The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk We are hosting a workshop on developing YOUR personal excellence as a leader. For details and availability, go to RyanHawk.me #267: Louie Anderson - How To Crush It on Stage From One Of The Greatest Stand-Up Comedians of All Time Show Notes: Louie's approach to stand up comedy -- It appears as if he is just "riffing off the cuff," however it is highly structured and prepared The pain of growing up with an alcoholic dad and how that fueled him as a professional This helps him pull from any of it at anytimeCreating a catalog of material It takes years to develop "I'm in complete control." That gives Louie the ability to handle a heckler in the crowd or go with a comment and tell an additional joke Going on Johnny Carson or Conan "They don't step on your lines, but they are prepared for where the conversation is going to go." "Just like you, I've worked hard to create freedom with my work." Sustaining excellence: "Be who you are" Ask yourself, "Does this mean something to you? If it doesn't mean something to you, why would it mean anything to someone else?" Confidence Nervous before a performance? "It depends on the event and how much importance I put on it." -- Saturday Night Live was a nerve racking experience Advice to keynote speakers? Be prepared Know your message Surprise the audience Piggy back on a great introduction -- Listen to the room prior to your time on stage "I'm always tilling the ground for comedy bits." Storytelling: "Tell them something they don't know. Humanize the story. Give a piece of yourself. Don't lecture." How did he get his start as a comedian? "A dare. I was a social worker and went up on stage for an open mic night and it went great." "I volunteered to be the emcee for experience." "Don't be afraid of trying new things" The importance of "getting the reps:" "I did seven nights a week, four shows per night. I was creating who I was." "We don't see all the work that goes into being great on stage. It takes years and years of work." "You need good friends who will tell you the truth." His mom's best advice: "Be nice to people. You never know what they're going through." Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea Use the "Get To Know You Document" Social Media: Follow Louie on Twitter: @LouieAnderson Read: Hey Mom 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 #266: Ryan Caldbeck - CircleUp CEO: How To Build The Frameworks Of Your Life & Career We are hosting a workshop on developing YOUR personal excellence as a leader. For details and availability, go to RyanHawk.me The Learning Leader Show "What we look for in a person: Horsepower, Integrity, Work Ethic, Teamwork, Pride." Show Notes: Sustaining excellence: Persistence - regardless of skill, willing to run through unlimited doors with no light at the end of the tunnel. It can be soul crushing Identified focus passion - an understanding of the passion that is identifiable. Drive - A motor. Really good at email and/or communication. Can't take too long. "Have a motor." Always moving Values - "I don't say that lightly." You can't sustain excellence without values. "A framework to understand you." Isn't it hard to know what your passion is? "Yes. I got scared about the treadmill that I saw others get on." However, people don't think they can leave the corporate job that pays well. But you can. Begin by thinking about the framework to make it happen. "Silicon Valley is a hard town to talk about challenges." What it's like to lead 60 employees What mistakes were made in the hiring process? "We took too long to make frameworks." "Frameworks show others what to do." What traits/values do you look for in hiring? "The airport test doesn't make sense to me. I don't have to want to spend a day around them in the airport." "We have crystallized what we look for in a person." Horsepower - intelligence over experience Integrity - don't talk negatively about others Work ethic - must be willing to work hard Teamwork - need to work well with others Pride - Care How to gauge work ethic in a job interview? "It starts with everyone knowing we are looking for that." Advice for the individual contributor making the leap to manager... "Figure out framework for your specific role. Get clarity on what each person's role is." "Learn how to develop empathy for what your team goes through. Sit with them without micromanaging them." "Make sure you have a resource (person) to talk to about being a manager. Hire a coach. Get a peer group outside of your company." Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea Ryan has a coach and a group of 12 CEO's that he meets with regularly Building culture: Focus on your mission "To help entrepreneurs thrive by giving them the capital and resources they need." Their Values: Do it right Be brave Be a solution Constantly reinforce the vision Most useful advice: Winston Churchill - "Never give up." "Do what you're passionate about" How to have balance at home? Two kids and his wife is a senior leader at her company Mediation after the kids go to bed Online working from 8:30-10:00 Spend time with spouse only Use the "Get To Know You Document" "If you don't keep growing, you will become irrelevant." Social Media: Read Ryan's tweet storms: @ryan_caldbeck 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 234: Jocko Willink -- Why Discipline Equals Freedom

