The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk Episode 251: Joey Coleman - How To Never Lose A Customer Again Joey Coleman is the Chief Experience Composer at Design Symphony - a customer experience branding firm that specializes in creating unique, attention-grabbing customer experiences. His clients include individual entrepreneurs, start-ups, small businesses, non-profits, government entities, and Fortune 500 companies. For over a decade he's worked with clients that include NASA, Network for Good, Hyatt Hotels, Zappos, the Save Darfur Coalition, and the World Bank. Joey is a recognized expert in customer experience design, an award-winning speaker at national and international conferences, and has taught business and creativity courses at both the college and graduate school level. Past appearances include presentations at the M.I.T. Sloan School of Management, Google, the Georgetown University School of Business, Stanford University, Zappos, YouTube.  Joey's first book is titled Never Lose A Customer Again: Turn Any Sale Into Lifelong Loyalty In 100 Days. Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio The Learning Leader Show "The best way to say thank you to someone is to show love to the people they love." Show Notes: The 3 things a great keynote speaker does: Change how you think Change how you feel Change how you act The 60 second SPEED pitch from Joey (this is something Joey has never done before and it was incredible!) He speed talks what happens following a purchase you make and how you can secure a customer for life The stages: Assess, Admit, Affirm, Activate, Acclimate, Accomplish, Adopt, Advocate The importance of your messaging within the first 100 days Research and science back -- From Harvard, Bain, Stanford "People who get promoted most and fastest are those who positively impact the business." "People we like get promoted" Why write this book? -- Needed to work out all the kinks, document the 46 case studies and the people/companies who have implemented "the first 100 days" strategy Why do companies lose customers? Selling to human beings - people are skeptical and get buyers remorse Fear, uncertainty, and doubt The new business sales people are not aligned with the account managers More energy spent on getting new clients instead of taking care of the current ones "For a marriage, it requires a lot of work, continually building, communicating, growing." A client should be treated in the same manner Why are the first 100 days so important? Must be on-boarded properly If your customer gets to day 101, they will be with you for at least 5 years The Garrett Gunderson experience "When I showed up, he had a 6 pack of root beer for me and said, 'I wanted you to feel like you are home." -- A preview of what it would be like to be a customer of theirs The $35,000 golf ball -- Pebble Beach Pay attention Record small details that could help you later "When you talk, I listen" Strategic appreciation -- How to say thank you.  The use of gifts, presents, and pictures The best way to say thank you to Joey -- "Do amazing things for my wife and kids."  -- Delta did this for Joey and he is a customer for life As John Ruhlin would say, "The best way to say thank you to someone is to show love to the people they love." Don't send gifts for the holidays when everyone else does.  It's about timing "If you're going to host someone, welcome them at the door... Offer them a glass of water." "A great speaker can: change how you think, change how you feel, and change how you act." Social Media: Follow Joey on Twitter: @thejoeycoleman Read: Never Lose A Customer Again Connect with me on LinkedIn Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk Episode 250: Shep Gordon - The Super Mensch: How To Add Value To The Lives Of Others Shep Gordon is known in the entertainment industry as having an eye for talent and an innate understanding of what people find entertaining.  After graduating from SUNY Buffalo, Shep moved to LA and in 1969 co-founded Alive Enterprises.  Over the years, Gordon has been responsible for managing the careers of Alice Cooper, Groucho Marx, Raquel Welch, Luther Vandross, Kenny Loggins, and countless others.  He’s also credited as creating the celebrity chef,  which revolutionized the food industry and turned the culinary arts into the multi-billion dollar industry it is today.  His clients that include culinary legends, Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse, Nobu, Daniel Boulud and many more.  In addition to the impact he’s had on the music, film and food industries, he’s also highly regarded for his philanthropic endeavors.  Shep was named one of the 100 most influential people in Rolling Stone magazine.  He was the subject of Mike Myers 2013 documentary - Supermensch The Legend of Shep Gordon.  