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The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

As Kobe Bryant once said, “There is power in understanding the journey of others to help create your own.” That’s why the Learning Leader Show exists—to understand the journeys of other leaders so that we can better understand our own. This show is full of learnings taught by world-class leaders—personal stories of successes, failures, and lessons learned along the way. Our guests come from diverse backgrounds—CEOs of multi-billion dollar companies, best-selling authors, Navy SEALs, and professional athletes. My role in this endeavor is to talk to the smartest, most creative, always-learning leaders in the world so that we can learn from them as we each create our own journeys.
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Now displaying: January, 2021
Jan 25, 2021

Text LEARNERS to 44222 for more...

Full show notes at www.LearningLeader.com

Twitter/IG: @RyanHawk12

Rich Diviney Rich Diviney draws upon 20+ years of experience as a Navy SEAL Officer – with 11 deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He was the Commanding Officer of a Navy SEAL Command. Rich is is the author of The Attributes - 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance.

Notes:

  • The process to select Navy SEALs:
    • Rich created a program to effectively articulate why someone made it through SEAL training.
    • "It's not about training to be a Navy SEAL, it's about proving if you can be one."
    • "Skills are not inherent to our nature. They are learned."
  • Attributes are wired into our internal circuitry, always running in the background, dictating how we behave and react and perform. Attributes should not be confused with personality traits. A personality is built from patterns of behavior that emerge over an extended period of time. It’s an outward expression of all the things that make you you - your skills, habits, emotions, perspectives, and attributes all blended together.
  • What is optimal performance? "It's not a peak. It's doing the best you can, with what you have, in the moment."
  • What are some of the surprising attributes that helped or didn't?
    • Drive - Some of the most driven people weren't necessarily cut out to be a SEAL
    • The difference between Self-Discipline and Discipline:
      • Self-discipline is about controlling those things that the outside world has no say in.
      • Discipline is the ability to move through the challenges of the world.
    • Narcissism - Some of the benefits of it? From Rich: "Why did I want to be a Navy SEAL? I wanted to see if I could be a badass. I desired to standout and be admired. That's a little narcissism."
      • "However, extreme narcissism is awful. Excessive narcissists are rarely loyal-- loyalty requires trust and a sense of safety-- so their tribes are inherently unstable: Healthy members tend not to stay long, and new ones are let in only when they show the requisite deference. Those who do leave usually suffer a disproportionate amount of wrath from the person to whom they once deferred-- because defectors are considered enemies. The energy and effort of the highly narcissistic person will be used to prop up their fragile egos rather than to achieve shared objectives or serve a common purpose.”
  • Did he ever think about quitting during Hell week? "The training trains you to compartmentalize. You can't ever entertain that thought. You have to chunk things down to the moment. You're running around and saying, 'this sucks!' But you have to focus on just getting to the next berm. And then the next one. Think, 'what can I control right now?' And focus on your three foot world."
  • The highest performing people ask better questions:
    • Think: "What's the better question to ask right now?"
    • "What can I control right now?"
  • Introspection is vital. Why aren't we better at being introspective?
    • "Because we escape too much." We have devices to ensure we're never bored. Never lost in thought. On long car rides, children never have to look out the window anymore to pass the time. They have a device or a screen to watch.
      • You need to allow your brain space... Need to spend more time in our heads.
  • "Knowledge is not power. Applied knowledge is power."
  • Be decisive. Take action. "Decisions are final, but not permanent."
  • Be adaptable like a frog. Frogs have survived five extinction level events. "If you don't adapt you will become a dinosaur."
  • Rich has narrowed it down to 5 segments of attributes. They are: Grit, Mental Acuity, Drive, Leadership, and Teamability.
    • Grit - Beware of the fearless leader (Courage), Fall 7 times get up 8 (Perseverance), Be Like the frog (Adaptability), The Benefits of Little Tragedies (Resilience)
    • Mental Acuity -- The art of Vigilance (Situational Awareness), Wired for Efficiency (Compartmentalization), The Multitasking Myth (Task Switching), Forged in Plastic (Learnability)
    • Drive -- Mastering the Pivot (Self-Efficacy), The Self-Disciplined Loser (Discipline), A Fish Is the Last to Discover Water (Open-Mindedness), The Princess and the Dragon (Cunning), It’s All about Me (Narcissism)
    • Leadership -- No One Cares How You Feel (Empathy), If it Doesn’t Hurt, You’re Doing it Wrong (Selflessness), You Can’t Hide You (Authenticity), Many A False Step Is Made by Standing Still (Decisiveness), Don’t Be A Mediator (Accountability)
    • Teamability -- The Subjectivity of Right and Wrong (Integrity), There’s Always Something to Do (Conscientiousness), Play Black, Not Red (Humility), Honor The Class Clown (Humor)
Jan 18, 2021