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk Episode #265: Clay Mathile - Self Made Billionaire Shares His Keys To Success Former CEO and owner of The Iams Company, Clay is the founder and Chairman of the Board of Aileron. He believes strongly in free enterprise and has a high respect for business owners who risk their capital to employ others. Clay attributes professional management as one of the key reasons he was able to grow Iams to a $1 billion organization. In 1999, the Mathile family sold Iams to international conglomerate Procter & Gamble for the sum of $2.3 billion. The Learning Leader Show "I bought the business with borrowed money. I was scared to death. I didn't know how to run a business. I had to learn." -- Clay Mathile describes his feelings after buying Iams Show Notes: Sustaining excellence: Vision of what they want to do and where they want to go A good idea of how to get there Committed to their vision and idea Clay's 4 things he wanted Own his own business Have that business be something that was excellent and stood for something To help entrepreneurs grow To use technology learned to help develop food for indigenous people Was hired at Iams in 1970 as the 7th employee It took five years to figure out the problems and five more years to fix it Convinced Paul Iams to sell Iams to him in 1975 (half) and the rest in 1981 Borrowed money to buy it Why Clay? "Paul had seen me work and seen me make an impact on the business. I spent a lot of time on the sales and marketing strategy." Focused on the breeders and vets. The people who influence the actual user. Clay was ahead of his time. Went to President's Course in 1982 at American Management Association "I'm scared to death, I don't know how to run a business. I needed to learn." The key was hiring a President and super charging their growth What went in the decision to sell the company? Sat down with his family to decide what each child wanted to do - "They all wanted to chase their own dreams, their own passions. They didn't want to own Iams." The CEO of Procter & Gamble called... Clay takes us inside the room to negotiate the deal: "We told them what our number was... And they exceeded it. It ended up with $2.3 billion." Starting the family office in anticipation of the sale of his business -- To build a new organization for the future. Aileron started as the center for entrepreneur organizations in 1994 Aileron - "We give lift and guidance to the business owner." "How can I possibly repay you?" -- Clay said to his mentors. They said, "Don't pay me... Just pass it on to others." "People are looking for immediate help for a problem they are having right now. And we've designed this place to help them solve those problems." Been married for 55 years, have raised a successful family... How? "When I was home, I was home. I was present. I wasn't playing golf or out with the boys." Keys: "Trust... You have to like the person too. Like hanging out with them." Why everyone should have a board? "They see things that you don't see. A strategic overview. It's something you can't do yourself." "After you've been in business for 10 years, 75% of all problems are because of you." Having a "Personal Board of Advisors" "I recommend all senior executives have mentors. All you have to do is ask. I've never had anyone turn me down when I've asked them." "Build trust and mutual respect." Culture "I built it so I could work in it." "I had strange things in my management style. I was promoting empowerment before it was popular." "Most people do the right things for the right reasons if you put them in the right environment." "The value of the individual is so important. Treat them with respect. They feel important and special. I saw every single employee at least once per year all over the world." "People are inherently good." Bad leaders = "Big egos, not trusting of others, insecure people." "When you push people outside of their comfort zone, you can't beat on them when they fail. You have to let them make mistakes." Individual contributor to manager jump... Advice: "You have to accept the fact that management is a profession as anything else is a profession." "Just because you're the best sales person doesn't mean you'll be the best sales person." "As a manager, you're job is to develop others." "You need to manage spontaneity, responsiveness. Don't react, be proactive." A good example of a proactive leader is a fire chief: They analyze the situation prior to making decisions. Manage in crisis "In 1984, we built Iams University to help people learn..." Most passionate about? "Teaching people, focus on the dreams of the people. Read the book Dream Manager. That's what we're all about." Example of a typical day: "I do about anything I want to do." One dream for Aileron -- "It will survive forever." Learning Leader = You have to be a continuous learner How much of his success is luck? "60% luck. Be in the right place at the right time." "Your listeners need to think about passing it on. To help others." Use the "Get To Know You Document" "We give lift and guidance to the business owner." Social Media: Read: Run Your Business, Don't Let It Run You 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 234: Jocko Willink -- Why Discipline Equals Freedom

