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Full show notes at www.LearningLeader.com

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

#383: Guy Raz - How I Built This

• Excellence =
  • Ambition
  • Desire to produce for the sake of personal fulfillment -- "It's oxygen"
  • Bill Gates is constantly challenging himself... Having a growth mindset. "To survive means to grow."
• How has Guy become one of the greatest interviewers in the world?
  • "I've been shooting free throws for 25 years. I've gotten a lot of reps." To be great, you have to be bad at the beginning... And keep going.
• How to connect with others? "I interpret the non-verbal feedback."
• Purposeful Practice:
  • It's a team effort -- "I've worked with my team for twenty years. There is a strong bond and connection. They are very honest with their feedback. Constructive criticism is essential. We need outsiders to assess us."
• Guy thanks his mom and dad in the acknowledgement section of his book:
  • They came to America in the 1970's. "Being courageous requires resilience."
  • Guy has covered four wars, but he still doesn't feel he's as courageous as his parents.
  • "Without taking a risk there is no reward."
  • When Guy is afraid to take a risk, he thinks of his parents.
• How his fellowship year at Harvard impacted him: They teach through case studies and stories. It helped him understand business and storytelling.
• Guy is inspired by Joseph Campbell's hero's journey...
• His 'Must-Have' qualities to get hired to work on his team:
  • Kindness - "We filter for kindness"
  • They have to "want to improve"
• How Guy prepares to interview someone for one of his shows:
  • Contact them well ahead of the interview date
  • Do a deep dive on them and people around them (read, watch videos, listen to podcasts)
  • Do a background check
  • "All of us are imperfect... That's what make someone relatable. We all have flaws. You need to hear the failures."
    • "The interviewee must be generous with their emotions.
  • "The idea that I can learn from someone excites me."
  • "I love transmitting the story."
• The idea for How I Built This came to him in 2008 when he took a class at Harvard Business School during a sabbatical year as a Nieman journalism fellow after nearly eight years as a foreign correspondent.
• Guy demands that those who sit for an interview with him are completely open. “I ask them, ‘Are you willing to come to this interview and surrender?’”
• Guy stared as an NPR intern and didn't get the initial jobs he wanted...
• I asked... "How much of your success can be attributed to luck and how much skill/hard work?"
• Life advice:
  • Get a job in sales -- All jobs have a selling component. Learn this crucial skill.
  • Be methodical about your experiences.
  • Keep your eyes open for problems all around you... Look for problems to solve. All businesses are built on solving a problem.