Text LEARNERS to 44222 to join thousands of leaders of leaders from all over the world and read "Mindful Monday." A carefully curated email of the most useful leadership articles/books/video.

Full show notes at www.LearningLeader.com

Twitter/IG: @RyanHawk12

#402: Donald Miller - CEO of Business Made Simple

Notes:

  • The Characteristics of a Value Driven Professional:
    • “Value driven successful people see themselves as an economic product on the open market. They are obsessed with getting people a strong return on the investment made in them. People who are obsessed with being a good investment attract further investment and get to enjoy more personal economic value. When you offer greater economic value within the economic ecosystem, you are paid more, given more responsibility and promotions, and are sought after by customers looking for value. In business, your boss may really like you, but in large part, they see you as an economic investment. There is nothing wrong with that. So how do we become ridiculously successful? By making other people absurdly successful.”
      • "If you know how to make people money, you will make a lot of money."
    • They have a bias towards action - “There is one thing every successful person has in common: They have a bias towards action.” They don’t let ideas die on the vine. They take action to make those ideas happen. While others may have terrific ideas or be able to see an important issue from many angles, action-oriented people are good at getting things done.”
    • They see themselves as a hero, not a victim. Ask, “How often do you position yourself as a victim?” How often do you talk about yourself as though you are not in control of your life? Do you believe other people are responsible for your failures? Don was born in Texas and grew up poor. His dad left and never came back. His mom had to work long hours just to keep him and his sister alive. He told me, “The biggest transformation in my life happened when I stopped thinking of myself as a victim and started thinking of myself as the hero. I lost 150 pounds and became more in control of my life. If you’re always the victim, you’ll find that people get tired of carrying your load.”
    • They know feedback is a gift. They create an established routine in which they get feedback from their peers.
    • They are relentlessly optimistic - Staying optimistic, you dramatically increase the chances that at some point you will succeed. The more optimistic you are, the more willing you will be willing to try. Successful people fail all the time. The difference is their willingness to keep trying.
  • A story has four characters:
    • Victim - The victim is rescued by the hero. The victim makes the hero look good. It's a bit part.
    • Villian - A backstory of pain. The villian seeks vengeance.
    • Hero - Faces challenges, is focused, overcomes obstacles.
    • Guide - Older, sage, wise. Helps others win
  • "I remember when my biggest transformation happened. I realized that girls wanted to be with the hero, not the victim. I lost 150 pounds."
  • Taking action: "The magic is not in the thinking, it's in the doing."
  • Be a "delusional optimist." It's scientifically proven that people who believe they can do something accomplish more than those who don't.
  • What is a story?
    • "A character that overcomes conflict to try to accomplish something."
    • "Invite people to overcome an obstacle and solve a problem."
  • One piece of advice: "Be known for solving a problem." One problem.
  • We are all in sales. What is sales? "Clear articulation of how you can solve someone's problem."
  • How To Create a Mission Statement and Guiding Principles:
    • “The #1 job of a leader is to wake up every morning, point to the horizon, and let everybody on the team know where the organization is going.”
    • “The #2 job of a leader is to explain, in clear and simple terms, why the story of going to and arriving at that specific destination matters.”
    • "The #3 job of a leader is to analyze the skills and abilities of each team member and find them an important role to play in that story.”
  • In Don's personal guiding principles, his repeatable critical actions are: "get up early, you write, and you say, “after you.”  -- Those 3 critical actions establish a way of life that if repeated day in and day out ensures success.
  • Know how to attract people to your mission by telling your story. How do we do this? What’s the biggest mistake made? (Biggest mistake is telling their history, complete with bullet points and boring asides). Your history is not your story.
  • Here is a formula for a good, short mission statement: “We will accomplish ____________ by ___________ because of _________.
  • How To Be Productive -- Make Wise Daily Decisions - Every morning you ask yourself a simple question: “If this were the second time I were living this day, what would I do differently?”
  • Bill Gates is never late to a meeting. How does he ensure he’s always on time? He blocks his time
  • The StoryBrand methodology:
    • A character that wants something
    • The character encounters a problem
    • The character meets the guide
    • The guide gives the hero a plan
    • The guide calls the hero to action
  • When clarifying your marketing message, never position yourself as the hero. Always position yourself as the guide.
  • The Core Competencies that will immediately make or save the company money:
    • They are a clear and compelling leader - Align & inspire a team. Create a mission statement & guiding principles
    • They are personally productive - Mastered a specific system
    • They know how to clarify a message
    • They can sell - introduce products to qualified leads
    • They are great communicators - Give a speech that informs & inspires a team
    • They know how to run an execution system
Jan 11, 2021

