrepreneurial spirit and his financial skills gained at Ernst & Young. He is also the co-founder and Managing Director of Brixey Meyer Capital, a lower middle market private investment firm.  Since 2008, Dave has been personally involved in investing in small business to lower middle market as well as venture capital.

Brixey & Meyer is recognized as a leading provider of accounting and business advisory services in the Midwest.

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

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

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Episode #331: Ryan Holiday - Stillness Is The Key

RYAN HOLIDAY is one of the world's foremost thinkers and writers on ancient philosophy and its place in everyday life. He is a sought-after speaker, strategist, and the author of many bestselling books including The Obstacle Is the Way; Ego Is the Enemy; and The Daily Stoic. His books have been translated into over 30 languages and sold over two million copies worldwide. He lives outside Austin, Texas, with his family. His latest book is called Stillness Is The Key.

Notes:

• Commonalities of leaders who sustain excellence =
  • They look at the whole picture
  • They have the ability to zoom out
  • They have balance
    • Driven, skilled at what they do, but they do not run unchecked.  This creates happiness.
  • Highly disciplined
  • Temperance - Integrated into life
• The word enough:
  • Balance - "We're definitely going to be forgotten." 
  • It's important to have the quiet time to do the work.  And you have to love doing it.
• Michael Jordan's hall of fame speech:
  • "It's so misguided.  The problem with proving people wrong is eventually you do it.  And it's never enough.  Rather, you should choose to prove your own potential right.  Did I leave it all on the page?  Did I fulfill my own standards?"
  • I choose to prove my supporters right instead of allowing detractors to take up space in my head
• The higher power was the logos - the path of the universe... The stoics acknowledged fate and fortune and the power these forces had over them.
  • Marcus Lattimore (RB from South Carolina and the NFL) - He said, "The career ending injury I had was the best thing that ever happened to me."
    • Decide how you will choose to respond.  Make the choice to make a positive difference in people's lives.
• The impact of father hood has had on Ryan:
  • "You realize how powerless you are as a parent.  It's humbling and eye opening."
• The WHO - the power of relationships
  • It's a team.  It requires balance.  Both players must flourish independently:
    • "Accomplishments are not part of the identity of the relationship I have with Sam (his wife).  She doesn't give a shit how many books I sell."
    • "I have an inner scoreboard and hold myself to those standards."
• The value of a daily journal - The process, the ritual, the routine is helpful.
  • The act of the devotion.  Quiet time everyday, provides energy in the morning.  "A routine becomes a ritual over time."
  • Journaling one line a day for five years: It's the process of warming up, talking to self, verbalizing fears
• Thoughtfulness - "Interrogate yourself at the end of each day." -- This is what Churchill did
• Hitler said, "I recognized the correctness of my views."  That's not wisdom, it's insanity.  Don't do that.
• Privately, Abraham Lincoln with racked with doubt.
• The epidemic of ego easily mistakes for confidence and strength
• Stillness - What we're working towards.  We need it to think clearly.  We need to rest.
  • Must be fully in the moment
• Momento Mori - "Get in the moment"
• Speaking routine - Wear the same clothes, workout before, listen to the same music, manage energy, funnel focus, and know that the material helps people
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

#330: Deconstructing The Art & Science Of Interviewing With Jay Acunzo

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

This is a special bonus episode focusing on deconstructing the art and science of interviewing.  You will hear learning happening in real time.  Jay Acunzo and I go a meta-level to better understand how to better improve our conversation ability, how to be better in an interview.  "Interviewing is a skill that enhances your life in a pleasant and unexpected way."  This is focused on how you can ask better questions, be more interesting and more interested, and become a better conversationalist.

Notes: 