He's also written a best-selling book called They Call Me Supermensch A Backstage Pass To The Amazing World Of Film, Food, and Rock ’N’ Roll. Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio The Learning Leader Show On meeting with His Holiness, The Dalai Lama -- "When he walked in the room, it felt like I had taken the greatest shower of my life." -- Shep Gordon Show Notes: The value that Jayson Gaignard added to his life "He came to Hawaii and helped me launch my book and it was a best-seller" "You should always bring value first" A 1968 graduate of college -- great divide in our country at the time - Vietnam War, "I was raised a liberal Jew" "I was a long haired acid dealer" The Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix story -- How it got him his start as a manager in Hollywood Fame -- Media is a manipulation - "It consumes people and can be very damaging" "My job was to push the artist. Fame was fools gold." People who wanted fame needed attention... When they stopped getting it, bad things happened Shep had a visionary eye for what would be successful in the future, the ultimate talent scout.  He also understand how to earn PR for his artists to help make them famous "Create things that parents hated... Which led to kids loving it." --> Alice Cooper played a show naked Going from Alice Cooper to Ann Murray... Shep did great work for them and it kept leading to his next client --> Groucho Marx, Raquel Welch Commonality among great entertainers? "They have that moment right before they go on stage... They are scared, neurotic, full of fear.  This fuels them to be great." Commonality of those who sustain excellence? "They never did it on their own.  All the best were surrounded by great teams." Meeting with The Dalai Lama? "When he walked in the room, it felt like I'd taken the best shower of my life." How to throw a world class dinner party? Great food, customized for your guests Eat at a round table and always leave an extra seat (for the host to sit at and move from table to table) The food needs to be buffet style Send quality invitations -- "It's all about the WHO" --> You must get that part right, it's most important Don't talk business Think -- "What could I do to really make their night great?" Life lessons -- "The failures are more important than the successes" "To me, failure is not trying" "If your team can't fail, you can't win" Success to Shep = "A life of service to others" Serving others will make you happy Use you wealth to help other people (ex: "If you own a private plane, find people who will never fly on a private plane and offer them a ride.") "Use your resources in service to other people." Always think about how you can add value to the lives of others. "Success for Shep = "A life of service to others" --> Helping other people will make you happy Social Media: Follow Shep on Twitter: @SupermenschShep Read: They Call Me SUPERMENSCH Connect with me on LinkedIn Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12 More Learning: Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon Episode 216: Jim Collins -- How To Go From Good To Great Episode 179: How To Sustain Excellence - The Best Answers From 178 Questions Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk. Episode 248: Colin Nanka Colin Nanka is the Senior Director, Enablement for North American Sales and Leadership Development at the world’s leading Customer Relationship Management Company, Salesforce.com. He is a proven sales leader with over 20 years of sales experience including time at Salesforce and Xerox Corporation.  In his spare time, he competes in multi-day, self sustained, adventure races in the world’s most treacherous terrains, including the Sahara Desert, Gobi Desert, Iceland, Grand Canyon, Atacama Desert and, most recently, in Antarctica. The Learning Leader Show "Success starts with a choice.  Find someone above you, below you, and at your level.  That's mentor-ship." Show Notes: Commonalities of leaders who sustain excellence? Understanding of their strengths - self awareness "Do what you say you will do" "DWYSYWDO" - integrity The combination of vision --> execution How have you sustained excellence? Know how to prioritize Tiered accounts Invested 4-6 hours on Saturday and Sunday while others were not working "Going in on the weekend" - The sheer amount of hard work AND extra work differentiated from the rest Going door to door in Canada - "It takes 20 knocks to get 1 opportunity" "Good pipeline solves all ills" "Flood the market with good will" Marc Benioff's management process, V2MOM, an acronym that stands for vision, values, methods, obstacles, and measures Why do crazy races all over the world? "I hit a crisis.  