The Power of a Single Question

Today's teacher is legendary journalist Cal Fussman. Whether you're trying to get your first job or you're leading a large company, your ability to authentically connect with others is one of the most important skills to cultivate. To help us explore this topic, we tracked down Cal, a world-renowned interviewer and storyteller. From his time at Esquire to his podcast, Big Questions, Cal has interviewed nearly every prolific figure imaginable: business icons like Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson, actors including Robert De Niro and Clint Eastwood, sports figures like Muhammad Ali and Serena Williams, and world leaders including several U.S. presidents. 

Today, we turn the tables on Cal, putting him in the hot seat that he's accustomed to preserving for his guests, to hear what he's learned from interviewing so many exceptional people, why human connections matter so much, and how we can get better at making them ourselves. Please enjoy our class with Cal Fussman.

Connect & Lead Through Storytelling: Calfussman.com

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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Show Notes

(00:04:25) - (First question) - How it all started for Cal 

(00:12:20) - Aiming for the heart; how to successfully engage individuals

(00:20:55) - The Mikhail Gorbachev story

(00:28:52) - Examples of other renowned storytellers that Cal has interviewed

(00:32:15) - Shared traits among exceptional individuals that lead to greatness

(00:38:18) - Stories of individuals that exemplify resilience and overcoming hardship

(00:44:09) - A story about Nely Galán

(00:52:22) - A not commonly known fact about the Martin Luther King “I have a dream” speech 

(00:57:27) - How to navigate modern society when building authentic human connections has become more challenging

(01:00:49) - Lessons learned from Cal’s friendship with Larry King

(01:06:47) - Cal shares his experiences and insights gained from interactions with Muhammad Ali