The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

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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."

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

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

Text LEARNERS to 44222

#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

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

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 

Text LEARNERS to 44222

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.