I was very successful and then had a couple bad years. It hurt my confidence." "I realize there is more to life than just working.  The elements of nature... A give back -- be of service to others." The 2011 Sahara Desert race - Trained for a full year. 6 days a week, 160 miles/week. "Success starts with a choice.  Find who's the best, learn from them." Mentor-ship = "Above you, below you, and at your level." Have all three. The practice of "playing up." Play against someone who is better than you in order to stretch and grow. Constantly put yourself in positions to be stretched Using Gallup to find your strengths -- "A very wise investment" Colin's #1 strength - Learning. Curiosity The compound effect of learning, growing, approaching each conversation with a curious mind What have you learned from the adventure races? Dealing with failure.  How to learn from others. "We all get better from sharing ideas." Biggest mistake new managers make? "They are constantly surprised about the "people" side" How to have tough conversations They try to do it all -- You need to be a multiplier -- Trust, Coach, Empower "If you don't lengthen the leash, you aren't allowing them to grow" First 30 days - "Focus on winning hearts and minds" Do a full day off site meeting with no focus on the business.  Get to know them. Utilize my "Get To Know You" document Understand your team value system: Vision Values Methods - Critical success factors Obstacles Measure -- The Marc Benioff model The #1 value is TRUST -- Ensure this is established early on.  Empower the team to make decisions.  As the leader, be a facilitator Roger Federer -- Finding joy in what you do.  Loving the practice, the process. Do things daily that bring you joy in life "Before I do anything for the company, I do something for myself. To bring me joy." Hiring a coach? Why? Colin has had a coach for 10 years "Just put 1 foot in front of the other" -- 19 hour race in Iceland Be: 1) Strong 2) Relaxed 3) Grateful ("It's hard to be angry when you're grateful") "Learn the rules like a pro, so that you can break them like an artist." - Pablo Picasso Social Media: Follow Colin on Twitter: @ColinNanka1 Read:  Colin's story Connect with me on LinkedIn Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

The Learning Leader Show LIVE! With Ryan Hawk & James Clear Episode 248: James Clear LIVE! - How Can We Live Better? This was recorded in front of a LIVE audience in Columbus, Ohio.  My teammates at Brixey & Meyer had the original idea for a live event and collectively we put together an amazing evening with more than 100 invited guests.  It was incredible!   The room was full on engaged leaders.  I loved the energy! I'm already looking forward to the next one. James Clear studies successful people across a wide range of disciplines — entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, and more — to uncover the habits and routines that make these people the best at what they do. Then, I share what I learn in my popular email newsletter. His work has been covered by dozens of major media outlets including The New York Times, CBS, Entrepreneur Magazine, Forbes, TIME Magazine, and more. The Learning Leader Show "A constant dose of uncertainty will help you grow your comfort zone." Show Notes: The aggregation of marginal gains - “The 1 percent margin for improvement in everything you do.”  If you improve every area related to your life by just 1 percent, then those small gains will add up to remarkable improvement. When you google “goal setting,” JamesClear.com comes up within the top 3 answers.  James goal setting process. The difference between systems and goals. Goals are useful for setting the direction. Systems are great for actually making progress. If we are serious about achieving our goals, however, we should start with a much different question. Rather than considering what kind of success we want, we should ask, “What kind of pain do I want? First Principles: Elon Musk on the Power of Thinking for Yourself. First principles thinking is the act of boiling a process down to the fundamental parts that you know are true and building up from there. Mindset shifts --> Reframing Love of Travel -- Why do it? Perspective? Voluntary hardship.  "You don’t know what you’re capable of if your body has never been forced to do it." (David Goggins) "You don't know your capabilities until you're forced to do it."  Put yourself in situations that forces you to do "hard things." --? Travel to Vietnam where few people speak English... Getting lost and being forced to ask for help “A constant dose of uncertainty will help you grow your comfort zone.” Voluntary Hardship = until you are tested, you can't develop the ability to be mentally tough or develop new skills.  