The Greatness Machine

What does it take to be a successful Navy SEAL or entrepreneur? And how does one learn from the other? Surprisingly, entrepreneurs are no different from special operators. Just like in the Navy SEAL, entrepreneurship requires good leadership with the ability to plan, execute, and be methodical. Both require unyielding perseverance, regulation, and belief in the mission and vision.  Larry Yatch, a ten-year US Navy SEAL-turned-elite leadership strategist, has been helping senior executives optimize their personal growth and leadership strategy for superior performance. Through his book, How Leadership (Actually) Works: A Navy Seal’s Complete System For Coordinating Teams, he shares his six-pillar system that companies can use to achieve success. In this episode, Darius and Larry discuss the similarities and differences between special operators and entrepreneurs. They also talk about self-regulation, self-fulfillment, leadership, core values, confidence, ambition, and a lot more! Topics include: What inspired Larry to join the military How Larry found out about Navy SEALs in 7th grade Larry looks back at his 10-year experience as a Navy SEAL Self-regulation as a key to succeed The similarities between Navy SEALs and entrepreneurs What “hungry ghost” teach us about fulfillment How Larry led the largest Special Operations in US history What motivated Larry to start his company, SEAL Team Leaders Larry explains his book, How Leadership (Actually) Works  The benefits of values-based leadership Defining the line between ego and confidence The two tools Larry leverages for his company What separates those who want to be better from those who actually become better And other topics… Connect with Larry: Website: https://www.sealteamleaders.com/  Book: https://www.howleadershipactuallyworks.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-yatch  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larryyatch/?hl=en  Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What makes a good story? Good stories create a sense of connection and are easy to understand. They are delivered with calm confidence and keep the audience interested and engaged. The best storytellers are those who get personal and know how to incorporate their own experiences into the story.  Just like in business, good leaders share their knowledge and personal story to build trust and loyalty between themselves and their team members. With stories, leaders can be more authentic and relatable to their employees, forging deeper connections.  Stephanie Paul gives a sneak peek into her new book, Unlock the Magic of Story: How to Use Neuroscience Secrets to Engage and Influence Any Audience, where she shares tried-and-true proven techniques on why story and humor are such powerful tools in captivating and influencing an audience. In this episode, Darius and Stephanie discuss the differences between working in the entertainment world and the business industry. They also tackle the power of storytelling and why great leaders need to be great storytellers. Topics include: How Stephanie started in the performing arts at a young age Stephanie looks back on her experiences in the modeling business  How she got her start as a professional actress What it was like being a foreign actress in an American film What Stephanie realized when she shifted from entertainment to business Stephanie talks about her new book, Unlock the Magic of Story The importance of communication in effective leadership Storytelling as a form of mediation Stephanie spills her craziest experience in the entertainment industry And other topics… Connect with Stephanie: Website: https://stephaniepaulinc.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniepaulinc/ Free Gift: https://stephaniepaulinc.com/powerfulgift/  Book: https://www.amazon.com/Unlock-Magic-Story-Neuroscience-Influence/dp/B09XZZ2QZG  Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Negotiating anything in life can make even the most socially robust entrepreneurs break out in cold sweats. Many of us are not born with negotiation skills but have to learn how to persuade our audience to be on our side. Learning excellent negotiation skills can take your career to the next level by negotiating a significant raise at your annual performance review. Negotiating a raise is so much easier than negotiating hostage situations like our next guest has while working with the FBI. In this episode, we talk to Chris Voss, also known as “The Master Negotiator.” Chris retired as the lead international kidnapping negotiator for the FBI, is the CEO of the Black Swan Group, and is the author of the national bestseller Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on It, which was one of Darius’s favorite books.   Drawing on his FBI experiences where the stakes are high, Chris Voss’s company, The Black Swan Group, specializes in solving business communication problems using hostage negotiation solutions. Their negotiation methodology focuses on discovering the “black swans,” small pieces of information that have a huge effect on an outcome. The biggest surprise is learning the tactics behind negotiating a business deal are very similar to negotiating with a barricaded gunman for the lives of hostages.   Don’t miss this thrilling episode! What Darius discusses with Chris Voss: How to be an effective negotiator for anything.   How information gathering can give you an edge in the negotiation game. What it takes to subtly convince someone to have it your way. What small things make the biggest impact in negotiations.   