• The meta level of deconstructing the process of making the work is rare...
• "I experience the most flow when it's quiet, nitty-gritty work.  Those minute are profoundly rewarding for me."
• What makes a great interview?
• An open loop -- Start telling the story, but wait to close the loop until later to build intrigue...
• The difference between a narrative style show and an interview getting to know someone:
  • A story is three parts - The intent of the story: The "Joseph Campbell Heroes Journey" 1) Status Quo 2) Conflict 3) Resolution
  • Bucket of questions:
    • "Tell me about X..."
    • "How did it make you feel?"
    • The analysis and the reflection
• Change your mindset: "You're not an interviewer, you're a dance partner."
  • "The only thing that matters is that you lead.  Everything else is little subtle moves to get people to go to where you want to go."
• "It's not a constant march forward. Instead, think of it like a dance. There are some steps back, steps forward, steps to the side — all packaged together in one coherent experience, with lots of zig-zagging and subtle steps inside those boundaries."
• Open ended questions: “Tell me about X” gets you story details, while “how did it feel when” gets you key moments of reflection and analysis. Both are crucial.
• Clip #1 -- JJ Redick 
  • He says “great question” — what would make someone interviewed as often as a pro athlete say that?
  • How to prep for an interview for someone who is interviewed all the time?
    • Built a basic rapport leading up to the interview -- Discussed sports, restaurants, podcasting, interviewing.  Developed a "friend" level of communication
      • Create an environment where the guest wants it to be a great show
  • Good follow up questions: Ask for an example... Asking, "How did that make you feel?" "What's your process?" --> Then be a deep, thoughtful listener to ask a follow up.
  • Stay on the same level with your dance partner - Don't be a guest "worshiper"
  • When following up, there are a few things you can do: 1) Distill 2) Disagree 3) Ask the next question...
  • During an interview, the best question you can ask: "How did that make you feel?" It enables them to get in an emotional lane (away from canned responses)
  • Testing the levels on the microphone -- Don't waste that opportunity.  Engineer the guest, the human -- You need them to feel like we're hanging out and excited about the interview.  Make it fun.  What to ask instead: "I'm going to check your levels, do you have any pets at home?" "What would be your last meal on earth?" -- It helps people break out of their corporate drone mode.  The question is about the person, on a human plane.
  • Create a safe space for them to share their truth. "I'm not a journalist, I'm a conversationalist."
• Clip #2 -- Adam Savage
  • How did he get on the show? Working with a PR firm to book a guest -- A great PR person like Brent Underwood only recommends guests that are a good fit for the show.
  • Ask questions that you are genuinely curious about -- I am curious about someone's process and it's always led me to a useful follow up...
  • The issue is sometimes a "process" oriented question is the guest can answer with a generality... How to wiggle out of that?
    • Look at the acknowledgement section of their book to get ideas for important people/events in their life to ask about...
  • Mental Heuristics: Tell me about, 30,000 feet, go to a specific example... The third question is "Putting them in a box:" -- "
• From Jay: Heuristics to tell great AUDIO stories:
  • Tell me about...
  • How did you feel when (or, how did that feel?)
  • Can you give me an example?
  • (Superlatives) Best, worst, funniest, scariest, hardest, least certain, favorite, etc...
  • (Dig for emotional moments)
• Clip #3 -- Brian Koppelman
  • How to handle nerves -- Work to get settled in.  Get through the initial conversation point...
  • Give people a genuine compliment for why you like their work -- Tell people why their work helps you
• Hidden Gems:
  • Interplay between your intent for the work and your framework for it:
    • "My goal is to engineer an outcome, but I have an intent I don't want to become The Bachelor in Paradise."
      • Have self and situational awareness.  We carry with us good intent to serve the audience.  Don't let the framework or engineering supersede the original intent.
  • The two types of interviews: 1) The person, their story... 2) Their content
    • The best conversations are able to weave both together and smoothly bounce back and forth
    • Learn about the person AND learn about the topic that he has mastered -- Master that dance between both -- I need to give you something that is going to make you better.
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Ep #329: Kindra Hall

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

Kindra Hall is President and Chief Storytelling Officer at Steller Collective, a consulting firm focused on the strategic application of storytelling to today’s communication challenges. Kindra is one of the most sought after keynote speakers trusted by global brands to deliver presentations that inspire teams and individuals to better communicate the value of their company, their products and their individuality through strategic storytelling.  Kindra is a former Director of Marketing and VP of Sales. Her much anticipated book, Stories That Stick, will be published on September 24, 2019.

Notes:

• Why is storytelling so important?
  • It's how we learn, how we connect
  • Your team needs to know you, and like you (stories do that when you tell them well)
  • You can learn breadth/depth of a person through a story
• A story is NOT:
  • A bullet point resume
  • A list of information
  • Stating the mission statement
  • The objective
• A story = The small moments when mission is in a specific place and time... When something happens.
• The four components of a story:
  • Place and time: "a moment"
  • Identifiable characters - must see people
  • Authentic emotion - Relatable to audience
  • Specific details - Draw audience in to the co-creative process
• Opening story of her book: In Slovenia at Thanksgiving:
  • The power of the sales clerk's ability to tell a story compelled Kindra and her husband to buy
• Why did the story work?
  • It drew you in with powerful moments and emotion
  • It had suspense - "I want to know what's going to happen..."
  • People will give you their attention when you're telling a compelling story
  • It brought them to places through vivid descriptions
• How to better start a meet at work:
  • First, realize it's a skill you can develop
  • Take a step back, think of the higher level message -- "What's the overall theme?"
    • "When have I seen this in action?"  Why was it compelling?
• Make a list of nouns: People in life you've had to communicate with (bosses, friends, colleagues)
  • Find moments and stories from those people... Understand the characters of the story
• Think: "What do I want my audience to think, feel, know, and do at the end of this story?"
• Use the "bystander story" - Stories of others that you make yours
  • Remember the goal is to create connection
  • This becomes your story... Through your eyes
• How to handle price conversations?
  • Move from dollars and cents to value -- "They need to feel the pain of if they didn't have this thing I'm selling."
  • Our decisions are not always based on logic, they are based on ideas
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