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk Episode #264: Liv Boeree - The Three Life Lessons From The Poker Table Liv Boeree is a poker player, television presenter and speaker. She is a World Series of Poker and 2010 European Poker Tour champion, and is the only female player in history to hold both titles. Born in Kent, Boeree studied at Ashford School before going on to earn a First Class Honours degree in Physics with Astrophysics at the University of Manchester. Livis a three time winner of the Global Poker Index European Female Player of the year and currently sits at #5 on the female all-time live poker winnings list. We are hosting a workshop on developing YOUR personal excellence as a leader. For details and availability, go to RyanHawk.me The Learning Leader Show "Our instincts are built off our life experiences." Show Notes: Sustaining excellence: Humility to continue question themselves Growth mindset Confidence Curiosity to try new things "My hyper competitive mindset propelled me to do well in school... Even though I wasn't as naturally smart as others. I had to work at it." There are two people that exist in the world: Those who are humble and those who are about to be humbled. Why poker? "I wanted to be a musician and a rock star, but I wasn't good enough. Poker was even better. I'm able to play a great game and travel the world." The mental framework of Poker: The foundation: Rational decision making Communication skill Read LessWrong.com How does poker thinking apply to life? "Our instincts are built off our life experiences" -- The Jesse Itzler model for decision making (trust your gut) vs the analytical approach... They are more similar than you think How can you tell when someone is bluffing? (lying) "It's rare that people have physical tells" Most of the time it's based on the math and your knowledge of how that person has played in the past (you see what they have played) How poker relates to the interview process... How can you spot when someone isn't telling the truth in a job interview? "Ask them to re-tell their career story... But this time do it backwards" --- It's hard to do this unless you are telling the truth Look for baseline behaviors when you meet someone and they don't feel like they are in the "interview process" yet Walking in from their car, checking in, going to happy hour, dinner Thoughtfulness -- Are they willing to admit a mistake Three life lessons from the poker table: Quantifying - Increase granularity in thinking. Willingness to work in uncertainty. What action will achieve the best response? Intuition can be great with lots of data, but it's not magic Don't let a run of good luck make you think you're good But how can you know the difference? -- Find a great set of peers who will tell you the truth Advice to an amateur player in the World Series main event of poker Recognize the other players at the table. Who is great? Who isn't? Watch closely when you are not in the hands to see the showdown value and gain information. Balance your play based on who is in the hand with you Read WaitButWhy.com from Tim Urban "There is no other leader than The Learning Leader." Use the "Get To Know You Document" "If you don't keep growing, you will become irrelevant." Social Media: See why over 130,00 people follow Liv on Twitter: @Liv_Boeree 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 #263: Charlie McMahan - How To Build A Tribe From 50 To 5,000 Charlie McMahan has been the Lead Pastor of SouthBrook Church since 1992. He is driven by a deep concern for those who may feel like they don't belong in a church and a sincere hope that anyone who struggles with faith can end up with a life that looks like the life of Jesus. He is focused on developing future leaders and spends many hours a week mentoring others (including me!). Charlie has led SouthBrook from a small church that originally met in an elementary school to now hosting more than 5,000 members per weekend. He has a deep understanding for how to build a loyal tribe of people. The Learning Leader Show "The Process: Teaser, Tension, Truth, Take Home, Together." Show Notes: Sustaining excellence: Integrated people - They aren't chasing a bunch of different things Consolidated on the self mission Focused - Not distracted Family Charlie's dad was gone 25 days a month (he later found out he was in the CIA) The reason he turns down big opportunities is because he doesn't want to travel and wants to be with his family Levels of communication with kids Don't spend money on stuff, spend money on experiences -- Their place is Hilton Head Process for Charlie's performances (his speeches/sermons) The word entertainment means "To hold people's attention" The Process: Teaser - Something that grabs you Tension - The inductive part of speaking that you have to do today. So the listeners know "this is important." If you don't do this, people will leave Truth Take Home - The practical "do" Together - "Isn't this the kind of person we want to be?" Most preachers were trained to be deductive... You can't do that now. You need to help them draw their own conclusions. Finding a way to weave stories and science together The Medici Effect - The renaissance happened because seemingly disconnected entities were connected. "I'm always figuring out how disconnected entities connect" "The upside of stress" "Emotions are like