Breaking Average
Breaking Average
A fully lived and understood life can only be achieved by those who choose to break average. If you are too careful, too cautious, or even too comfortable, then you will likely fall short of reaching your potential. In other words, choosing average, which is default living, will keep you from being your best.
This podcast explores a different path -- it explores what it means to break average. Each week we share insights and ideas to help propel you forward, curated from our own experiences, plus some of the top thought leaders in industry today. We share resources, practical tips, and helpful stories and science to give you tools to help you grow and make an impact.
The late/great Jim Rohn once said, "we should be something more than average.” Join us each week for the Breaking Average Podcast, and discover why this is so important.
This show is co-hosted by Paul Gustavson, a leader in the tech industry and the author of Leaders Press On, Speech Blueprint, Breaking Average, and the forthcoming book Imagine. Paul's daily focus is on the idea of Full Spectrum Innovation, which is centered on personal, technical, and corporate growth.
Starting in the 2022 fall season, Paul was joined by Barry Smith, and world-class coach, author, and speaker focused on Building What Matters. Other cohosts - who are still guests of the show include Rick Morris, Mike Harbour and Diane Caine.
This podcast explores a different path -- it explores what it means to break average. Each week we share insights and ideas to help propel you forward, curated from our own experiences, plus some of the top thought leaders in industry today. We share resources, practical tips, and helpful stories and science to give you tools to help you grow and make an impact.
The late/great Jim Rohn once said, "we should be something more than average.” Join us each week for the Breaking Average Podcast, and discover why this is so important.
This show is co-hosted by Paul Gustavson, a leader in the tech industry and the author of Leaders Press On, Speech Blueprint, Breaking Average, and the forthcoming book Imagine. Paul's daily focus is on the idea of Full Spectrum Innovation, which is centered on personal, technical, and corporate growth.
Starting in the 2022 fall season, Paul was joined by Barry Smith, and world-class coach, author, and speaker focused on Building What Matters. Other cohosts - who are still guests of the show include Rick Morris, Mike Harbour and Diane Caine.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Dec 30, 2021 • 41min
The Alchemist
Book 16 of the Leadership Book Mastermind series is The Alchemist by Paolo Cuelho.
Combining magic, mysticism, wisdom and wonder into an inspiring tale of self-discovery, The Alchemist has become a modern classic, selling millions of copies around the world and transforming the lives of countless readers across generations.
Paulo Coelho's masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far different—and far more satisfying—than he ever imagined. Santiago's journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.
Watch us on the weekly Empowered Living show at noon on Thursday or on YouTube.
We’re always looking for the story of Breaking Average from the communities that we serve that the world that our listeners are involved in. If you know of a leader out there who is Breaking Average, in the way that they lead, the way that they serve their communities, their organizations, the leaders around them, we'd love for you to go to https://www.breakingaverage.com/podcast let us know of a leader that you think we should talk to as well.
Purchase the Breaking Average book by clicking here: http://bit.ly/breakaverage Connect with your Breaking Average Crew: Paul Gustavson & Rick A. Morris
Produced by Rick A. Morris with R2 Multimedia, LLC
Dec 23, 2021 • 42min
Dare to Lead
Brene Brown, author of Dare to Lead, discusses daring leadership, empathy, connection, and courage. The podcast explores the importance of tough conversations, fostering trust through empathy, embracing innovation and courage, evaluating core values, and embracing vulnerability in leadership.
Dec 16, 2021 • 57min
4 Disciplines of Execution
Book 13 of the Leadership Book Mastermind series is The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney and Sean Covey.
4DX® is not theory. It is a proven set of practices that represents a new way of thinking essential to thriving in today’s competitive climate, making this 2nd Edition a book that no business leader can afford to miss.
The 4 Disciplines of Execution are used by more than 100,000 teams around the world in business, government, and education, and are changing how teams and organizations achieve their most important goals.
Watch us on the weekly Empowered Living show at noon on Thursday or on YouTube.
We’re always looking for the story of Breaking Average from the communities that we serve that the world that our listeners are involved in. If you know of a leader out there who is Breaking Average, in the way that they lead, the way that they serve their communities, their organizations, the leaders around them, we'd love for you to go to https://www.breakingaverage.com/podcast let us know of a leader that you think we should talk to as well.
