600: Keith Hawk & AJ Hawk - Setting The Standard, Failure Stories, Taking Ownership, Giving Great Keynotes, & What The Great Teams Do Differently From The Good Ones
Sep 15, 2024
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Keith Hawk, an accomplished speaker, and AJ Hawk, a former football player turned commentator, share their insights on leadership and effective public speaking. They discuss the importance of raising expectations for others and the art of preparing for a keynote speech, emphasizing audience engagement. The duo explores what sets great teams apart from the good, focusing on camaraderie and accountability. They also reflect on personal failures that fueled their growth and the value of storytelling in connecting with an audience.
Commitment in leadership is crucial, as it fosters an environment where individuals feel empowered to pursue greater goals and aspirations.
Strong mentorship is fundamental in shaping leaders, and those who demonstrate genuine care significantly impact their team's success and growth.
Effective keynote speeches rely on preparation strategies like using a set list and practicing storytelling rather than rigid scripting for a natural delivery.
Great teams excel due to camaraderie and shared experiences, emphasizing collective success over individual accolades, fostering trust and accountability.
Deep dives
The Significance of Commitment and Leadership
The episode emphasizes the importance of commitment in leadership, highlighting that a strong commitment level, rated at 600, signifies a dedication to growth and effectiveness as a leader. This rating serves as a reminder to continually evaluate the impact of leadership on both individuals and teams. The conversation encourages listeners to strive to be better leaders by pushing their boundaries and supporting those around them. By fostering a culture of commitment, leaders can inspire others to pursue greater goals.
Personal Stories of Leadership
The hosts share impactful personal stories about influential leaders in their lives, reflecting on lessons learned from these experiences. These anecdotes underline the importance of mentorship and the significant role that strong leadership plays in shaping individuals. They also highlight that the leaders who affect them most are those who demonstrate great care, understanding, and commitment to their team members. These stories draw attention to the qualities that define exceptional leaders.
Preparation for Keynote Speaking
The discussion transitions into the art of giving effective keynote speeches, revealing preparation strategies each host employs. They suggest using a 'set list' to outline key points rather than scripting every word, allowing for a more natural delivery. Recording practice speeches and reviewing them can enhance confidence and content retention. This flexible approach promotes a storytelling technique that engages audiences more effectively than rigid scripting.
Understanding the Magic Behind the Pat McAfee Show
Listeners gain insight into the dynamic of the popular Pat McAfee show, with emphasis placed on the authentic interactions and chemistry among the cast. The hosts emphasize the show's ability to connect with its audience while maintaining a light-hearted yet impactful tone. It is highlighted that the combination of Pat's charisma and the cast's willingness to be themselves contributes to the show's massive success. This authenticity resonates with viewers, making them feel a part of the ongoing conversations.
The Difference Between Good and Great Teams
A key discussion point centers around the attributes that differentiate great teams from average ones. It is suggested that camaraderie and shared experiences outside of practice contribute significantly to team cohesion. Teams that bond and enjoy each other’s company tend to perform better, as they nurture trust and accountability. Additionally, the speakers indicate that great teams maintain a focus on collective success rather than individual accolades.
Resilience Through Failure
The episode includes reflections on personal failure, where hosts share experiences of overcoming challenges and learning from mistakes. They emphasize that resilience is key to bouncing back and that failures should be viewed as opportunities for growth. Each story illustrates how setbacks can lead to stronger character and motivation to improve. This discussion encourages listeners to embrace failure as a necessary part of the journey to success.
Drafting the Ultimate Escape on a Deserted Island
In a light-hearted segment, the hosts engage in a fun draft to select TV shows they would want on their iPads while stranded on a deserted island. Participants choose shows based on criteria such as the number of episodes and personal enjoyment, sparking fun debates about iconic series. The selections range from comedies like 'The Office' to thrilling dramas like 'The Sopranos.' This whimsical segment showcases their personalities and preferences in entertainment while tying back to themes of creativity and choice.
We are celebrating episode #600 with Keith Hawk and AJ Hawk
Tell a story about an awesome leader you worked with...
Ron Ullery –I’m a firm believer that people either live up to or down to your expectations. And most people set their expectations for themselves too low. So it’s on you as a leader to raise those expectations for them. Demand more because you know they can do more.
Tyler Cowen– The high return activity of raising others’ aspirations. Encouraged someone who was going for an MBA to get a Phd.At critical moments in time, you can raise the aspirations of other people significantly, especially when they are relatively young, simply by suggesting they do something better or more ambitious than what they might have in mind. It costs you relatively little to do this, but the benefit to them, and to the broader world, may be enormous.
What helps you give a great speech? How do you prepare?
Ask, "What do I want my audience to do after seeing my speech?" Interview members of their team. Learn their terminology, challenges, what's going well, what's not, what are their goals, etc...
Practice, practice, practice. Say it out loud. Rehearse so that once you're on stage, you can let it rip.
What did the best teams you’ve been on do differently than the average teams?
The best players on the best teams always practiced the hardest. They set the tone for the work ethic of the team. They chose extra work. They set high standards and they demanded others raise their level of performance.
The best teams hung out together outside of work. AJ was a Captain of the Green Bay Packers Super Bowl-winning team in 2010-2011... That team regularly hung out together outside of working hours, shared lots of meals, and knew each other extremely well. They trusted each other.
Tell a story about how you’ve shown resilience… Failed and what did you do next?
The Miami/Ben Roethlisberger story - The world doesn't care what you think you deserve. The primary goal is focused on adding value to others' lives.
AJ shared a story from his sophomore year at Ohio State. His defensive coordinator, Coach Mark Dantonio sat with him 1 on 1 watching each play of the Michigan game. A day he’ll never forget for how hard it was, how upset he was, and how determined he was to respond. AJ never lost to Michigan again in his career after that.
Pistol shared a story about the time when the new CEO wanted to bring in his own head of sales (which was Pistol's job). Instead of complaining and leaving the company, he got creative and offered a new idea and a great way to leverage all the skills and knowledge he developed from being at the company for so long. It is amazingly rare for the head of sales to stay at a company after he’s been replaced. But he thrived in the role and made the company better.
Front line obsession – Pistol’s story of the legendary Mert McGill going to the Supreme Court to demo LexisNexis and earning the most important sale in the company's history. I love stories about leaders proactively taking action and not being afraid to do the work.
Update since Episode #500:
Built the Learning Leader Team -- Officially working full-time with Sherri Coale, Brook Cupps, Geron Stokes, and Eli Leiker. We are working with leaders from a wide variety of companies throughout the U.S.
The magic of the Pat McAfee Show -- They are unafraid. They say what others are thinking but are too afraid to say. They are authentic and fully themselves. They have great role clarity. Everyone knows and embraces their roles and excels at them.
The End of the Podcast Draft – You’re stranded on a deserted island. You have one iPad. On that iPad has 5 TV shows (and nothing else). Which shows do you choose? This is a competition with a clear winner and losers. The object is to win the draft.
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