waves. You can't choose which ones come, but you can choose which to ride." Choose to embrace stress, it can have a positive impact on you Create a habit of how you look at life: How long did it take you to put this message together? "30 hours and a lifetime." The intersection of the reality of the struggles with Charlie's kids and applying it to the lives of the people you serve What is it like to be the children of someone as successful as Charlie? "Our kids had so much pressure on them. We didn't appreciate how much it was." "The Famous Father Syndrome" - Kids choose to differentiate from their parents because they can't win that game Advice give to parents: "When you walk in the room, the temperature will go up for them. Kids need stress to grow." "The stress free life is the dying life" "When we walked in the room, the temperature went way up for my kids. The same heat that drove me, burned them." --> "Most parenting things you learn 5 minutes too late" PLAY - Personality type, Learning style, Ability level, Yes factor -- "You don't have to cave under the pressure. It doesn't have to destroy you" Growing a church from 50 people to 5,000 per weekend. How? Has to be a commitment to excellence that is YOU -- Has to be in ALL areas of your life. "Excellence is a habit." "Excellence is expressing my worth... Ennobling others because I care. Perfectionism is trying to earn my worth by being perfect... And that is dangerous." Be careful to not think, "I have to be perfect or I"m not worth anything." "Maturity is way underrated" "Excellence comes out of peace. In excellence the process is as much of importance as the product." "I don't have grammatical errors on the manuscript that nobody else ever sees." "Excellence is the right people doing the right things for the right reasons." "The right motivations are not so compulsive." "The constant burden of leadership is the constant interception of entropy." "There is constant gravitational pull to become like everyone else." "Our church is for someone who doesn't like church." Why? "Because I didn't like church." How do you handle the immense value of YOU as the leader? And the success moving forward without you? "We're constantly in process of finding the next leader." "When you've been some place a long time, you become in the way." Level 5 leader helps a place be better after they are gone How to build a tribe? Max DuPree - What are your unique tribal speaks? The 5 S's of SouthBrook: Solitude, Scripture, Service, Support, Significant Events "A Tribe is where story and strategy meet." What is it like the minute before you go on stage? "I used to panic. It took me 10 years to get over the "what am I doing!?" "Leading is so presumptuous." "I've never stepped behind a microphone where I didn't believe that I could save people's lives. I truly believe every word I'm saying." "I can't wait to share this." "I didn't think about public speaking until I had to give a three minute speech my junior year in college. Something happened at that speech. People leaned in." "Hitting the 10,000 hour mark has helped me. It's easier to prepare. I'm a huge believer in putting in the time." Charlie writes 3,500 words per week. Then put on the iPad and have it while on stage... "I memorize that by Friday." "I'm a master at self condemnation." Why be so critical of yourself? "It can be a safety mechanism. If we self criticize, we won't get as much criticism. And it does connect with people." Developing future leaders "The test of leadership is the ability to reproduce yourself in others... The good parts of yourself that should be reproduced." "The path from direction to delegation" "If I don't succeed in succession, then I will have failed." "You can't be a farmer, you have to be a rancher who raises up other farmers." Ron Howard and Sam Jones -- Why Wall Street leaders hire former athletes? "We like to hire athletes because they lose so much. They are forced to respond to failure." "I lose every day. I'm not good at having an accurate understanding of myself. I need people around me." "I was a world class (basketball) shooter. I shot 96% from the free throw line." Charlie was national player of the year. "Grit is the only talent. Those tough moments are the character builders." Charlie's biggest challenge today? -- "Figuring out a way to build a succession plan and not leave too soon. I live in that tension everyday." "When I watch myself speak, I don't think it's very good." The importance of hobbies How does it take a toll on your when you can't please everybody? "Leadership is the art of disappointing people at a rate they can handle. You cannot sustain trying to please everyone. " The importance of continued growth and having an apprentice PB&J Have to have people ahead of you, stretch you, challenge you Need people alongside you, your peers, in it together, consolidate over shared stories We grow most when we have people to teach. To pour in to... "Writing makes a person exact. If it's hazy in the podium, it will be foggy in the chair." "If you can't listen, you can't lead." "There is no other leader than The Learning Leader." Use the "Get To Know You Document" "If you don't keep growing, you will become irrelevant." Social Media: Follow Charlie on Twitter: @CharlieBMcMahan 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 234: Jocko Willink -- Why Discipline Equals Freedom

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk #262: Keith Yamashita - The Keys To Great Execution (Oprah, Starbucks, Steve Jobs) Keith Yamashita has led SYPartners for the past two decades, a practice that collaborates with CEOs and their leadership teams to build great companies and organizations. He's worked with leaders at Apple, eBay, IBM, General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Facebook, Nike, Starbucks, and Target Corporation, among others. SYPartners has been recognized by The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and Fortune for its unique, human-centered approach, applied to both business and social challenges. Earlier in Keith's career, he was the chief writer for Steve Jobs. The Learning Leader Show Action Step - "Build a daily contemplative practice to create mind-fitness." Show Notes: Sustaining excellence: The ability to envision a future that doesn't currently exist -- Make it a reality Optimistic Creative A diverse background Authentic communicator Daring and bold People Keith has worked with who have sustained excellence: Oprah Winfrey - magnetic personality, she can envision the future we want. She constantly re imagines herself. She has a strong creative core. She has a sense of deep creativity. Howard Schultz - He's always restless, reinvents regularly. He's earned 9,000% return on investors money How do you respond when Oprah calls you for help? "We are always on the outer edge of incompetence. We take on projects that we don't know the answer to. And then figure it out. We respond to those calls with deep humility." Why choose Keith and SYPartners? "If a leader wants to try something new... We help them experiment." Starbucks: Closed 8,000 stores for racial bias training. Keith and team helped them build new habits SYPartners origin story: "Our goal has never been to be famous, our goal is to be impactful" 25 years ago with "three partners and $912 in my checking account" Started as a communications firm --> Strategy --> Innovation --> Culture --> Transformation There are 200 employees now "We fight for greatness. We help leaders choose a more daring path" "Everything is set with intentions" --> "Set your intentions and be very open to the universe" How do you respond to skeptics? "When I started I had $912 in my checking account. I had to borrow money for rent." Only you know what's inside of you. "Your skepticism needs to be inward, not outward." "If greatness is your choice, it's not made in big leaps, it's made in daily focus." "Micro actions add up" How to make the leap from individual contributor to manager? Leadfully.com has been helpful What was it like working for Steve Jobs? "I showed up with writing samples. He said they were awful. He was testing me to see if I believed in my work. It was the worst interview of my life... However, I got the job." "He's the toughest boss I ever had. But I learned more from him than anyone I've worked for." Steve was gifted in seeing what people were capable of and he was willing to push. He knew how to motivate you to your capacity The danger in mimicking Steve's behavior? "People try to mimic the behavior, but they don't have his intentions." Mimicking the behavior without the intentions is a recipe for disaster. Execution and implementation: Mind-fitness - Creativity in moments that matter. Be connected to others in a calm way. Ideas are just ideas. "You can train your mind to be present in this moment." Don't judge others. "Build a daily contemplative process." Build a daily creative practice - Read, write, take notes, be awake, alive, aware. Get a folder, cut out articles, pictures. Create inspiration. Recall past events. Understand what moment you're in - What's happening? Develop keen awareness to the moments Why books are the greatest investment ever (my thoughts) Use the "Get To Know You Document"

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk #261: Darryl Strawberry - MLB Superstar: World Series, Home Runs, & Substance Abuse Darryl Strawberry helped lead the New York Mets to a World Series championship and the New York Yankees to three World Series championships. He was also suspended three times by Major League Baseball for substance abuse. He was a nine time all star and he hit 335 home runs during his illustrious career. He is an ordained minister, speaker, and author. He is taking his message to the masses with his new book, Don't Give Up On Me -- Shedding Light on Addiction. The Learning Leader Show "My Dad beat the crap out of me. He told me I would never amount to anything. I believed him." -- Darryl Strawberry Show Notes: Sustaining excellence: A calming presence... Confidence in what you know Time spent learning to lead Davey Johnson and Joe Torre -- A measured, confident approach to understanding each individual and how they needed to be managed Best teammates? Gary Carter Keith Hernandez Lead by example type people... Those who are consistently doing the work every single day They understand how to prepare and do not get distracted from the work Darryl struggled to be consistent because of his wondering focus How to bounce out of a slump? "When you're 2 for 30, how do you get yourself out of a jam? Go to the batting cage and do the work." What was the key to winning the World Series in 1986? "A complete team effort. We were a WHOLE team. Complete. Every guy did their part." Why did Darryl use drugs? "An emptiness. I've never been well on the inside. Pain led me to greatness, but was also the cause for drug use." "My dad beat the crap out of me. He told me I would never be anything and I believed him." Why are so many world class athletes insecure? "They are yearning for love and do not always get it. I never had a good Dad. I had to learn lessons on my own. Nobody taught me." Advice to young people who do not have a Dad? "Listen to your mom. I wish I would have. Take her direction. Allow mentors to help you. Allow people to power into your life. It was hard for me to trust people." Being a dad to successful athletes -- (His sons are professional basketball players and his daughters are scholarship volleyball players) "I did not coach them, but I encourage them continually work to get better. I didn't push them to play baseball." The Doc and Darryl 30 For 30 "I love Doc. We are still good friends. We've been through a lot." Why write Don't Give Up On Me? "There are so many problems in the world. Addiction is everywhere. I want to help people. I was great, but broken at the same time." A defining moment? His wife said, "If you're ever going to get well, you have to take that uniform off." Had to stop identifying as a baseball player "You must take responsibility for your actions" "You need people in your inner circle who will be honest with you and tell you no." Day to day work: Pastor, travel, bring hope to those who are struggling" Would you ever work in baseball again? "No... Unless Derek Jeter called and asked me to help his team." Toughest pitcher ever faced? Nolan Ryan Why were you a great hitter? Preparation... On deck circle. Always getting ready "Focus on hitting line drives to the opposite field. That's how you know you're on it" -- Keith Hernandez was very helpful "It's about people. I should have been dead, had cancer twice, chased women, drug issues. I have urgency everyday." Use the "Get To Know You Document" "It's about people. I should have been dead. I had cancer twice, chased women, had drug issues. I have urgency everyday." Social Media: Read: Don't Give Up On Me 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 234: Jocko Willink -- Why Discipline Equals Freedom

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk Episode #260: Mark Divine - How To Create An Unbeatable Mind At twenty-six Mark Divine graduated as Honor Man (#1-ranked trainee) of SEAL BUD/S class number 170. Mark served for nine years total on active duty and eleven as a Reserve SEAL, retiring as Commander in 2011. His leadership of teams was so effective the government tasked him with creating a nationwide mentoring program for SEAL trainees. He earned his MBA at NYU. In 2007 he launched the SEALFIT program to provide transformational personal and team training experiences. The training utilizes an integrated warrior development model he developed, called Unbeatable Mind, which draws from his 20 years as a SEAL and business leader, 25 years as a martial artist and 15 years as yoga practitioner. Mark has written has written four books, including The Way of The SEAL, and Unbeatable Mind. The Learning Leader Show "Do today what others aren't willing to do. You're 20X more capable than what you think." Show Notes: Sustaining excellence: People who have practices that value excellence and practice it regularly Optimized training, sleep, and balance Mental health: Meditation, nature, learning, reducing potential to be stuck in biases Emotional health: Not afraid of going to therapy, spritual Why is therapy helpful? Mark married a therapist They can be an emotional coach "It's preventative maintenance" --> Must be proactive A "check up from the neck up" You should always be investing in improving your "self" Be mindful - yoga, zen. It's an evolutionary skill to help you connect at a deeper level Why become a Navy SEAL? Got MBA and a CPA -- Got a job on Wall Street and hated it after three months Started Zen meditation... It changed his brain It created a structured program to look within himself and reflect Mark did not like what was happening in the outer world (with his job) He was meant to be a warrior and a leader Did he ever have doubts? No... Because he had prepared for the difficult moments through visualization and fully understanding his WHY "I created total certainty in my mind. 100% that I was going to become a SEAL. I won in my mind." This outlook helped him finish #1 overall in his BUD/S class How can we apply this to our world? Outside of the military? You must deeply care about what you're doing... And then visualize your success. A "personal practice of excellence" "It must be something in your vision that you are really passionate about" "Visualize it as a completion. Visualize doing it to completion." "You're the type of person who is worthy of completing that challenging task... Of achieving THAT" How do you respond to skeptics? The science backs it up... Do your research Give it a try... Why wouldn't you? VUCA = Volatility, Uncertainty, Complex, Ambiguous -- How to handle these situations Creating a decentralized organization -- Why this works in the military and in business (trust and certainty) Why you must "learn to embrace risk" -- Cannot be afraid of failure... And the plan