Purchase the Breaking Average book by clicking here: http://bit.ly/breakaverage Connect with your Breaking Average Crew: Paul Gustavson & Rick A. Morris
Produced by Rick A. Morris with R2 Multimedia, LLC
Dec 9, 2021 • 50min
Influence
Book 12 of the Leadership Book Mastermind series is Influence by Dr. Robert Cialdini.
The foundational and wildly popular go-to resource for influence and persuasion—a renowned international bestseller, with over 5 million copies sold—now revised adding: new research, new insights, new examples, and online applications.
In the new edition of this highly acclaimed bestseller, Robert Cialdini—New York Times bestselling author of Pre-Suasion and the seminal expert in the fields of influence and persuasion—explains the psychology of why people say yes and how to apply these insights ethically in business and everyday settings. Using memorable stories and relatable examples, Cialdini makes this crucially important subject surprisingly easy. With Cialdini as a guide, you don’t have to be a scientist to learn how to use this science.
Watch us on the weekly Empowered Living show at noon on Thursday or on YouTube.
We’re always looking for the story of Breaking Average from the communities that we serve that the world that our listeners are involved in. If you know of a leader out there who is Breaking Average, in the way that they lead, the way that they serve their communities, their organizations, the leaders around them, we'd love for you to go to https://www.breakingaverage.com/podcast let us know of a leader that you think we should talk to as well.
Purchase the Breaking Average book by clicking here: http://bit.ly/breakaverage Connect with your Breaking Average Crew: Paul Gustavson & Rick A. Morris
Produced by Rick A. Morris with R2 Multimedia, LLC
Dec 2, 2021 • 50min
To Sell is Human
Book 12 of the Leadership Book Mastermind series is To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink.
From the bestselling author of Drive and A Whole New Mind, and teacher of the popular MasterClass on Sales and Persuasion, comes a surprising--and surprisingly useful--new book that explores the power of selling in our lives.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, one in nine Americans works in sales. Every day more than fifteen million people earn their keep by persuading someone else to make a purchase.
But dig deeper and a startling truth emerges:
Yes, one in nine Americans works in sales. But so do the other eight.
Whether we’re employees pitching colleagues on a new idea, entrepreneurs enticing funders to invest, or parents and teachers cajoling children to study, we spend our days trying to move others. Like it or not, we’re all in sales now.
Watch us on the weekly Empowered Living show at noon on Thursday or on YouTube.
We’re always looking for the story of Breaking Average from the communities that we serve that the world that our listeners are involved in. If you know of a leader out there who is Breaking Average, in the way that they lead, the way that they serve their communities, their organizations, the leaders around them, we'd love for you to go to https://www.breakingaverage.com/podcast let us know of a leader that you think we should talk to as well.
Purchase the Breaking Average book by clicking here: http://bit.ly/breakaverage Connect with your Breaking Average Crew: Paul Gustavson & Rick A. Morris
Produced by Rick A. Morris with R2 Multimedia, LLC
Nov 25, 2021 • 48min
Good to Great
Book 11 of the Leadership Book Mastermind series is Good to Great by Jim Collins.
The Challenge:
Built to Last, the defining management study of the nineties, showed how great companies triumph over time and how long-term sustained performance can be engineered into the DNA of an enterprise from the verybeginning.
But what about the company that is not born with great DNA? How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness?
The Study:
For years, this question preyed on the mind of Jim Collins. Are there companies that defy gravity and convert long-term mediocrity or worse into long-term superiority? And if so, what are the universal distinguishing characteristics that cause a company to go from good to great?
Watch us on the weekly Empowered Living show at noon on Thursday or on YouTube.
We’re always looking for the story of Breaking Average from the communities that we serve that the world that our listeners are involved in. If you know of a leader out there who is Breaking Average, in the way that they lead, the way that they serve their communities, their organizations, the leaders around them, we'd love for you to go to https://www.breakingaverage.com/podcast let us know of a leader that you think we should talk to as well.
Purchase the Breaking Average book by clicking here: http://bit.ly/breakaverage Connect with your Breaking Average Crew: Paul Gustavson & Rick A. Morris
Produced by Rick A. Morris with R2 Multimedia, LLC
Nov 18, 2021 • 42min
The Mentor Leader
Book 10 of the Leadership Book Mastermind series is The Mentor Leader by Tony Dungy.