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

Text LEARNERS to 44222

#328: Joel Peterson -- Joel Peterson is the Chairman of the Board at JetBlue Airways. He has served on more than three dozen boards over the past 45 years.  Joel is also the Founding Partner and Chairman of Peterson Partners, a Salt Lake City-based investment management firm with $1 billion under management. Peterson Partners has invested in over 200 companies through 13 funds in four primary asset classes: growth-oriented private equity, venture capital, real estate, and search funds.  Since 1992, Joel Peterson has taught courses in real estate, entrepreneurship, and leadership at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. 

• Sustaining excellence =
  • They are trusted, credible, and dependable -- They "build a high trust organization"
  • It doesn't happen naturally.  You must be intentional about it
• Why is it so hard to build a trusting organization?
  • "People are weary.  Trust is critical.  You must do what you say you are going to do."
• "Trust is not being gullible.  Trust is a hard edged concept."
• It's three parts:
  • Character
  • Competence
  • Authority
• How to build a culture of trust?
  • Listen -- Capture what your team is saying through 1 on 1 conversations.  Understand common values, goals, strategies
  • Reframe the dashboard -- What does winning look like? Make sure it is clearly defined.  What's the current level of trust in the organization?
• How to run an effective meeting:
  • Have a purpose, the right people in the room, and follow up assignments.
  • Have pre-work.  It must be done.  Go through each individual member.  "Build trust by the process."
• How to run a town-hall:
  • Listen carefully, repeat it.  FOLLOW UP and take action.
• How to handle broken trust?
  • Fix breaches immediately. "Bad news doesn't get better with age." -- "Don't let grass grown under your feet."
• "Trust decreases transaction costs." -- Everything is faster when there is trust.
• "You can't do good business with bad people."
• Interview process:
  • Understand the decision points
  • Determine roles/responsibilities as a team
  • Check references
  • The most important decisions you will make is who you hire and who you fire
• There must be a vividly clear picture of what success is:
  • Break down the details: Who is the champion? Time frame? Budget? -- Measure all of them to ensure all involved know what success is.
  • Do a post-mortem: What went well? What didn't? Why?
• Keep your team informed:
  • "Err on the side of over-communication."
  • "Write a partner letter every two weeks.  Keep everyone updated."
  • For JetBlue, there is a weekly meeting update -- a "State of the Union" for the 24,000 employees
• Create a learning organization -- Foster an environment where there is a love for learning.
• Strive for win-win negotiations
  • Each is part of a series -- Think long term
  • You must be fair in order to do many deals
  • Art of the compromise -- Don't be zero sum.  You'll build a reputation and nobody will want to work with you.
• Embrace respectful conflict -- Create an environment where people can open disagree.  This helps people refine their ideas and make them better.
• Advice for husbands/dads:
  • Be there as a cheerleader, not a policeman
  • Be a listener, make sure you understand
  • "Love is the most powerful force in the world."
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

#327: Marc Roberge

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

Marc Roberge is lead singer and rhythm guitar player for O.A.R. (Of A Revolution).  He also is their primary songwriter and has been described by his band-mates as, "Our Leader." He formed the band with his best friend (and drummer) Chris Culos for an 8th grade talent show 23 years ago in Rockville, Maryland.  I first saw him play at a college bar called "First Run" on the Miami University campus in Oxford, OH my freshman year (2000).  Since then, O.A.R. has gone on to sell out Madison Square Garden.  We recorded this episode in Austin, Texas next to the stage at Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater.