Text LEARNERS to 44222 for more...

For full show notes go to www.LearningLeader.com

Twitter/IG: @RyanHawk12

David M. Rubenstein is a Co-Founder and Co-Executive Chairman of The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest and most successful private investment firms. Mr. Rubenstein co-founded the firm in 1987. Since then, Carlyle has grown into a firm managing $217 billion from 32 offices around the world.

Notes:

  • David is most interested in continuing to learn... He reads six newspapers per day and 100 books per year.
  • Your commencement is the beginning, not the end. "Keep your brain active, it's a muscle. It will atrophy without use."
  • David would give all of his money away to be one year younger...
  • Keys to happiness:
    • Thomas Jefferson said we all have the right to be in pursuit of happiness
    • "It's the most elusive thing in life."
    • Happiness is all about building meaningful relationships
  • The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis -- "JFK showed tremendous leadership to avert disaster. He strategically ignored Khrushchev's second letter and responded to the first one when making a deal to avoid nuclear war. David was in 9th grade at the time and that moment of leadership impacted him in a big way.
  • He worked in the White House for Jimmy Carter. "When I worked in the White House, everyone thought I was the smartest person in the world. When we lost and I didn't have a job anymore, nobody called, and nobody offered me a job."
  • Why leave his job as part of a big law firm?
    • "If you don't love what you do you can't be great at it."
  • Launching The Carlyle Group:
    • Raised $5m
    • Hired incredibly competent people
    • New idea: "I wanted to create a private equity one stop shop."
  • How did he hire well?
    • "I went after the best people I knew and sold them on why they should join me." What was said?
      • Convince them they will have responsibility
      • They will learn a lot
      • They will make more money
      • It will be enjoyable
  • What does David ask in interviews with candidates to hire?
    • "I want to learn mostly about what motivates them."
  • Must have qualities to work at The Carlyle Group:
    • Intelligent
    • Hard working
    • Get along well with others
    • Share credit
    • Effective communicator (both written and the spoken word)
    • Help others
    • Honest/High Integrity
  • Why start The Carlyle Group?
    • "I wanted to prove that my idea could work."
  • What created the success of the company?
    • "It was the luck of meeting great people... Like Bill Conway."
    • "Prior preparation prevents poor performance."
  • What are the keys to being a great interviewer?
    • Good listener
    • Enjoy it
    • Sublimate your ego - It's about the guest, not the interviewer proving how smart they are
  • Why does David like to interview so many people?
    • "My mother said it's because I'm a 'yenta.' I want to know everything."
  • Why own so many of our countries historical documents? (Magna Carta, Declaration of Independence)
    • "I want to remind people of our history."
  • He's one of the first 40 members of the giving pledge and plans to give ALL of his money away to charity.
  • Advice to a young college graduate:
    • Experiment, find things you enjoy
    • Share credit
    • Read a lot... Learn to speak in public
    • Become a skilled writer
    • Retain humility
  • What do most people say on their deathbed? They don't say, 'I wish I'd made more money.' What they say is, 'I wish I'd spent more time with my family and done more for society or my community.'
  • "Anybody who gives away money is mostly looking at things where they think they can make a difference. I'm trying to help people who helped me, educational institutions that helped me with scholarships, or organizations that were very useful to me in growing up."
Jan 4, 2021

Text LEARNERS to 44222 for more...