“Your only job is to help your players be better.” That single idea had a huge impact on Tony Dungy when he heard it from one of his earliest mentors, and it led him to develop the successful leadership style so admired by players and coaches throughout the NFL. Now, a storied career and a Super Bowl victory later, Tony Dungy is sharing his unique leadership philosophy with you. In The Mentor Leader, Tony reveals what propelled him to the top of his profession and shows how you can apply the same approach to virtually any area of your life. In the process, you’ll learn the seven keys of mentoring leadership―and why they’re so effective; why mentor leadership brings out the best in people; how a mentor leader recovers from mistakes and handles team discipline; and the secret to getting people to follow you and do their best for you without intimidation tactics. As a son, a football player, and a winning coach, Tony has always learned from others on his path to success. Now you can learn to succeed for your team, family, or organization while living out your values―by becoming a mentor leader.
Watch us on the weekly Empowered Living show at noon on Thursday or on YouTube.
We’re always looking for the story of Breaking Average from the communities that we serve that the world that our listeners are involved in. If you know of a leader out there who is Breaking Average, in the way that they lead, the way that they serve their communities, their organizations, the leaders around them, we'd love for you to go to https://www.breakingaverage.com/podcast let us know of a leader that you think we should talk to as well.
Purchase the Breaking Average book by clicking here: http://bit.ly/breakaverage Connect with your Breaking Average Crew: Paul Gustavson & Rick A. Morris
Produced by Rick A. Morris with R2 Multimedia, LLC
Nov 11, 2021 • 46min
Outliers - Malcolm Gladwell
Book 9 of the Leadership Book Mastermind series is Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell.
In this stunning new book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"--the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different?
His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.
Watch us on the weekly Empowered Living show at noon on Thursday or on YouTube.
We’re always looking for the story of Breaking Average from the communities that we serve that the world that our listeners are involved in. If you know of a leader out there who is Breaking Average, in the way that they lead, the way that they serve their communities, their organizations, the leaders around them, we'd love for you to go to https://www.breakingaverage.com/podcast let us know of a leader that you think we should talk to as well.
Purchase the Breaking Average book by clicking here: http://bit.ly/breakaverage Connect with your Breaking Average Crew: Paul Gustavson & Rick A. Morris
Produced by Rick A. Morris with R2 Multimedia, LLC
Nov 4, 2021 • 46min
Leaders Eat Last
Book 8 of the Leadership Book Mastermind series is Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek.
Too many workplaces are driven by cynicism, paranoia, and self-interest. But the best ones foster trust and cooperation because their leaders build what Sinek calls a "Circle of Safety" that separates the security inside the team from the challenges outside.
Sinek illustrates his ideas with fascinating true stories that range from the military to big business, from government to investment banking.
Watch us on the weekly Empowered Living show at noon on Thursday or on YouTube.
We’re always looking for the story of Breaking Average from the communities that we serve that the world that our listeners are involved in. If you know of a leader out there who is Breaking Average, in the way that they lead, the way that they serve their communities, their organizations, the leaders around them, we'd love for you to go to https://www.breakingaverage.com/podcast let us know of a leader that you think we should talk to as well.
Purchase the Breaking Average book by clicking here: http://bit.ly/breakaverage Connect with your Breaking Average Crew: Paul Gustavson & Rick A. Morris
Produced by Rick A. Morris with R2 Multimedia, LLC
Oct 28, 2021 • 45min
The Charisma Myth
The charisma myth is the idea that charisma is a fundamental, inborn quality—you either have it (Bill Clinton, Steve Jobs, Oprah) or you don’t. But that’s simply not true, as Olivia Fox Cabane reveals. Charismatic behaviors can be learned and perfected by anyone.
Drawing on techniques she originally developed for Harvard and MIT, Cabane breaks charisma down into its components. Becoming more charismatic doesn’t mean transforming your fundamental personality. It’s about adopting a series of specific practices that fit in with the personality you already have.
The Charisma Myth shows you how to become more influential, more persuasive, and more inspiring.
Watch us on the weekly Empowered Living show at noon on Thursday or on YouTube.
We’re always looking for the story of Breaking Average from the communities that we serve that the world that our listeners are involved in. If you know of a leader out there who is Breaking Average, in the way that they lead, the way that they serve their communities, their organizations, the leaders around them, we'd love for you to go to https://www.breakingaverage.com/podcast let us know of a leader that you think we should talk to as well.
Purchase the Breaking Average book by clicking here: http://bit.ly/breakaverage Connect with your Breaking Average Crew: Paul Gustavson & Rick A. Morris
Produced by Rick A. Morris with R2 Multimedia, LLC