Notes:

• The importance of persistence and why
• Our 20-year history – Watch them playing at First Run in Oxford, OH – The journey from small college bars to selling out Madison Square Garden
• Chose Ohio State because they have the most bars in a small area – Earned the Buckeye National Scholarship
• “Money was not part of the equation at the beginning.  We just needed enough to keep the van gassed up.”
• The primary reason why you’re so happy it goes well is so you get to keep doing it.
• Two initial goals: Finish college and build the band. – The band started in 8^th grade for a talent show.
• “We wanted to get on the road, scrape our knee, and build to sustain. It was never about money; it was about gaining ground.  Moving forward, progressing.”
• The first word to describe Marc from other members of the band: “Leader.” – What it means to be a leader of creative people…
• The stages of Marc’s leadership: 1^st Stage: Driven completely by the vision of wanting to make music out wandering the world.  “I wanted to make these songs because they made me feel good.  I wanted to be out with my friends and empower each other.” 2^nd Stage: “It becomes our vision.” – “You may no longer provide the best leadership, so you need to empower people in your camp to lead.  In order to be in the drier seat, you have to know what other people’s superpowers are so each one can flourish.  3^rd Stage: Chris (the drummer) – He nudged the group forward to a rebirth.  Became motivated to get back in the driver seat and now he had amazing co-pilots who had their own creative genius.  “Realize the powers of those around you and harness that. That was the afterburners for us.  It’s built out of mutual respect and admiration for each other.”  “Being a leader has to show that things aren’t always going to go great.  You must maintain, be composed, don’t flail your arms around.  Move forward.”
• Respectful disagreement:  How to decide which song to open with at Madison Square Garden… How to make decisions through disagreement?  “I know when I’m wrong, I know when I’m right too.  Good ideas… It’s a self-filtering system.  You have to listen, be open to others.  In that moment, it was perfect.”
• “A part of leadership is knowing when you’re wrong and when the other idea is better and move on.”
• “When one of your heroes is standing next to you and says, “I really like this,” that impacts you.  “I was wrong and wasn’t thinking of the big picture. It was selfish.”
• How to handle people who don’t like your work? Story: Opening for Dave Matthews Band at The Gorge – The entire front row turned their back in protest of the opening act.  “I get angry.  My new goal was to get them to turn around.  It’s a lesson: You can either get hurt or say, “I get to play my songs at the Gorge.  Eventually they will respect us.”
• Giving a TED Talk: Authenticity – Being real, true to yourself.  “Everything I’ve created has stemmed from a few nostalgic pin-pointed childhood memories. I’ve tried to build my whole life to tell those stories of what we can do when we’re together.”  Fans for Life: “We were living a life we’ve dreamt of.”
• The resistance of chasing approval of others – “That theme is rooted in unabashedly telling a story about where you come from.  Sticking to the same morals we were instilled with since growing up.”  “I’m not seeking approval because we aren’t adjusting music to fit in, we play what makes us feel good.”
• Chasing your curiosity and obsessions with great rigor – How to create a life to do that?  “My dream is we’ve built something that allows us something time to create.  Keep working on live shows to continue to play them.  We love them.  If you don’t play 5 nights a week, it won’t be there for you.  You have to get the reps.
• Sustained excellence:  Commonalities: 1) Drive 2) Social – Able to work a room, communicate well with others. 3) Willingness to fail – “If you aren’t willing to jump off that edge, you don’t deserve to get it.”
• Song writing process: “Each song has a different method for me.” “There are moments when I’m walking down the street in NYC and it comes to me.  I’ll run to the studio and quickly record it.  There are so many different styles, but it all has to come from being inspired.”
• The creative process:  Working with Greg Wattenberg to be a sounding board and offer honest feedback.  “We’ve never changed what we’re doing.  We’ve only built upon it and have always focused on our story.”
• “People get so confused, they want everything, they want a boat, a house, so much.  We just want to keep going.”
• Celebrating the 25^th anniversary of the band.  “We want to celebrate the fact of a few buddies being together for that time.”
• “Tell your story.  Don’t be afraid to tell your story.”
• How to not get complacent and conservative after success?  For fear of failure?  “We take risks every year.  We book a year in advance and we book some locations that we know might not work.  We maintain pressure at all times.” “You have to take calculated risks and create things that may make you a little uncomfortable at first... To move the art form forward.”
• Gratitude – The importance of John Lampley being added to the band.  “John Lampley is magic.  He brought joy in the room.  His life gratitude, how he looks at opportunity of everything: meals, being alive, we just exercised in the truck and he keeps talking about how good he feels.”  It’s about being grateful for what you have and what you get to do on a daily basis.
• Practicing all day long – Love the craft.  Loving the process of working on it.  “This is what we do, this is how we operate.”  The mindset of daily improvement. “We feel very lucky to be doing this.  You better earn it and keep it.” Don’t pay attention to what others are doing, Focus on improving your craft.
• “What they really like about your group is how it makes them feel?
• General life advice: 46:45 – 47:27 (HERO) “Find something that you truly feel connected to… there’s energy in this world that will tell you when you’re in the right spot. And then work. A lot of people want to be famous, how you going to get there. And then grind.”  Bring joy to yourself and others is life.
• “Be willing to play anywhere.  Just keep going.” – It’s all about getting the reps. “What you love, go love it.  You might be broke for a while, but you’ll be fulfilled.  It will fill you up.”
• “Everyone carries around a bucket.  You can fill it up or empty it.”
• “Find what you love and chase it down.”
• Preshow ritual: “What is going through your mind the 90 seconds before you go on stage?” – “We have a group huddle.” – “Remember when we were in the basement and we said, one day we’re going to do this.  Remember how happy we were.  We’re here.  Go be a Rockstar.”
• The feedback received from fans/listeners – That’s the juice that fuels you.
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

