#185 Becoming Remarkable with Guy Kawasaki, Author and Chief Evangelist at Canva
Feb 26, 2024
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Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist at Canva and author known for his insights into technology and entrepreneurship, discusses the journey to becoming remarkable. He emphasizes growth, grit, and grace as essential components of success. Kawasaki shares his thoughts on lifelong learning and encourages exploring interests rather than fixating on a single passion. He also addresses the importance of addressing user pain in business innovation and highlights overcoming imposter syndrome while setting meaningful goals. This engaging conversation inspires listeners to embrace vulnerability and strive for a positive impact.
Remarkable people progress through stages of growth, grit, and grace to create a positive impact.
Developing a growth mindset involves continuous learning and embracing new experiences for personal development.
Understanding imposter syndrome as a common phenomenon and learning from failures foster personal growth.
Effective managers encourage growth by recognizing progress, fostering diversity, and appreciating employees' efforts.
Success in becoming remarkable is subjective, requiring resilience, quantifiable goals, and supportive environments for motivation.
Achieving work-life balance involves sacrifices, focusing on personal values, and promoting diversity in a supportive workplace culture.
Deep dives
Becoming Remarkable Through Making a Difference
Being remarkable involves making a difference in the world by contributing to society. You don't need to be a famous figure like Steve Jobs or Jane Goodall to be remarkable. It's about creating a positive impact, whether for one person, a team, or a community. Guy Kawasaki emphasizes that remarkable individuals progress through stages of growth, from self-centered pursuits to a focus on leaving a lasting positive impact.
Framework for Remarkable Growth, Grit, and Grace
Guy Kawasaki advocates for a framework based on growth, grit, and grace to achieve remarkableness. Growth involves acquiring skills and passions, while grit emphasizes hard work and perseverance. Grace signifies giving back and contributing positively after achieving success. This holistic approach aligns personal development with making a difference in the world.
Embracing a Growth Mindset and Trying New Experiences
Developing a growth mindset, as advocated by psychologist Carol Dweck, is crucial for personal growth and overcoming challenges. Embracing new experiences, even later in life, is key to continuous learning and growth. Guy Kawasaki's example of taking up ice hockey at 44 and surfing at 60 underscores the importance of trying new things regardless of age or perceived limitations.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Encouraging Vulnerability
Addressing imposter syndrome involves understanding it as a common psychological phenomenon and recognizing one's accomplishments. Encouraging vulnerability and learning through failures can foster personal growth. The concept of 'fake it till you make it' is about taking risks and challenges, not about misleading others or engaging in deceit.
Supportive Management for Employee Growth
Effective managers hire individuals who excel beyond their own abilities and create an environment that fosters growth and learning. Recognizing and appreciating employees' progress is essential in encouraging personal and professional development. Encouraging diversity and inclusion in the workplace enhances creativity and innovation among teams.
Measuring Success and Individual Progress
Success and progress in becoming remarkable are subjective and personal. It is essential to reflect on personal achievements and their impact on others. Understanding that making a difference is a lifelong journey rather than a short-term goal helps in tracking individual growth and success.
Sustaining Motivation and Overcoming Setbacks
Maintaining motivation in the pursuit of becoming remarkable requires resilience and perseverance. Overcoming setbacks involves embracing vulnerability, preparing for challenges, and recognizing the value of failures in the learning process. Setting quantifiable goals, appreciating progress, and surrounding oneself with supportive individuals help in sustaining motivation.
Balancing Work and Personal Growth
Achieving work-life balance may not be realistic during certain stages of pursuing remarkableness. Understanding that sacrifices and intensive efforts are often required in personal and professional growth journeys. Focusing on personal values, growth opportunities, and supporting others in their development are essential elements in achieving a fulfilling work-life balance.
Encouraging Diversity and Inclusion to Foster Growth
Promoting a culture of diversity and inclusion in the workplace is crucial for fostering creativity, innovation, and personal growth. Embracing different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences among team members enriches collaboration and problem-solving. Encouraging individuals to contribute to a more inclusive environment is key to personal and organizational growth.
Recognizing and Motivating Remarkable Efforts
Acknowledging and appreciating exceptional work and personal growth efforts is fundamental in encouraging individuals to thrive and become remarkable. Setting a culture of appreciation, celebrating achievements, and providing constructive feedback help in motivating and inspiring continued growth and progress.
Embracing Hard Work, Growth, and Well-Being
Overcoming challenges and embracing hard work, personal growth, and well-being contribute to becoming remarkable. Setting meaningful goals, appreciating progress, and balancing personal and professional aspirations are key components in the journey towards remarkable achievements. Engaging in continuous learning, taking calculated risks, and supporting others in their growth processes lead to personal fulfillment and remarkable contributions.
Remarkable people walk among us. Some of us may be remarkable ourselves. But none of us start out remarkable. The journey to becoming a person that makes a difference in the world is never easy, as with any story that includes a hero, there are struggles, tests and moments of self-doubt. Remarkable people overcome these feats, and when they are in a position to, they give back. But what kind of mindset do these people have, how do they make decisions? What keeps them on their path towards becoming remarkable.
Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva and the creator of Guy Kawasaki’s Remarkable People podcast. He is an executive fellow of the Haas School of Business (UC Berkeley), and adjunct professor of the University of New South Wales. He was the chief evangelist of Apple and a trustee of the Wikimedia Foundation. He has written Wise Guy, The Art of the Start 2.0, The Art of Social Media, Enchantment, and eleven other books. Kawasaki has a BA from Stanford University, an MBA from UCLA, and an honorary doctorate from Babson College.
In the episode, Richie and Guy explore the concept of being remarkable, growth, grit and grace, the importance of experiential learning, imposter syndrome, finding your passion, how to network and find remarkable people, dealing with failure, management and encouraging growth, work-life balance, measuring success through benevolent impact and much more.