Put yourself in these situations regularly to grow Successful People Start Before They Are Ready - Richard Branson story…  "Start before you're quite ready, and trust yourself to figure it out as you go." "Motivation is overvalued, environment is undervalued. Willpower doesn’t work, think about choice architecture." “Trust the ability that you have what it takes to figure it out” The "Goldilocks" rule - "Human beings love challenges, but only if they are within the optimal zone of difficulty." Why you should stretch and "level up," but not too much.  "It's not helpful to seriously play tennis against Roger Federer."  You will be demoralized. How to stop procrastination using the 2 minute rule -- "There is that 2 minutes around 5:30 every day where my wife and I decide... Will we go to the gym or will we sit on the couch and watch The Office all night?" -- The 2–Minute Rule works for big goals as well as small goals because of the inertia of life. Once you start doing something, it’s easier to continue doing it. I love the 2–Minute Rule because it embraces the idea that all sorts of good things happen once you get started. “Decrease the number of steps between you and the good behaviors and increase the steps between you and the bad behaviors” The James Clear "garden hose" analogy Why it might be a good idea to put your TV in the closet... Smaller habits require smaller activation energies and that makes them more sustainable. The bigger the activation energy is for your habit, the more difficult it will be to remain consistent over the long-run. “Resistance is proportionate to the size and speed of the change, not to whether the change is a favorable or unfavorable one.” By contrast, when you accumulate small wins and focus on one percent improvements, you nudge equilibrium forward. It is like building muscle. If the weight is too light, your muscles will atrophy. If the weight is too heavy, you'll end up injured. But if the weight is just a touch beyond your normal, then your muscles will adapt to the new stimulus and equilibrium will take a small step forward. "Decrease the number of steps between you and the good behaviors and increase the steps between you and the bad behaviors."  Social Media: Follow James on Twitter: @james_clear Read Lance Salyers Forbes story about the event:  3 Surprising Insights From An Evening With Ryan Hawk And James Clear Connect with me on LinkedIn Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk: Since 2015, Benjamin Hardy has been the #1 writer on Medium.com.  He is pursuing his PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Clemson University.  Ben's writing focuses on self-improvement, motivation, and entrepreneurship. His writing is fueled by his personal experiences, self-directed education, and formal education.  Ben's work is read by millions of people every month.   Show Notes: Commonalities of leaders who sustain excellence? They continually put themselves in situations that demand a lot of them.  They put themselves in high stakes situations They invest in themself They create conditions for success to happen Pianist John Burke (Grammy nominated) He puts external pressure on himself ("I will release an album a year").  It forces him to get to work to fulfill those expectations he puts on himself  Being socially invested is a forcing function Signing up for the race like Parker Mays -- A date on the calendar to prepare for.  "If I don't prepare, I will fail miserably" Why you should invest 10% of your income in your self The best self improvement book Ben has ever read? Letting Go "Willpower doesn't work."  You must create the environment to be successful -- Upgrade your mindset Self signaling - How you view yourself is not permanent.  Start to alter your behavior, you start seeing yourself differently You can shape your personality How to upgrade yourself? -- "When you invest money, you are committed" Why all high performers invest in a coach Peak moments -- how to change your life for the better Cal Newport - "Be So Good They Can't Ignore You" Investing in relationships (Jeff Goins and Ryan Holiday) How to build a platform Learn marketing Learn how to write viral headlines (Use numbers, matching, focused on outcomes) Want To Become A Multi-Millionaire? Do These 15 Things Immediately Understand structure - subheadings, short/snappy sentences and paragraphs Have a call to action at the end Create a landing page for email capture What is great writing? Be a good teacher: Communicate effectively.  Convey & connect. Weave stories in and out: Story --> Science --> Story --> Science --> Story --> Science Head knowledge:  Know your space.  Have heart:  Emotional rigor, intense stories How to become a master of your craft Your decisions determine your destiny Visualize the process, not just the outcome Create environments for optimal implementation Pre plan for adversity to strike and how you will respond Morning routine: Write in journal --> "Write it down, make it happen" --> Read --> Work out.  Create momentum for yourself.   "Willpower doesn't work.  You must create the environment for success to be achieved." Social Media: Follow Ben on Twitter: @BenjaminPHardy Read:  WILLPOWER DOESN'T WORK Connect with me on LinkedIn Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12  

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk Pat is the founder of The Table Group and the author of 11 books (including The Five Dysfunctions of a Team)which have sold over 5 million copies and been translated into more than 30 languages. The Wall Street Journal called him "one of the most in demand speakers in America." He has addressed millions of people at conferences and events around the world over the past 15 years. Pat has written for or been featured in numerous publications including Harvard Business Review, Inc., Fortune, Fast Company, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek.  This is the second time Pat has been a guest on The Learning Leader Show.  To listen to the first conversation we had, CLICK HERE. Prior to founding The Table Group, Pat worked at Bain & Company, Oracle Corporation and Sybase. Show Notes: The email he received from Miami Heat coach, Erik Spolestra, after his first appearance on The Learning Leader Show How he helps professional sports teams Why NFL teams focus on the wrong things when deciding who to draft Teddy Bridgewater vs Johnny Manziel The characteristics of a great teammate: Humility Hunger Emotional Intelligence The success of Nick Foles in The Super Bowl The camaraderie built by coach Doug Pederson of The Philadelphia Eagles "I'm meant to work with people..." The origin story - How Pat started his own business... and why? Potential to work with Steve Jobs and Eric Schmidt The biggest moment in the growth of his business?  Speaking at Willowcreek Church(50,000 people watched) Doing a "talk" instead of thinking of it as a "keynote speech" -- "I'm just talking with the audience." Why turn leadership issues into fables? "We don't read books, but we read yours."  They are so interesting.  "I keep reading your books because I want to see what happens next." Leaders must: Have difficult conversations -- must do the hard things What are the biggest mistakes a new manager makes? "You cannot avoid the discomfort" "Being a leader is uncomfortable" The best leaders are "pushers" The Steve Jobs and Jony Ive story -- "You're so vain" Keys to a great culture: Leaders must be intentional about behaviors they want Must be brutally intolerant if people don't do it well How Pat helped Southwest Airlines Codify their culture -- It had never been done before Working with Chic-fil-a Their CEO wasn't too big to do dishes and clear the plates "They gave snacks for my trip home" "You don't come up with culture, you look at what's there" The importance of stories Pat's business: There are 45 consultants all over the world.  They are: Humble Hungry Smart "Being a leader is uncomfortable.  You cannot avoid the discomfort." Social Media: Follow Pat on Twitter: @patricklencioni Read: The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team Connect with me on LinkedIn Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk: Episode 245: Maria Taylor - ESPN Gameday, Embracing The Grind, The Value Of Versatility Maria Taylor is in her sixth season as a host analyst & reporter. In the fall of 2017 Taylor will enter a new role as co-host on ESPN's College Gameday and sideline reporter for ABC's Saturday Night Football.   Show Notes: How to quickly build rapport with the people you interview? Be prepared with a purpose, truly try to learn about them as a person (quickly), it's not just about their sport or their job.  Care about them as a person Being viewed as an athlete -- "It's helpful working in the sports world that they know I played sports" "As an athlete I was always a perfectionist, I always over prepare."  -- Maria sending her producers a copious amount of notes -- thoughts on situations/games/ideas How to earn promotions quickly? "I never said no to anything.  I was never too big for any game." Maria did high school football games, ACC digital.  She's traveled everywhere, stayed in bad hotels, etc. "You have to be comfortable in the grind, you can't get discouraged." "If I'm not doing something (work wise), I feel wrong." Why Kirk Herbstreit is the best in the business -- "He's the most invested person I've ever seen.  He's always the most prepared person." Adnan Virk "Always show up." -- "They remember how you made them feel."  Be conscious of that Balance?  It will never be perfectly balanced.  Think of it as a stew - vegetable and beef... Certain bites are vegetables and other times it's beef.  That's work-life balance.  There are moments where it is all work, all day, every day.  There are other times where you can relax at home.  It's never a perfect 50 50 balance. The story of Maria making the decision to be a sports broadcaster as a junior in college at Georgia... And then also earning her MBA as a backup plan! She grew up loving sports.  Her dad played college sports. Maria was recruited to play both volleyball and basketball at Georgia. Our mutual feeling about the structure of being "in season" and how the routine helped us get better grades. The first 90 minutes of Maria's day: Start the day with gospel music (worship/faith) New York Times daily podcast Joyce Meyer podcast Why do multiple jobs? (Gameday, sideline reporter, women's basketball studio host) To diversify -- "I don't want to just be one thing.  It's an opportunity to flex different muscles." "I try to investigate to find the best answer" "I like challenges" Person most enjoy interviewing? Nick Saban.  "I try to steer him off the line he's trying to stay on." Receiving coaching as a broadcaster... Who provides it? SEC network producers Feedback is just as important to what you put into your body.  It needs to be healthy and helpful -- "What are we filling our minds with?" How to handle "Twitter haters?" "Sometimes I'll put them on blast..." What is an ESPN Gameday production meeting like? A cast of characters - (listen around the 43:00 minute mark to hear the inside scoop) Winning Edge Leadership Academy Helping young women and minorities in broadcasting Focused on student athletes Doing a retreat in Miami The sense of responsibility Maria feels as an African American woman "Being black.... Half time spent assimilating and half time spent helping your people." The Jemele Hill story at ESPN... Maria's reactions Social Media: Follow Maria on Twitter:  @MariaTaylor7 Connect with me on LinkedIn Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12 More Learning: Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon Episode 216: Jim Collins -- How To Go From Good To Great Episode 179: How To Sustain Excellence - The Best Answers From 178 Questions Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk: Bill Curry is a two-time Super Bowl Champion. As an NCAA coach, Bill was named National Coach of the Year at Alabama and later became the first head football coach ever at Georgia State. As an ESPN commentator, he regularly shared his thoughts with a worldwide audience of millions. When Bill talks of discipline and success, his life experience is proof-positive of the effectiveness of his methods. Bill played for some of the greatest coaches of all time, including Vince Lombardi, Don Shula, and Bobby Dodd. His teammates included legendary players like Willie Davis, Bart Starr, and Johnny Unitas. Bill has studied the lives and methods of his personal heroes from past generations, ranging from Helen Keller and Rudyard Kipling to Theodore Roosevelt and Goethe. When Bill talks of leadership and success, his is a personal message molded by his extraordinary mentors and role models.  He is also the best-selling author of TEN MEN YOU MEET IN THE HUDDLE: LESSONS FROM A FOOTBALL LIFE.  "Everyone has the will to win, but not everyone has the will to prepare." Show Notes: The 6 common characteristics of champions = Show up - on time, be early, every time, be punctual, read to be your best Singleness of purpose - Vince Lombardi, "his focus was powerful" Unselfish - Bart Starr - "he literally gave the shirt off his back for others" Tough - Don't make excuses, be great in the 4th quarter, never blame anyone else Smart - Prepared, always last person off the field.  Johnny Unitas and Raymond Berry did this Never quit - Never give up FEAR?  Prepare out of fear? - "There is some truth to that."  "Everyone has the will to win, but not everyone has the will to prepare." Personality, GRIT, Heart, Soul -- "Keeping prepping when others aren't" The difference between good and great coaches? Bobby Dodd (Georgia Tech) was a great coach.  A great coach can change your life.  They study the game so intently.  They intimidate other coaches with their brain. Vince Lombardi would not tolerate prejudice or racism.  He had more African-American players than anyone else.  He was so precise in his methodology. Don Shula had the ability to build relationships with each player How can this be translated to the business world? Reach inside the souls of the leaders -- the gift we have is "Magna Nimitas" -- Greatness of spirit. Each person has a unique spirit - it's beautiful.  