#326: Jason Zook

TEXT: LEARNERS to 44222

For full shownotes, go to www.LearningLeader.com

Jason Zook is an unconventional entrepreneur. Tired of living a life that felt prescribed to him by society, Jason used his out-of-the-box thinking and ingenuity to create multiple profitable Internet-based businesses.  His most-notable business was IWearYourShirt, a company that generated over $1,000,000 by wearing sponsored t-shirts to promote over 1,600 businesses on social media from 2008-2013 before "influencer" was a mainstream term. If that wasn't weird enough, from 2012 and 2013, Jason auctioned off his last name to the highest bidders and made nearly $100,000 doing it. Jason's second book is titled "Own Your Weird." Jason has been featured by The Today Show, CBS Evening News, USA Today, and The New York Times.

Notes: 

• The importance of reviewing previous work... And why it should embarrass you.  That is growth.
  • "Don't compare your starting line to someone else's finish line."  We all started somewhere.  It is a progression.
  • It's important to understand context.
• Leaders who sustain excellence =
  • They test all of their assumptions on a regular basis
    • They don't accept things as they are... Always trying something new
  • They are extremely curious
  • Have an experimenters mindset
  • They are validated internally -- They don't seek the validation externally.  They are fulfilled from the inside.
• How to create a mindset to not worry about hitting a best-seller list?
  • Set a low goal (getting the book published) and a high goal (selling 10K copies).  Understand that there is so much out of your control and celebrate hitting the goals that are within your control (writing and publishing the book).  You can't control how many people choose to buy it.
  • The emails received from fans/listeners are the fuel that keeps you going.  The feedback from people you're positively impacting.
• Properly define success for yourself:
  • You spend a third of your life working.  Make it count.
  • Figure out a way to be see as excellent, out of the box thinker
• Have a mindset of, "How can I make this better?"
• Present your plan to your boss/leaders in the company: "Here's my plan, here is how we will do it..."
  • Be proactive.  Make your boss's life easier.  Help them succeed.
• Rejection:  "When someone says no to you, it doesn't mean you're a bad person.  It's not a reflection of who you are as a person."
  • Understand that "No" means "not yet" most of the time.
• "Choose Adventure"
  • Not wanting to live the same life that others have lived
  • Example: Moving to a sweet house in Southern California with another couple
• Challenge assumptions:
  • You don't have to do it the way it's always been done
  • Experiment -- Test --> Reflect, analyze.  Understand what worked, what didn't, and why?
• Working to live, not living to work
  • How do you schedule your days?
    • Start with living
  • Define what really fills you up --> Prioritize that first.  Put it on your calendar first.
• Every six months, sit down and prioritize what's important to you.
  • Constraints can be a powerful force.  Parkinson's Law.
• Set your "enough goals."  -->  "Getting to this number will be enough."
  • "There's always more.  What about enough?"
  • "We don't need to grow our business for growth's sake."
  • "$33,000/month is our enough goal." -- "It's clearly defined.  It's right for us."
• The process of writing a book live -- Jason learned a lot about himself writing while others were watching.
• The end of the podcast club:  Email us (Ryan@LearningLeader.com) -- When was the last time you truly showed up as yourself?

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

#325: Ron Ullery

Full show notes at www.LearningLeader.com

Be part of "Mindful Monday" - Text LEARNERS to 44222

Coach Ron Ullery began his football coaching career at Centerville High School in 1977.  He was the Offensive Coordinator (and play-caller) for my four years as the quarterback for Centerville (1996,1997,1998,1999).  He was promoted to Head Coach in 2000.  In his 14 years as head coach, he compiled a 107-45 record. Eight of his teams advanced to the Division 1 (big school) postseason.  He is currently the Offensive Line coach at Springboro High School.  This episode was recorded in front of the Springboro football team, coaches, and administrative staff.  He's coached high school football for 43 years.

Notes:

• Leaders who sustain excellence =
  • Understanding how hard it is to be excellent
  • Knowing there are multiple ways to lead (militaristic, fear driven, soft spoken, calm)
  • Must be organized -- Have to set a plan to direct people.  How are we going to get where we want to go?
  • Must have a tremendous work ethic -- Ask the people you're leading to work extremely hard and you must be willing to work even harder
  • Have extremely high expectations, unwilling to ever waiver -- They don't lower expectations to feel good
  • Must have humility -- Can't be all about you
• A great coach can make a player feel invincible:
  • A great coach sees another level in you.  A level above where you think you can go.  And they push you to go there...
  • Doing things you never dreamed you could possibly do makes you think it's possible.
  • "We are in a era where mediocrity and average is okay."
    • "If you want to, you can lay in bed all day, have your iPad here, your TV with 250 stations, your phone, you can doordash leave your door unlocked...  you never have to do anything."
  • We need to strive to be elite and excellent
• Being grateful for the hard work -- What it leads to...
• X & O's are not the most important part of football:
  • "Young people will live up to your expectations or down to your expectations almost all the time."
  • "It's our job to place the level of those expectations."
  • The elite performers hit the level of expectations set and then keep going.
• The confidence a coach gives his/her players by exhibiting an incredible work ethic:
  • "It has everything to do with making sure I'm prepared.  I want to control what I can control.  I don't want to be the weak link."
  • "To prepare, I need to be in a quiet place.  I became a morning guy in college.  I was majoring in Math.  It was tough."
• Delayed gratification -- Voluntary hardship:
  • The ability to delay gratification is a super power
  • "Instant gratification is what everyone wants now." -- Foresight: People have less foresight now than they used to.  They have instant access to everything they want at all times
• "If you are unsuccessful, look in the mirror.  The competition is not real stiff.  If you have some foresight and a strong work ethic, you can do whatever you want. Most people don't have that foresight."
• The difference between winning teams and losing teams
  • Winning teams: The players were empowered, had ownership. and they (the players) held each other accountable.
  • "You can coach them as hard as you want and they will respond as long as they know you care about them."
    • "It's a lot harder when you care."
• Why stay as a high school coach?
  • "I love the high school atmosphere.  I love the age, I love everything about high school. I love the challenge.  You take whatever comes in the doors.  There's no recruiting.  You do the best you can with what you're given.  I love everything about these guys."
  • "In my 43 years of coaching, I've never felt like I've had a job."
• Why offensive line?
  • "It was the biggest learning off-season of my career."
  • "Offensive linemen is by far the hardest position to succeed at.  It's also the most impactful of winning games."
  • "They are the least athletic players on the field by far.  They do the most important job, yet they are the least athletic."
  • "It's a tremendous challenge.  And I love challenges.  I love seeing them succeed."
• How to earn respect:
  • Must exhibit leadership, mental toughness, and discipline -- "You can't ask anything of anyone else if you're not willing and already doing it yourself."
  • You have to care and it has to show how much you care about people.  You have to do more than other people.
• Advice to his son Brent Ullery (head coach of Centerville High School):
  • "You have to formulate things you believe in.  You have to have strong beliefs.  Formulate your beliefs not based on what you did when you played, but base them on what you've learned from all of your experiences.  Don't let the outside noise influence you."
• Framework for continuous improvement and ability adapt:
  • "Listen and learn.  I'm a better learner today than any year of my life.  When I started out coaching I thought I knew everything.  Then I realized I knew nothing."
  • Learning talks with Coach Gregg every morning -- "I would meet him every morning and we would talk about everything.  Some about football, but more about people.  He was a master about human nature and motivating young people."
  • The main idea with continual learning is "you've never arrived."
  • "You've never arrived, you're always becoming."
• How to effectively lead peers/friends:
  • As a leader, it becomes your responsibility to lift others up and expect more of them -- Sometimes when you have to make difficult choices to prioritize leadership over friendship
  • The moment that Kirk Herbstreit became a leader (he was a quarterback at Centerville High School)
• It's much easier to follow.  But far less fulfilling.  You have to make the choice to lead daily.
• The sacrifices made to be accountable to teammates -- Doing everything within your power to maximize your ability
• Laying the foundation for future generations
• Having the willingness to go get what you want -- Don't let anything get in your way
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

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

#324: Charles Fishman

Charles Fishman is the acclaimed author of One Giant Leap, A Curious Mind (with Brian Grazer), The Wal-Mart Effect, and The Big Thirst. He is a three-time winner of the Gerald Loeb Award, the most prestigious prize in business journalism.

Notes: 

• Leaders who sustain excellence =
  • They insist on excellence. "The work needs to be as good as it can be."
  • Getting to the moon was the largest project in the history of civilization
  • Clarity of the mission - Everyone must know the goal
  • Must keep people motivated
  • Standards must be clear - And the reasoning behind each action (intentional)
• President Kennedy was frustrated with how the U.S. was doing versus the Russians in space.  He needed to make a bold statement.  When it was made, the administration felt there was a 50/50 shot that it could happen.
  • It was important to announce broad goal and the reason behind it
• "Take the stairs" - Think of it as a blessing. "I get to do this."
  • Not because it is easy, but because it is hard.
  • "A master stroke of leadership because it was a stretch goal, but it wasn't insanity."  It must be balanced.
• There are tapes of JFK talking scientific discovery where it was obvious he had little understanding of it.  -->  It's important to have people you have confidence in leading areas where you're lacking knowledge.
  • "If JFK wasn't assassinated, we may not have gone to the moon.  He was starting to get cold feet about the cost."
• The space program created a culture of learning from failure:
  • "Every single failure had to be investigated, understood, and resolved."
  • "No Random Failures" was the motto.
  • "Every failure is a gift." -- There were 14,000 recorded failures in testing.
• Collaboration -- How to keep so many people aligned?  There were 400,000 people from 20,000 companies working on the Apollo missions!
  • NASA's management style:
    • Clearly defined roles - What are your solutions to the problems?
    • Gave assignments and qualities that needed to be met
• NASA had a culture where they brought everyone together for in person meetings.  "Every minute of a mission would be walked through."
  • There was transparency and decisions got made.
  • Get people together in person and do something important.  This built camaraderie among the dispirit teams.
• Bill Tindall -- A mission planning genius on space navigation.  He was also gracious, self-effacing, and had a great sense of humor.
  • Bill respected what others had done, had respect for the mission.  He had the confidence to be calm.  A different person who used a different manner would have been a disaster working with the leaders at MIT.
  • People have to be persuaded to follow you.
• Both Gene Kranz and Bill Tindall were unafraid to hear input.  They were confident enough to find the right answer (wherever it came from).
• We are entering the most exciting time in space travel (Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos)

The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk

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

Text LEARNERS to 44222

#322: Ian Leslie

Ian Leslie is a London-based journalist and author of critically acclaimed books about human behavior. He is currently writing a new book on “productive disagreement”, which will be published in 2020. Ian also created, wrote and performed in the BBC radio comedy Before They Were Famous.

Notes: 

• Leaders who sustain excellence =
  • Have the ability to think about their own thinking -- Step outside and reflect
  • Know that you'll say "I don't know" frequently
  • Breadth -- A range of interests
  • Interested in building knowledge and an awareness that it might not pay off (and being ok with that)
• Ian built his life around curiosity -- He was a strategist for ad agencies.  He needed to deeply understand his clients.  That is a job built on curiosity.
  • "I am a curiosity driven writer."
• Children are born curious... "People are born with habits/knowledge to survive."  And then they stop.  There's no evolutionary impulse to keep going.
  • It becomes a conscious choice to cognitive resources and time
• The two types of curiosity
  • Diversive: Hunger for new information.  It comes from an information gap.  Agatha Christie understands how to create an information gap to keep you turning the page
  • Epistemic: Desire to acquire knowledge/build/assimilate into networks in your brain.  It requires discipline.  It's engendered.  It's diversive curiosity grown up.
• "There is a rising premium on people with a high need for cognition."  NFC (need for cognition) is a scientific measure of intellectual curiosity
• "Taking action.  Doing... is a form of learning.  They are intertwined."
• Reflecting on own habits -- use self as a lab experiment... Then talk with others.
• Empathically curious -- Being curious about what's inside of other person's head.  How they think and feel.
• "You're going to be come a better communicator being a better listener."
• Atul Gawande -- Ask the unscripted question.  Make a human connection.
• Have 10% of your brain switched on to "Am I talking too much?"
• How to have productive disagreements:
  • Don't avoid it
  • Have disagreements we both can live with
  • "You'll have more productive disagreement if you're curious about the other person."
• People who have a higher level of scientific curiosity... They don't rush to judgement.  Think, "Oh, I wonder why I think that?"
• "Nobody has trained us in how to disagree with each other."
• "You have this choice in judgement and curiosity."
• Life/Career advice: "Be interested in everything.  Go deep in one area."
  • Have core people in your life and foster the weak ties.
• Everyone is born curious. But only some retain the habits of exploring, learning and discovering as they grow older. Which side of the “curiosity divide” are you on?