How to diffuse a situation by calling out the negative.   How emotions drive human behavior, not logic. The Black Swan Rule: Treat others not the way you want to be treated but the way they want to be treated. Common mistakes in negotiating. Why you are 31% smarter with a positive mindset. Why curiosity is a superpower.   How to make the gunman feel empathy for you! Chris talks about his book Never Split the Difference Connect with Chris: Website: https://www.blackswanltd.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophervoss/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefbinegotiator/?hl=en  Book: https://www.amazon.com/Never-Split-Difference-Negotiating-Depended/dp/0062407805  Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s holding you back? What’s stopping you from achieving the life you have always wanted? Unfortunately, many people experience regret for the things they never did. Perhaps they rejected a wonderful job offer, passed up an opportunity to expand their business, or missed the chance to travel the world.  While there are plenty of reasons for missed opportunities, choosing to live a life in a box is what stops most people from dreaming big dreams.  Today, I am flying solo to talk about how constraints and limitations affect our way of life, how we see ourselves, and how they hold us back from becoming the best version of ourselves. I will also talk about my personal journey of finding success after removing the constraints I previously put around myself.  In this episode, I will discuss the benefits of having a no-constraints mindset and how it taught me to raise the bar higher every time I reach a goal without beating myself up.  Topics include: Breaking free from constraints The one thing that stops people from reaching their full potential The effects of having a no-constraints mindset What I achieved when I started living without constraints The two things I put no constraints around And other topics… Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leadership provides a shared vision that inspires and pushes people in the right direction. A good leader is someone who communicates the policies, eliminates biases and stereotypes, builds confidence, and provides a safe work environment for the members to learn and share their ideas. A good leader understands generational differences and can engage diverse generations in the workplace. After all, great results can be achieved when individual members respect their differences in perspective and learn from each other’s ability to solve problems. Tim Elmore, who is the founder and CEO of Growing Leaders, was listed in the Top 100 Leadership Speakers in America by Inc. magazine. He has written over 35 books, including the best-selling Habitudes: Images That Form Leadership Habits and Attitudes, and is now set to launch his new book titled, A New Kind of Diversity. In this episode, Darius and Tim talk about the impact of generational differences on leadership styles. They also discuss reverse mentoring and how it helps in crossing generational divides in the workplace.  Topics include: What inspired Tim to write his first book at 24 years old What got Tim into teaching and leadership Founding Growing Leaders in 2003 Tim shared his experience working with Dr. John C. Maxwell Leadership by serving and solving problems Leadership metaphors and analogies Why core values are important in corporate culture Understanding the impact of the generational gap Definition of reverse mentoring and how it works Tim gives a sneak peek into his book A New Kind of Diversity coming out next month And other topics… Connect with Tim: Growing Leaders: https://growingleaders.com/  Website: https://www.timelmore.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothyelmore  Twitter: https://twitter.com/timelmore  New Diversity Book: https://www.maxwellleadership.com/nkd Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you giving yourself the gift of dreaming? Or are you only grinding hard towards your goals? Many people think that dreams will take you nowhere unless you embrace the grind and take action towards achieving them. However, they allow you to see the future with optimism and to see what’s impossible become possible.  Today, I am flying solo to talk about dreams and goals and their big differences, how they affect our disposition towards success, and what it means to allow ourselves to just dream and stop beating ourselves up when things don’t turn out right. In this episode, I will discuss what Ed Mylett’s book The Power of One More made me realize about my dreams and goals. I will also talk about my motivation for starting my podcast, The Greatness Machine, and what I aspire to achieve for the show.  Topics include: The key difference between dreams and goals The realizations I got after reading The Power of One More by Ed Mylett Why I decided to start The Greatness Machine podcast Why you need to give yourself the gift of dreaming And other topics… Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unconscious leaders are expert decision-makers and have a clear vision of what they want to achieve regardless of how their decisions or behavior can affect others. They tend to focus on the external environment and are driven by their emotional responses. Conscious leaders, on the other hand, are those who lead with full awareness, authenticity, intentionality and hold themselves accountable. Rather than focusing on oneself, conscious leadership underlines the purpose of the organization as a whole. Nathanael Chawkin, founder and CEO of Palæstra Leadership, takes us back to when he learned about conscious leadership and how his parents played a vital role in introducing him to meditation and consciousness. He also talks about his work with Palæstra Leadership, where he specializes in transforming organizational culture by coaching executive dynamics.  