WE have brilliance within us. Directly challenging the leaders to understand their people Narcissism destroys leaders Bill sat down with his players and went over their goals We all need to have our own board of personal advisors, mentors Bill's 4th year at Georgia Tech -- John Robert Bell said "I know you can play/" --> The impact that had on Bill was immense Bill as a mentor -- He loves doing it.  He hears from at least one play every single day Being humble -- "I know two types of people.  People who are humble and those who are about to be humbled." -- "Ray Nitschke humbled me pretty good" The huddle - We need every teammate on every play to survive.  The huddle is a metaphor for our culture. Why does the huddle matter?  "You can't be racist, sexist, everyone is part of that huddle." Unique exercises Bill does at companies -- Understand each individual unique finger print, joining hands across aisles The importance of intellectual curiosity and asking questions -- "People ought to be skeptical... Ask questions" "There is a fellowship of the miserable.  I love them, but I avoid them." Success?  His wife has helped him understand what success is... It used to be winning games.  He was miserable when he lost.  She taught him that's not a rational way to live. Now success is "Am I making a contribution to the well being of others?" Important marriage advice -- Do what you're told and what you say you're going to do.  Learn to listen. Learning Leader - "I love that title!" "Success = "Am I making a contribution to the well being of others?" Social Media: Read:  Ten Men You Meet Huddle  Follow Bill on Twitter: @coachbillcurry Connect with me on LinkedIn Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

The Learning Leader Show - Annie Duke is a woman who has leveraged her expertise in the science of smart decision making to excel at pursuits as varied as championship poker to public speaking. For two decades, Annie was one of the top poker players in the world. In 2004, she bested a field of 234 players to win her first World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet. The same year, she triumphed in the $2 million winner-take-all, invitation-only WSOP Tournament of Champions. In 2010, she won the prestigious NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. Prior to becoming a professional poker player, Annie was awarded the National Science Foundation Fellowship. Because of this fellowship, she studied Cognitive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Show Notes: Sustained Excellence = Open-minded to people who disagree with them They ask "Why am I wrong?" Using "I don't know" or "I'm not sure" shows immense security in oneself.  Great leaders do this. The "half life of facts" should never be 100% certain -- "It does you a disservice in becoming more knowledgeable if you are certain you are right" Hidden information -- Invite others to share information with you... To collaborate "Here's what I think, but I don't know..." --> We're trained from an early age that those are dirty words, but they shouldn't be. We're supposed to always know, but having that mentality limits what you can learn Put systems in place to allow exploration of alternative strategies Do a deeper dive, consider all reactions. This will help you prepare in case something goes wrong.  You can put plans in place by acting in this manner Why write Thinking In Bets?  Annie has a unique background: cognitive psychology, professional poker, decision making under pressure.  In poker: decision making is fast and furious (a hand of poker is 2 minutes) "Learning occurs when you make a decision and have feedback" The art of boosting academic research with stories and popular culture -- Seinfeld, The Super Bowl Listen to the disagreement Annie and I have in regards to Pete Carroll's decision to throw a pass on the goal line at the end of The Super Bowl (around the 24:00 mark) Most people are "resulting."  They are not measuring the decision making process with all the facts, they just view the result.  That is wrong. Resulting - "Using the outcome as the sole determination if the decision was good or bad" While Annie and I disagree, we both had an open mind to what each other had to say and considered the other person's point of view A good approach in your business = Analyze the decision making process prior to knowing the result Example: If a number of people are interviewing the same candidate (separately), the boss should wait to offer her opinion until the end.  Her thoughts will skew the feedback she needs from her teamCommonalities of great CEO poker players = They don't think they're good at poker.  They recognize they aren't as good as the pros and they work to put themselves in higher odd situations to "get lucky." (Listen around 45:00 to get the full context) How to be a good head's up poker player?  