Full show notes at www.LearningLeader.com

Twitter/IG: @RyanHawk12

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #400 with Keith Hawk & AJ Hawk

Notes:

  • I sourced questions from members of my Leadership Circle, friends, listeners, and colleagues for this episode...
  • How does Keith continue to feel impactful after retirement?
    • KH: "It's like I have a paper route. I work a little bit in the mornings, get my work done, and then I can go have fun with my friends. I work on a few boards, do voice over work, and know how to hit the post."
  • What has AJ learned from working with Pat McAfee?
    • "I learned to trust my instincts and not try to be somebody I'm not."
  • What's the best way to make introductions? AJ: "Text (message) intros are so much better. They are more personal."
  • From Leadership Circle member, Amanda Wilson: "What habit do you admire the most in each other/best attribute?"
    • Pistol about AJ: "He's an unbelievable teammate. He has earned the respect of all his peers. I respect his intensity to prepare."
    • Pistol about Ryan: "A huge preparation guy. His focus on other people. He has more of an outer focus now. And a huge intensity around growth." "Gotta change, Gotta grow."
    • AJ about Pistol: Consistency. He wakes up early. I never saw him asleep. He never made us do anything. I want to live up to that standard. I don't want my kids to see me asleep. And universally, everyone loves him."
    • AJ about Ryan: "You're a mini-version of Pistol with your consistency. So detail oriented. Such a leader and not afraid to hold people accountable. People have confidence that you'll take them where they want to go."
    • Ryan about Pistol: Absolute selflessness. Reminds me of my wife, Miranda. A willingness to always help others succeed and will do anything for them.
    • Ryan about AJ: A relentless work ethic. A drive to be there for the people who depend on him. Whenever I talk with teammates of AJ, they all say the same thing, "That's my guy. I know he'll be where he's supposed to be when he's supposed to be there. I can depend on him." He shows up to work everyday and gets it done.
  • Being selfless: Pistol - "My success is better and richer if it follows other people's success."
  • From Jeff Leung (Sr. Engineer at Facebook): "As the father of two young boys, I would love to hear how you and your brother AJ grew up in a way that you cheer for each other more than compete?"
    • A mutual love and respect for each others work. An appreciation for what the other does.
  • From Doug Meyer, Co-Founder/CEO of Brixey & Meyer: "What was your reaction when you heard Ryan was  leaving a high paying job at a large company to take a substantial pay cut to start a Leadership Advisory practice at Brixey & Meyer?"
    • Pistol: "Joy, fun, fulfillment. I was so excited for him."
    • AJ: "Of course. He's gonna kill it."
  • Give an example how you handled when one of your kids wanted to do something but you thought it was a mistake?
    • "When Ryan was at Miami, I probably pushed him too hard to transfer so that he would get another shot to be a starting QB after losing the job to Ben Roethlisberger. I sometimes have thoughts that he could have moved positions and become Julian Edelman."
  • From Nate DeMars (Founder/Owner of Pursuit) - "You guys have all moved onto what I guess you could consider second careers recently… How do you approach starting over as a novice in a new field?"
    • "There is no excuse to not learn everything about what you want to do. There is so much out there to read and watch and people to talk to. If you don't learn it, it's your fault."
    • Find something you care about, that you're passionate about, and pursue that.
    • "Deal with imposter syndrome when you're new. There's never been a better time to learn something new."
  • Life experiences that have shaped you. Pistol, what experiences shaped AJ/Ryan?
    • Playing for the legendary Bob Gregg and Ron Ullery. They molded you and helped you:
      • Faced the requirement to prepare a lot
      • Learned how to be a great teammate
      • Learned to compete hard
      • Learned to take tough, critical feedback, became coachable
      • Learned how to be a leader
  • How to deal with great teammates, but bad coaches?
    • AJ: "It doesn't help to complain and be negative. Be quiet. Do your job."
    • And strive to learn from those who aren't good at their job so that you don't repeat what they do.
    • The Rex Caswell exercise: When you're new, write in a journal in two columns. One is for the great actions of your boss and the other is for the not helpful behaviors. Keep it with you and review it as you continue to get promoted.
    • Pistol: "Wrap yourself in the mission. Don't wrap yourself in negativity."
      • "It's the duty of the leader to be in a good mood."
  • We conducted our first draft. The topic: Our favorite sports movies (listen to hear who we picked).
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