In 'Newsjacking', David Meerman Scott explores the concept of leveraging breaking news to gain media attention. The book provides strategies for quickly integrating your ideas into ongoing news stories, thereby becoming a part of the narrative. It emphasizes the importance of timing and creativity in achieving successful newsjacking.
In 'The 48 Laws of Power', Robert Greene and Joost Elffers synthesize three thousand years of the history of power into 48 laws. These laws are derived from the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, and Carl Von Clausewitz, as well as the lives of influential figures such as Henry Kissinger and P.T. Barnum. The book provides tactics, concepts, and lessons on how to achieve and maintain power, emphasizing prudence, confidence, and self-preservation. Each law is illustrated with historical examples and is designed to help readers understand and navigate the dynamics of power in various aspects of life, including work, social hierarchies, and politics.
In 'Trust Me, I'm Lying,' Ryan Holiday exposes the inner workings of the online media system, detailing how rumors and false information can quickly spread from low-level blogs to major news outlets. The book highlights the role of marketers and media manipulators in this process, driven by the toxic economics of the news business. Holiday shares his own experiences as a media manipulator and provides insights into the social science behind why this system is so vulnerable to manipulation. He also offers advice on how to spot and combat these manipulative tactics[1][3][5].
In 'The Obstacle Is the Way', Ryan Holiday presents a framework for turning obstacles into successes. Drawing from the philosophy of Stoicism and the writings of Marcus Aurelius, Holiday outlines three disciplines: perception, action, and will. He illustrates these principles with historical anecdotes from figures such as John D. Rockefeller, Amelia Earhart, Ulysses S. Grant, and Steve Jobs. The book emphasizes the importance of perception in shaping one's response to obstacles, the need for intentional and creative action, and the cultivation of will to persist through challenges. Holiday argues that by adopting these Stoic principles, individuals can transform their obstacles into opportunities for growth and success.
Episode 088: Ryan Holiday – How To Find The Best Mentor & Viewing Obstacles As Opportunities
Ryan Holiday is a fascinating thinker. I appreciate his stories and the manner in which he views the world. This conversation was entertaining and educational. Ryan is an incredibly interesting person. During our time together, Ryan talked about stoicism and why he’s fascinated by it as well as you should be willing to work for free (as long as it’s for the right person).
Ryan Holiday is a media strategist and prominent writer on strategy and business. After dropping out of college at nineteen to apprentice under Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power, he went on to advise many bestselling authors and multiplatinum musicians. He served as director of marketing at American Apparel for many years, where his campaigns have been used as case studies by Twitter, YouTube, and Google and written about in AdAge, the New York Times, and Fast Company.
His most recent book, “The Obstacle Is The Way” is based on the Stoic exercise of framing obstacles as opportunities. The book has sold more than 100,000 copies and was reportedly read by the New England Patriots during their 2014 Super Bowl Victory over the Seattle Seahawks as well as distributed through the locker room of the Seahawks in the following offseason by the team's front office.
Episode 088: Ryan Holiday
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“The best leaders are process oriented… Not results oriented. They are focused on doing great work more than on acquiring lots of money.”
The Learning Leader Show
Some Questions I Ask:
- What are the common characteristics of leaders who have sustained excellence?
- Why should we be willing to work for free?
- Why was it the right decision for Amelia Earhart to knowingly be paid less than her male counterparts?
- What did you learn working for Robert Green?
- Why don’t you like the title for your first book, “Trust Me, I’m Lying?”
- How do you “trade up the chain?”
- What is the proper strategy for your first book?
- What specific changes have you made to grow your following?
- What is your process for writing?
- Define a great learning leader…
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- The importance on being process oriented rather than results oriented
- Why working for a fantastic mentor will massively accelerate your success
- Austin Kleon – “Say yes, until you can afford to say no”
- Why using a job as a journalist as a great excuse to interview people
- Stoicism is an ancient Greek school of philosophy. The school taught that virtue, the highest good, is based on knowledge, and that the wise live in harmony with the divine Reason (also identified with Fate and Providence) that governs nature, and are indifferent to the vicissitudes of fortune and to pleasure and pain.
- A very interesting Amelia Earhart story
- Why continuous learning is the key to success
“An hour of Sheryl Sandberg’s time is hard to quantify. It is so valuable.”
Continue Learning:
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Episode 034: Jimmy Hatch – Shot While Searching For Bowe Bergdahl And Sky Diving With Gabby Giffords
Episode 004: How Todd Wagner (and Mark Cuban) Sold Broadcast.com To Yahoo! For $5.7 Billion
Episode 010: Shane Snow – How To Accelerate Success Using Smart Cuts
Did you enjoy the podcast?
This was a jam packed episode full of great content. Ryan Holiday is a leader who leads an very interesting life. Who do you know that needs to hear this? Send them to The Learning Leader Show!
Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell
Bio From RyanHoliday.net
Ryan Holiday is a media strategist and prominent writer on strategy and business. After dropping out of college at nineteen to apprentice under Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power, he went on to advise many bestselling authors and multiplatinum musicians. He served as director of marketing at American Apparel for many years, where his campaigns have been used as case studies by Twitter, YouTube, and Google and written about in AdAge, the New York Times, and Fast Company. His most recent book, “The Obstacle Is The Way” is based on the Stoic exercise of framing obstacles as opportunities. The book has sold more than 100,000 copies and was reportedly read by the New England Patriots during their 2014 Super Bowl Victory over the Seattle Seahawks as well as distributed through the locker room of the Seahawks in the following offseason by the team's front office.
His first book, Trust Me I’m Lying—which the Financial Times called an “astonishing, disturbing book”—was a debut bestseller and is taught in colleges around the world. He is the author of two other books and is now published in 16 languages.
The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk 