In this episode, Darius and Nathanael discuss the impact of conscious leadership in an organization, the benefits of meditation, the differences between spirituality and religion, and it is important for a leader to have a greater purpose. Topics include: Nathanael looks back on how he started conscious leadership How Nathanael started working for the Stagen Leadership Academy What is conscious leadership, and why it is important How Nathanael started meditating at a young age Understanding spirituality and religion Why it matters to have a higher purpose as a leader The benefits of higher intelligence in humans The importance of self-knowledge  Palæstra Leadership and what it offers Nathanael talks about Awakening Leadership and their upcoming plant medicine retreat in Costa Rica And other topics… Resources mentioned: How To Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan: https://www.amazon.com/Change-Your-Mind-Consciousness-Transcendence/dp/1594204225  Connect with Nathanael: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanael.chawkin/?hl=en  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nchawkin/  Palæstra Leadership: https://www.thepalaestra.com/  Awakening Leadership: https://awakeningleadership.org/  Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot can change in just a couple short years….your dreams may be just around the corner! These changes, whether they are good or bad, can happen in a blink of an eye. It may seem like every day is the same, but when you look back, everything is different from how it used to be, and you are different from who you used to be.  Change offers new opportunities and experiences. It keeps life exciting and ensures that bad situations don’t last. It helps you move on, stay focused, and helps shape you. After all, progress is impossible without change. Today, I am flying solo to share my realization after reading a book called The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl, where he shared behind-the-scene stories of his musical life as a singer, guitarist, songwriter, drummer, and record producer. In this episode, I will discuss why it matters to seek and embrace change. I will also reveal what motivated me to step down from my position as a CEO after building a company from zero to a nine-figure organization and what has changed since then.  Topics include: Dave Grohl’s book The Storyteller and the realization I got from it I look back at where I was three, six, nine, twelve, fifteen, eighteen, and even twenty-one years ago and how different each three-year period was from the next. Why I decided to quit my nine-figure company The inevitability of change How to thrive when dealing with change The importance of reflecting on your life and career And other topics… Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Darius and Phil discuss wide-ranging topics such as microeconomics, capital markets, consumerism, inflation, automation, population growth, US economic forecast, and much more.  Topics include: Understanding capital markets What is exponential growth, and why it matters Effects of asset inflation Phil reveals what drives him in business The impact of automation on workers, jobs, and wages The influence of American consumerism culture The difference between population slowdown and depopulation The consumption response to COVID stimulus checks How the internet and celebrity endorsement affect consuming buyer behavior Phil shares an important tip every homeowner should take And other topics… Connect with Phil: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-mancuso-89975636  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elpresidente_epm/  Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is this happening to me?  Or Why is this happening for me?  Do you ask yourself these questions when faced with adversities? Although both are true, what you focus on will determine how well you react when push comes to shove. After all, life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. And one of the only things we can control is our attitude toward things that happen to us. We can either be happy about them or resent them.  Today I am flying solo to talk about how I managed to let go of the “worst case scenario” mindset and why I chose to direct my focus on seeing the struggles as opportunities to learn, grow, and become a better version of myself.  In this episode, I will discuss the ways that life is happening for us and not to us. I will talk about my personal struggle in the past, how I acted like I was a victim of my own life, and what made me realize I needed to give up this mindset for good. Topics include: The importance of having a good perspective on life Having a scarcity mindset and how it affects your life Managing your emotional reactions to what happens to you Shifting from victim mentality to creator mindset Cultivating gratitude during difficult times The secret to achieving greatness And other topics… Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices