Episode 231: Michael Bungay Stanier - Say Less, Ask More, & Change The Way You Lead Forever Michael is the Senior Partner at Box of Crayons, a company that helps organizations do less good work and more great work. He’s the author of several books, including The Coaching Habit and Do More Great Work. Michael has written for or been featured in numerous publications including Business Insider, Fast Company, Forbes, The Globe & Mail and The Huffington Post.  Michael left Australia 25 years ago to be a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University.  He was the first Canadian Coach of the Year. At Box of Crayons, Michael and his team of facilitators teach 10-minute coaching so busy managers build stronger teams and get better results. Clients come from all sectors and include Box, the United Nations, Gartner, the University Health Network and USAA. A sought-after speaker, Michael regularly speaks to businesses and organizations and has delivered keynotes at Leadership, HR and Learning & Development, conferences around the world. The Learning Leader Show "If you can't coach in 10 minutes or less then you don't have the time to coach at all" Show Notes: Commonalities of leaders who sustain excellence: "They probably haven't sustained it. It's really hard." Role Models -- They succeed AND they fail.  "You can't hit it out of the park every time" Some times you do it all right and you still fail Resilience and persistence are commonalities among people who have success Michael's list of failures "is long" The incredible story of how Michael was initially rejected as a Rhodes Scholar... And then how he persevered to earn it (the story about how he differentiated himself from the others is fantastic) "Purple suit, long hair" -- "Everyone else had a blue suit, white shirt, red tie" Where did he develop so much courage? From his parents  -- They gave him unconditional support to be different and unique He's a bit of a rebel who also follows the rules sometimes Ask yourself "Do I want to be playing this game?" Box of Crayons -- A training company on how to coach in 10 minutes The mistake of saying "yes" to everyone who asked for his help when he started the company Jim Collins -- "Fire bullets and then cannonballs" -- Low risk experiments The 3 ways coaching shows up in corporations Executive coaching -- People at the top of the Org Chart Training internal people to be the corporate training team Train all managers/leaders to be more coach like -- This is what Michael and his team does "If you can't coach in 10 minutes or less then you don't have the time to coach at all" Transforming to be more "coach like" The 7 important questions to ask: What's on  your mind? And what else? What's the real challenge here for you? What do you want? How can I help? If you're saying yes to this, what are you saying no to? What was most useful to you? Why most 1 on 1's are terrible The first and last questions are vital (must bookend the meeting well) -- "Start fast and end strong" The Learning moments -- Help them learn. They learn when there is a moment to reflect on what just happened Be careful when "the advice monster" kicks in... "Can you stay curious a little longer?" -- As the coach, you need to.  You must solve the correct problem and focus on the person you are coaching If you just give advice, very little brain activity happens. If you ask questions, it grows the brain activity... Coaching for performance vs. Coaching for development -- There is a big difference The best question in the world is... "And what else?" -- It helps them go a level deeper.  Keep asking it, keep going deeper "Be lazy, be curious, be often" -- Michael's motto towards coaching. Listen, ask questions, help them learn "Be more coach like" "Help them learn rather than teaching them" -- We do this by asking great questions Learning Leader = "A great coach is a great teacher.  A learning leader is the essence of what it means to be a great leader." You help people learn by constantly learning more yourself "Less Advice. More Curiosity." Social Media: Read: The Coaching Habit Follow Michael on Twitter: @boxofcrayons 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