Recognize your strengths and weaknesses vs that particular opponent.  If you deem they are better than you, then look for "coin flip" situations (example: Ace King vs a pair of 7's).  If you are better than your opponent then avoid coin flips and extend the match.  The longer the match, the better the odds for the better player to winThe importance of accountability: How often does someone spout off without thinking?  If you follow that up with, "You wanna bet?"  How do they respond?  They probably rethink what they've said.  We should always "think in bets."  Think of our decisions as being "bet worthy."  If someone says, "You wanna bet?"  We should be in the position to say yes.  If we're not, then we need to rethink what comes out of our mouths and the decisions we are making. "A bet is just a decision based on a belief that you think is how something will turn out." If we think in bets, it forces us to seek out as much information as possible prior to making a decision. That is a good thing and will help us make better decisions "A bet is a decision based on a belief that you think is how something will turn out." Social Media: Read:  Thinking In Bets Follow Annie on Twitter: @AnnieDuke Connect with me on LinkedIn Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12 More Learning: Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon Episode 216: Jim Collins -- How To Go From Good To Great Episode 179: How To Sustain Excellence - The Best Answers From 178 Questions Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Sustained Excellence = "They're over themselves" - They do not have an ego. They figure out the big truths, get over feelings, have clarity, vision. Great communicators - Like an athlete, they can be obsessed.  Keenly aware, active listeners, intentional with actions. Why write The Culture Code? Spending time around great teams and businesses, "I love the vibe, it's different." Had a desire to understand how that happens.  How to create trust"Typically we think of culture as in your DNA or not, but it's not.  "Great culture is something you can learn"The competition with Dan's two brothers growing up led to this fascination and curiosity with building great team culture"We routinely deeply underestimate our environments and the effect they have on us." "As leaders, we need to create the conditions for excellence"The 3 Skills -- 1) Build Safety 2) Share Vulnerability 3) Establish Purpose Build Safety - Why do a group of kindergartners do better than a group of CEOs?  The kindergartners have now agenda or care about credit.  They focus on doing the best work.  CEOs (in the study) were worried about who got credit and tearing each other down. Safety is the single most important piece of foundation needed for great culture Greg Popovich overdoes the "thank yous" - He regularly says thank you to the members of his team. A painstaking hiring process - The single most important decision is "who's in and who's out." You should script the entire first few days of a new employees time at a company -- Pixar example (20 minute mark) -- "At Pixar, we hired you because we need you to help us make our movies better." John Wooden would routinely walk the locker room and pick up trash Share Vulnerability - Functional notion that's so important "Sharing a weakness is the best way to be strong" -- Navy SEALs example: The AAR (After Action Review) The most important 4 words a leader can say, "Anybody have any ideas?" Also, "I screwed up" Over-communicate expectations "We shoot, move, and communicate "The only easy day was yesterday" How to be a great listener "Your goal as a listener should be to add energy." Ask questions, don't just sit there and nod.  Listen and absorb.  Help them leave higher than when you arrived.  Follow up to go deeper.  Being a great listener is a heroic skill. Have "empathy and energy" as a listener -- dig in to assumptions (unearth) Aim for candor, but avoid brutal honesty - good groups care about relationships, not brutality.  Candor is a better word "Culture: From the Latin word cultus, which means care." Great teams are made up of players who don't want to let their teammates down. Greg Popovich and other great coaches disappear on purpose to let their team figure out it through tough moments.  Smart leaders create opportunities for teams to struggle and figure it out. --> "The leaders job is to make the team great without him/her." Build a wall between performance review and professional development -- When you combine the two, you get neither.  Toggle, create safety so you can be more open and honest. Establish Purpose What's important now?  You must define that Value statements aren't super useful -- "fill the windshield with a story." Clear narratives guide attention Name and rank your priorities