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

#322 with Julie Zhuo

Julie Zhuo is the VP of Product Design for Facebook.  She was the first-ever intern for the company.  She leads the team responsible for the Facebook App.  Julie is known as one of Silicon Valley's top product design executives, she leads the teams behind some of the most popular web and mobile services used by billions of people around the world. Julie writes about technology, great user experiences, and leadership on her popular blog "The Year of the Looking Glass" as well as publications like the New York Times and Fast Company.  She is the best-selling author of, The Making Of A Manager.

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

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

#321: Jay Acunzo

Jay Acunzo is the founder of the media company Marketing Showrunners, author of the book Break the Wheel, and the host and producer of more than a dozen docuseries about creativity at work. He's a former digital media strategist at Google, head of content at HubSpot, and Vice President of Content and Community at the VC firm NextView.Jay’s work has been cited in courses at Harvard Business School and by writers at the New York Times, the Washington Post, FastCompany, Fortune, Entrepreneur, and more. Salesforce called him "a creativity savant," while the American City Business Journals named him as one of Boston's "50 On Fire.”

Show notes:

• Leaders who sustain excellence =
  • Curiosity gets you the ability to constantly reinvent yourself
    • Ex: A basketball player who works on a new part of his/her game every summer (constantly adding to the game)
  • Intrinsic motivation
  • Telic type -- Get to level 1, 2, and going...
  • "When you're curious you're constantly turning it over and over..."
• Be a sensitive skeptic -- Keeping dispirit ideas at the same time
• "You have to be open and at the same time question everything."
  • Anthony Bourdain -- An inspiration -- Why does that inspire me?  What do I bring to the table?  Be open to all, but skeptical
• Bourdain -- He's able to sit with anybody and pull out emotional moments from what seemed a normal day.
  • Parts Unknown is not about geography, but with people and their emotions.  "We experience his work with lots of emotion."
• Best interviewers:
  • 2 types:
    • Conversationalists: Bourdain, Bill Simmons, Conan -- They aren't about the clever question, it's about the environment they create, the trust they build.
    • Questioners: Terry Gross, Kara Swisher - They are genius in the simple questions, and the follow ups...
• How do you feel leading up to a big moment?
  • A specific anticipatory feeling.  Before getting on stage, think, "Wow, I get to do this." Not, I have to do this.
• Process to prepare for a speech:
  • Wind down before the gig
  • Rehearse in the office days before, film it, use it as game tape.  Practice, practice, practice.
  • Create muscle memory -- "Don't memorize it, memorialize it."
• "When I make something, I want to feel something.  I have to put in the reps."
• Thoughts on "best practices?"
  • "The image in my head is, 'that's the way we've always done things.'" 
  • Must rather find the best approach
• How to do this?
  • Don't run a faulty equation for your work
  • Don't build on lagging indicators
  • Don't miss variables... You must know the current context
• "Stop acting like an expert, start acting like an investigator."
• The 3 Psychological Barriers: Why we aren't making great decisions:
  • The Pike Syndrome:  A feeling of powerlessness after repeated failure (named for the experiment of conditioning a pike to not eat minnows by hiding those minnows behind glass).  Solution: "first-principle"insights about customers
  • The Foraging choice: The decision between exploiting your current position or exploring other possibilities (named for the idea that human decisions under high-stress condition often mirror foraging behavior in animals.  Solution: "Aspirational anchors" for you and/or your team
  • Cultural Fluency: Your behavior when the world unfolds according to the expected norm (a concept honed by a man who ran experiments on his friends and family at a picnic).  Solution: "trigger questions" to add cultural disfluency
• How to help people develop intuition?
  • Intuition is not an instant clarity generator -- "The ability to consider the environment." --> Ask great questions about context.
    • Break into knowable parts
      • You -- People doing work
      • Customers -- Stakeholder -- who the work is for
      • Resources -- to make it happen
• Ask useful questions:
  • "Set aside the desire to be right for the desire to get it right."
• Common mistakes new managers make:
  • They "have all the answers."  Ask questions, Remove ego.
  • Emotion based decisions -- Surround self with the right people to help with deficiencies
• Qualities Jay looks for when making hiring decisions:
  • Can you do the work?
  • Can I understand who you are?
  • Skip right to the good stuff -- "What's the best story you've ever written?"
  • Want people with an intrinsic desire to create -- Love side projects like his sports blog
• Advice:
  • Career path is BS -- It's laughable.  Your 20's are about exploration... "Try a lot of stuff."  Do side projects
• Bad advice:
  • "The idea that being the best is a real thing.  It's ridiculous." Focus on your own body of work, not others.