Episode 230: Dorie Clark - How To Monetize Your Expertise & Create Multiple Income Streams Commonalities of leaders who sustain excellence: They do what they say they're going to do -- Have integrity They have a great ability to focus.  They don't get distracted. They have patience Principles: Create multiple streams of income -- However, don't try to create them all at once.  Patience. 1 or 2 at a time. A steady progression.  Add 1 or 2 per year. Dorie has 8 income streams. "If you're relying on one paycheck, from one employer,  you may be courting disaster." Dorie was laid off on September 10, 2001 -- She received a 4 day severance package... A highly stressful time. "Never be reliant on just one employer" "Side hustles make you a better employee, it liberates you." -- "You can speak truth to power" Dorie's 8 Streams of Revenue: Consulting Executive Coaching Writing Books Teaching at Duke Keynote Speeches Online Courses Affiliate Marketing Mastermind Groups Dorie's online course "Become A Recognized Expert" Create the content Social Proof -- Credibility Strong network -- To be recognize, need to be an expert and have others share the message We discussed the goals Dorie set from her first time on the show (2 years ago): Double email list Have a best selling book Get a girlfriend The importance of joint ventures Why Dorie wants to become an Italian citizen "The thing that gives you courage is the market rate" -- "No one is a competitor" "When someone asks you your fee, find the number that makes you scared and then add 10%" Doing TEDx Switzerland How to build online courses: Surveyed audience -- 1,200 responses Pilot course at discounted rate ($500) Final course ($2,000) -- Premium content, premium price Total cost -- $1,200 (had 150 students paid in full) Video module type courses are lower cost and not as much engagement The $2,000 course has regular follow up and conversations with Dorie in addition to the video work.  Interaction with others in a Facebook group chat as well. -- It has 40+ hours of content created for it... And webinars Dorie Clark is a marketing strategy consultant, professional speaker, and frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review. Recognized as a “branding expert” by the Associated Press, Fortune, and Inc. magazine, she is the author of Entrepreneurial You (Harvard Business Review Press,), Reinventing You, and Stand Out, which was named the #1 Leadership Book of 2015 by Inc. magazine and one of the Top 10 Business Books of the Year by Forbes. It was also a Washington Post bestseller. Clark, whom the New York Times described as an “expert at self-reinvention and helping others make changes in their lives,” consults and speaks for a diverse range of clients, including Google, the World Bank, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, the Ford Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Yale University.  At age 14, Clark entered Mary Baldwin College’s Program for the Exceptionally Gifted. At 18, she graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Smith College, and two years later received a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School.

Episode 229: Henry Cloud - "Be So Good They Can't Ignore You" Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio The Learning Leader Show "If you're a leader, you will get what you create or what you allow." Show Notes: Henry constantly striving to do more... Why? "I'm a practitioner, need to continue doing the work" Advice to "normal" people who have a 9-5 job. Henry was willing to start with very little money, but grew into his passion slowly and kept at it. Inflection points -- My football career.  Henry's gradual growth. Critical mass moments -- Henry did leadership coaching and consulting from day 1. "You have to love what you do." "You have to get moving." "My first book Integrity was written based on my teaching for 15 years."  Boundaries -- A simple, yet profound concept - A property line: This is you "In relationships, people put pressure on us" Leaders are "ridiculously in charge"  -- "If you're leading it, you're in charge" "If you're a leader, you will get what you create or what you allow" 3 Keys to Executive Success (Executive Functions Of The Brain): Attend to most important/what's relevant -- Need to name the priority -- Boundary of Attention No multi-tasking. Your brain CANNOT do this -- Inhibit everything else  Working memory - Must be a flow to it Advice for listeners who have a bad boss? Don't fret, we've all been there Create your own culture, do lunch and learns, build what you want within the situation  Vision Statement -- Get so good they will say, "What are they doing?" How do we grow? How can we do that?" Perform, develop leaders in your own corner of the world/buisness "Be So Good They Can't Ignore You" "They work their butt off"

Episode 228: Renee Mauborgne - How To Make Competition Irrelevant (Blue Ocean Strategy) Renee Mauborgne is the co-author of the global bestseller Blue Ocean Strategy and the just released, indispensable follow-up, BLUE OCEAN SHIFT: Beyond Competing – Proven Steps to Inspire Confidence and Seize New Growth. BLUE OCEAN SHIFT is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller, and an International Bestseller. Her book Blue Ocean Strategy has sold over 3.6 million copies and is recognized as one of the most iconic and impactful strategy books ever written. It is being published in a record-breaking 44 languages and is a bestseller across five continents.  She served on President Barack Obama’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for the President’s two terms. She is also a Fellow of the World Economic Forum. Renee is ranked in the top 3 management gurus in the world in the Thinkers50 listing of the World’s Top Management Gurus. She is the highest placed woman ever on Thinkers50.    "If you're going to look at other people, you're going to look like other people." Show Notes: Common Themes of Leaders who Sustain Excellence: Not focused on competing with others They create their own space, independent point of view Always interested in learning. Focused on pieces of information Insatiable curiosity, high level learner, a note taker Enormous propensity for hard work Smart people don't look for short cuts Willing to reinvent self if needed How to not compare yourself to others? "Focus on  delivering a leap in value -- they will come to you." "I don't look at social media. I look at how creative people are." "We are all far more creative than we think we are" "If you're going to look at other people, you're going to look like other people" Blue Ocean Strategy - What is it? Most companies focus on existing conditions, red oceans, bloody, with sharks Blue ocean companies/people "don't focus on competing, they focus on creating" How can this help someone with a side hustle? Or someone who wants to create a side hustle? Don't go into red oceans - don't do what everyone else does - Create your own distinctive space "It's not about market competing, it's about market creating" When people talk about startups, they think "disrupt" -- Renee prefers "non disruptive creation" Tony Robbins didn't disrupt anything. He created a new market (life coaching). He helped create a $2B market The idea of David killing Goliath is romantic but it doesn't typically work that way New industry recently created -- Viagra, Sesame Street, Coaching to get into MBA school, YouTube stylist, Bumble Growth model Solve a new problem (ie. Cyber Security) Redefine the problem the industry focuses on -- Cirque du Soleil -- "Circus and theatre" AirBnB Expand the opportunity scope "Are there patterns that allow them to be linked" "Creation is not a black box" Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos look to deliver overwhelming value, they do not compete "It's not about market competing. It's about market creating." Social Media: Read: Blue Ocean Strategy Read: Blue Ocean Shift Connect with me on LinkedIn Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

Episode 227: Jeff Goins - How To Be A Thriving Artist (Real Artists Don't Starve) Jeff Goins is a writer, keynote speaker, and award-winning blogger with a reputation for challenging the status quo. He is the best-selling author of five books, including Real Artists Don't Starve, and The Art of Work, which landed on the best­ seller lists of USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, and the Washington Post. His website Goinswriter.com is visited by millions of people every year. Jeff was previously on The Learning Leader Show Episode #028 The Learning Leader Show What does it take to stand out? "Show UP, Do the Work, and most importantly: FOLLOW UP. Nobody does this." Show Notes: Sustained Excellence. Common Themes of Leaders who Sustain Excellence: Passion - A fire to pursue their "why" Discipline - Daily habits, routines, rituals to be best every day Coach K -- Sit down and analyze after every single game to improve Great Learners - Hungry learner. How to do it better? Real Artists don't starve Starving artist vs. Thriving artist The myth of the starving artist Why Michelangelo was a thriving (rich) artist "Do you really have to starve to be an artist?" -- No You aren't born an artist (or a Leader) -- It's a result of the choices you make. The human brain is malleable. A person can learn and master a craft. "Leaders are made. Artists are made." The story of John Grisham -- A lawyer who wrote novels on the side. He wrote one page a day for years... And then he had a novel You can gradually re-create yourself Wake up a little earlier every day and do the work. Make it a habit Change happens slowly The way we talk about it is not actually the way we do it. We do not need to take a giant risk. When we look at the facts, we can take measured risks 2 Resources at The University of Wisconsin -- A study of 5,000 entrepreneurs The Two Types Burn The Boats -- 33% more likely to fail Side Hustlers -- People who didn't initially go "All In" statistically were more likely to succeed It took Jeff two years to quit his job. He built one year of runway The rule of apprenticeship -- Ryan Holiday - Be an Anteambulo. Clear the path for others A "master piece" came from the time of Michaelangelo What it takes to stand out -- Show up, do the work, FOLLOW UP (nobody does this), show what you've learned, help others Jeff has lunch every Wednesday with a mentee -- Rarely do they follow up. Do this. "The best thing you can do is take notes, and follow up. Put it into action." Jeff was/is mentored by Michael Hyatt -- He followed up constantly How do you do X? "It's easy to talk about stuff, it's hard to do it." "If you're teachable, it puts you in a class of people that sits apart." Do not work for free -- The rule of value Charging brings dignity to the work "Working for free is often not the opportunity we think it is" "Leaders are made. Artists are made." -- "You aren't born an artists." Social Media: Read: Real Artists Don't Starve Follow Jeff on Twitter: @JeffGoins Connect with me on LinkedIn Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12  

Episode 226: Steve Wojciechowski - How To Win Every Day Steve Wojciechowski is the head basketball coach at Marquette University. He has has enjoyed a wealth of success in collegiate basketball as both a player and a coach. Wojo has established his “Win Every Day” philosophy as the foundation for the Marquette program. Wojciechowski also served as court coach and scout for the USA Basketball Men's National Team. He helped lead on-court duties as well as game preparation from 2006-12, including the program's gold-medal performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics. The Olympic teams included NBA greats such as Marquette alumnus Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. As a player, Wojciechowski ("Wojo") was named the top defensive player in the country his senior year, a two-time All-ACC choice and honorable mention Associated Press All-America. He appeared in 128 career games for the Blue Devils and earned 88 starting assignments. The Learning Leader Show "My greatest edge was that I didn't think I had an edge." Show Notes: Sustained Excellence. Common Themes of Leaders who Sustain Excellence: Passion - A fire to pursue their "why" Discipline - Daily habits, routines, rituals to be best every day Coach K -- Sit down and analyze after every single game to improve Great Learners - Hungry learner. How to do it better? WIN Everyday - daily process to pursue excellence in every way. Basketball is a vehicle for that (for Steve) Develop trust - "Not always done quickly, but definitely done intentionally. Must be consistent, you must do what you say you will do" Wojo's Dad's hard hat -- It's hanging up at his house as a reminder of what hard work looks like "The first great team I was on was the Wojciechowski team. My dad was a longshoreman. Did hard work and hard labor." Going to Jesse Itzler and Sara Blakely's retreat. A 90 yard hill, 40% grade... An endurance race Growth - Getting outside of your comfort zone "As a long time listener of your show, I marvel at your guests" "My greatest edge was that I didn't think I had an edge" Why it was important to be teamed with Russians and other international players who didn't speak English at a high school all star camp Coach Krzyzewski (Coach K)'s reason for excellence: Ability to build relationships with players as people Incredible communication skills Intentionally taking time to build relationships Preparation - Disciplined preparation Habits, routines "His preparation on a daily basis is championship level" How has Coach K showed Level 5 leadership to help his assistant coaches be great when they earn their own head coaching job? "He allows coaches to take ownership - He pushed them and allowed them to have a voice. On the job learning" Culture Start with your value system: What do you believe in? How do you build it? Wojo's Stated Values: Pursuing excellence - WIN every day Being Selfless Being Accountable - "Do what you say you're going to do" Being Relentlessly competitive Discipline - Do what need to do at the time it needs to be done How is it coaching millennials? There is a lot of noise. Continuous feedback loop. Need to be constantly engaged. But kids still want the same things... They want to grow, want discipline, be part of something special... Something bigger than them How to communicate with young people? Social media: Must use it, need to be there Spend most time face to face with them Typical day? Be intentional about how allocate time Plan ahead -- Must cover what's most important. Must prioritize Control own energy - Track sleep and work out daily Set weekly goals (write them down) for face to face interactions, time to learn/read/podcast listening, time with family/friends. Carry a book to help keep track "Sometimes I fail, sometimes I crush it" Read The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy Read Legacy Learning Leader - I was first turned on to the show because of the title. Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant - "Their ability to learn was what I was impressed with most about them. LeBron remembered everything you said." "How"Their ability to learn was what I was impressed with most. LeBron remembered everything you said." -- Wojo discussing his time coaching Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant

Episode 225: Dan Heath - The Power Of Defining Moments Dan Heath is a Senior Fellow at Duke University’s CASE center, which supports social entrepreneurs. At CASE, he founded the Change Academy, a program designed to boost the impact of social sector leaders. Dan is the co-author, along with his brother Chip, of three New York Times bestsellers: Decisive, Switch, and Made to Stick. Amazon.com’s editors named Switch one of the Best Nonfiction Books of the Year, and it spent 47 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list. Made to Stick was named the Best Business Book of the Year and spent 24 months on the BusinessWeek bestseller list. Their books have been translated into over 30 languages. Previously, Dan worked as a researcher and case writer for Harvard Business School. In 1997, Dan co-founded an innovative publishing company called Thinkwell, which continues to produce a radically reinvented line of college textbooks. Dan has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from the Plan II Honors Program from the University of Texas at Austin. One proud geeky moment for Dan was his victory in the 2005 New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest, beating out 13,000 other entrants. He lives in Durham, NC. What have you failed at this week?" "There's no such thing as a good mentor who doesn't push you." Show Notes: Sustained Excellence. Common Themes of Leaders who Sustain Excellence: Decision making - The ability to make a string of good decisions Avoid traps Narrow framing -- Cannot just think of 1 option Decisions are often made because of political reasons, persuasive people, or PowerPoint... They should be made through experiments instead The process of writing with his brother Chip Heath 10 year age gap (54-44) They are different people. The work is the glue for their relationship Chip is a professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business The life changing effect of their book Switch. They hit the jackpot --> Time magazine, The Today Show What is it that allows change to happen? Our brains are wired with two independent systems: Rational Emotional What makes change difficult is when those 2 disagree... The same forces are at place within organizations. The heart of Switch -- The emotional side is stronger than the rational side. We must get that in order to change. How do we make an experience better? -- We must take the reins to make a moment better The John Deere new hire experience -- You leave your first day thinking "Wow, I belong here." They intentionally take care of their people. Transition moments are so important. We need to pay attention to them and be aware. --> Graduation, weddings, retirement, first day at a new job, etc "Cultures pay attention to big moments" Sara Blakely story growing up... The question her Dad asked her and her siblings at the dinner table -- "What have you failed at this week?" We need to get comfortable with trying new things... And failing sometimes. It builds resilience, GRIT David Scott Yaeger 2 part formula for mentors and mentees High Standards + Assurance -- "I have high expectations for you... And I know you can do it." "There's no such thing as a good mentor who doesn't push you." -- STRETCH The powerful story of Eugene O'Kelly and how he chose to live his life when he found out he had 3 months left to live "I experienced more Perfect moments and Perfect days in two weeks than I had in the last 5 years or than I probably would have in the next 5 years had my life continued without the diagnosis." Look at your own calendar, do you see perfect days ahead? Could you create 30 perfect days? What would it take to motivate you to create a Perfect Moment? "How Look at your own calendar, do you see perfect days ahead? Could you create 30 perfect days? What would it take to motivate you to create a Perfect Moment?"   Social Media: Read: Switch Read: The Power Of Moments 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 Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell The Learning Leader Show is supported by Callaway Golf. We have partnered to give away The #1 selling Driver in 2017.  The Callaway GBB Epic Driver.  This club is valued at $499 and we are giving one away to a loyal listener of the show.  To enter the drawing: Tweet (or post on Instagram) a favorite leadership quote from an episode of The Learning Leader Show and tag/@ me on Twitter or Instagram.

Mike McDerment is the co-founder and CEO of FreshBooks, the world’s #1 cloud accounting software for self-employed professionals. Built in 2003 after he accidentally saved over an invoice, Mike spent 3.5 years growing FreshBooks from his parents’ basement. Since then, over 10 million people have used FreshBooks to save time billing, and collect billions of dollars. The Learning Leader Show "We give trust to earn trust. Lead with trust. That's the world I want to live in." Show Notes: Sustained Excellence. Common Themes of Leaders who Sustain Excellence: Been through something hard Strong morals - set of values, make upstanding decisions, believe in people, don't compromise Creative Surround self with great people Strong desire to grow Default Trust to "ON" First Principles -- Distill things down to underlying system: The act of taking a problem and breaking it down Building FreshBooks -- "I didn't know anything about anything." The #1 place to work -- have won awards for their culture What do you do? "We are in the business of saving people time." Moving to his parents basement to start the business... Running lean Culture takes deliberate thought Must have people who are diverse but share your values Need guidelines/rule sets The 9 Values: Passion - Love your craft Ownership Results Change - Bring learning and growth Honesty Fun - Deliberately make it fun Empathy Strive - Stretch Trust Secrecy - Open inside, but nothing leaves from inside Values/Culture used in 2 ways Publicly recognize people living the values Swiftly eliminate people who don't embody those values - Listen, hear, be open. Recognize that cultures need to be hacked, evolve, change. Inner office dating? Why is that promoted? What does it mean? Everyone spends the first month in customer service. All build that foundation -- Why they prolong onboarding and how that leads to long term success Make decisions today to win in 3-5 years Decided to re-platform even though the rule is to "never re-write or re-platform" "How do you minimize risk, but maximize impact?" "Something that no one had ever done before. Create a new company in secret." Lead with trust: "We give trust to earn trust. Lead with trust. That's the world I want to live in." Imposter Syndrome and FEAR. Embracing it "Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable" -- It's the path to growth. Nobody has all of the answers Advice to 20 year old -- He was lost, not doing well. Realize that everyone else is too. Nobody knows what they are doing even if it looks like they do." Read -- E Myth (Michael Gerber), Idea Virus (Seth Godin), Execution (Ram Charan) Learning Leader -- Per Mike, "That's me." The challenge & personal growth. "How do you minimize risk and maximize impact?" Social Media: Read: Execution - Ram Charan Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeMcDerment 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 Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

The Learning Leader Show 223: Kim Malone Scott - Using Radical Candor To Be A Great Boss "It is important for leaders to be learners, not tellers." Show Notes: Sustained Excellence. Common Themes of Leaders who Sustain Excellence: They care about their people as humans, they care personally They are honest, not worried about being liked all the time, they are willing to challenge directly Can you be both liked and respected? Yes, but you shouldn't strive to be popular Jony Ive and Steve Jobs story -- Steve told them the team their work was of poor quality. Jony said, "Why were you so harsh Steve?" Steve asked, "Why didn't you tell them the work was bad? It's your job to do that." Jony replied, "I didn't want them to be upset or distraught." Steve said, "You are vain. You just want to be liked." The biggest mistake new bosses make is trying to be liked by everyone and NOT being direct. Your employees should never have to say, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" -- A great boss gives directly feedback in a timely manner A great boss creates an environment where everyone can tell the truth (up, down, and sideways in an organization) Understand the framework How to created this culture? Start by asking for feedback. You can't give feedback if you're not willing to take it. Go to question: "What could I be doing to make it better for you?" Use a "Start, Stop, Continue" exercise Create a "Speak Truth To Power" environment Embrace the discomfort "Listen with the intent to understand... Not just waiting to talk." Must reward the candor -- When you receive good feedback, you must implement it. You must fix the problem. Google/Sheryl Sandberg story Sheryl's feedback: "You said "um" a lot during that presentation, would you like a speech coach?" -- "No, I'm fine, thanks." -- "Kim, when you say "um" every third word, it makes you sound stupid." Sheryl knew she need to be very direct with Kim and they built a relationship of trust and care. That's the only way she was able to get through to Kim and help her Hiring is the most important decision you will make as a leader "If you're not dying to work with that person, don't hire them" Steve Jobs - "It's better to have a hole than an asshole" Dick Costolo - "You can't just hire great people and get out of their way. You must invest time in helping them, develop them even more." Jony Ive - "New ideas are fragile. You must create space to talk about them." "Your job as the boss isn't to be the decider, it's to make sure everyone knows who the decider is." The Wright Brothers -- Watching birds for hours --> Learning how to build wings for human airplane flight Dick Costolo -- Build in 2 hours of "think time" per day in your calendar Career advice: "Quit talk of building a great resume, build a great life" Find people to have career talks with... Recount your life story with them. Zero in on changes you've made. Think "What motivates you about work?" Understand what drives you, what matters, why? -- Think about your dreams... Make sure your dreams and values are in alignment. Create a plan "It is important for leaders to be learners, not tellers." "When you say "Um" every third word, it makes you sound stupid." -- Sheryl Sandberg's direct feedback to Kim after a presentation to Larry & Sergei   Social Media: Read: Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity Follow Kim on Twitter: @kimballscott 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 Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell The Learning Leader Show is supported by Callaway Golf. We have partnered to give away The #1 selling Driver in 2017.  The Callaway GBB Epic Driver.  This club is valued at $499 and we are giving one away to a loyal listener of the show.  To enter the drawing: Tweet (or post on Instagram) a favorite leadership quote from an episode of The Learning Leader Show and tag/@ me on Twitter or Instagram.

Jon Acuff is back for a second time on The Learning Leader Show! JON ACUFF is the author of five books, including the New York Times Bestseller Do Over. For nineteen years he’s helped companies like the Home Depot, Bose, Staples, and AutoTrader.com tell their stories. He’s a well-known public speaker, and his blogs have been read by millions of fans. His most recent book is: Finish - Give Yourself The Gift of Done. If you'd like to listen to the first conversation Jon and I had on January 27, 2016, CLICK HERE. Episode 222: Jon Acuff Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio The Learning Leader Show Want to write a book? "What question are you willing to spend two years answering?" Show Notes: Why Jon dedicated this new book to his parents and their belief in him as a writer His Dad was a pastor, a communicator. Have to learn how to shape ideas and be a speaker What took so long for Jon to believe he was a writer? "I'm a writer. When you do it enough, it becomes possible. I've written six books." Why this book? "People say, I like your book Start, but I never finish, how do I finish?" Like Jim Collins, Jon says, "What is a question I'm willing to spend two years answering?" 91% of Americans want to write a book and less than 1% of them do it "I want this thing to be part of my life... This has multiple applications." James Clear says it's the friction at the start... Lacing up the shoes and beginning the run. Jon reply "Is it harder to buy a treadmill or use the treadmill?" This is built on research. 900 participants. It is a data driven book How to mix in humor... Why to study stand up comedians? "I've watched 100 stand up comedians for every 1 business leader" "If you want to enjoy the internet more, you must know it's not about you. It never is." -- People are thinking about themselves (Tracy McGrady & JR Smith) Goal Setting: Cut them in half, make the goals smaller Test principles -- Look to be 5%-10% better "Before I set a goal, I make sure it is the right size" How this relates to setting sales goals/quotas in a big company Need a culture of honesty and realistic goals in order to thrive, grow, and survive "A goal is a promise to yourself" "Make it fun if you want it done" Satisfaction goes up Performance goes up How to get something done? Reward Fear Which one do you better respond to? You need to know. How about the people that work for you? You need to know How Jon will read 156 books this year What is the story you want to tell your kids?  Are you proud of what you do everyday? "The old rules don't apply anymore... The faucet of freelance money can turn on." Why do some have "the fear of success?" Fear of money Fear of high expectations Self sabotage Fear of "what's next?"