must be flexible "Do today what others won't" -- 20X more capable than what you think "Society has weakened us... Everything is easy now. You need to force yourself to do hard things." "Challenge leads to growth." "Your body will adapt to the new reality." "Push it past where you think it can currently go" "You must challenge yourself every single day" Exercise - Write your own obituary. Think "What would people say about me?" Do the deep self awareness work to "know thyself" "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for everything" "Derive your passion around purpose. Create your set of principles." Originally, there was a scathing obituary written for Alfred Nobel... It was meant for his twin brother, but there was a mistake and someone wrote it about him. It changed his life. He was not aware of how badly he was thought of... And he became known for peace moving forward. So much so... That they named a prize after him. How Brad Stevens and Bill Belichick have mastered the art of coaching Why the "hacking movement" is not good according to Mark There must be deep learning over many years to get to mastery level of anything Simplify = Be narrow on what you want, get rid of everything else. And focus Use the "Get To Know You Document" Social Media: Read: Unbeatable Mind Follow Mark on Twitter: @MarkDivine 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 #259: Shane Snow - How To Build A Dream Team Shane Snow serves as Founder at Large at Contently, which works with Fortune 500 brands and has helped over 100,000 freelance journalists, artists, and photographers put food on the table. His writing has appeared in Wired Magazine, The New Yorker, GQ, Fast Company, Advertising Age, The Washington Post, and others. He's author of Smartcuts, and is now releasing his most important book yet: Dream Teams, a journey through history, neuroscience, psychology, and business to reveal what separates groups that simply manage to get by from those that get better together--and how we might make our companies and communities better by understanding the difference. Shane has been named one of Details Magazine's "Digital Mavericks," called a "Wunderkind" in the New York Times, and honored as a fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts. Originally from Idaho, he studied journalism at Columbia University and lives in New York City. The Learning Leader Show "Two heads are only better than one if they think differently." Show Notes: Sustaining excellence: 2 X @ Matrix chart Skepticism and credulity Optimism and pessimism They believe the world can be better, but they don't always take things at face value Be skeptical AND optimistic as a leader The leader should provide complete emotional AND intellectual support Be willing to push. Be okay with conflict. Be a "disagreeable giver" and create psychological safety How to improve? Get help? "I have a lot of faith in my self. A healthy ego. But I'm paranoid about my blind spots. I want to learn so much. I collect inputs that are critical from my business partner." Why write Dream Teams? The desire to study the best teams. The best cultures. "I wanted to learn this for my own business." "When human beings come together, we can do incredible things." The impact his Dad on Shane - A nuclear engineer The importance of cognitive diversity "Two heads are better than one only if they think differently." The power of ragtag teams Buddy cops Street smart By the book Man/woman teams solve crimes better How to implement and execute? WHO is on the team? How you deal with problems/issues? "We need to re-frame how we think about this. Set up a pool to make it as cognitively diverse as possible Perspective - How you view the world, who you are Heuristic - The way you approach solving problems. (eg: different university, different piano teacher) Think about solving problems how a movie director acts? Do they use the exact same actors for every movie they direct? No, it doesn't make sense. They cast the best actors for each movie. "If you're solving different problems, why would you cast the same people every time?" Shane explains why "culture fit" is not a good characteristic in hiring The disaster that was the Daimler-Chrysler merger Miscalculation on how much companies complimented each other Culture kills most - "It's the fact that they didn't speak to each other." Mergers that don't go well... People need to talk. It's okay to fight and disagree. It's ruined when people stop talking (just like a marriage) "Silence is the enemy of innovation" The Wright Brothers - They would argue one side of a point. Then have lunch... And switch sides of the argument. It forced expansion of the way they thought about problems Wu Tang Clan - "Competition breeds excellence" Magic Johnson & Larry Bird DJ's in the Bronx Competing against Ben Roethlisberger Why is it okay to argue and compete? "An overriding cause that's worth it. A purpose. A passion... To win." Build an empire with people - Intense, full emotional support. Learn each others stories, their motivations Blackrock - Form a new team, have everyone tell their personal stories, develop a sense of connectedness If you dislike a colleague (like Shane did): "I went to her house and met her family and friends. I learned about her life growing up and the people who support her. It changed my perspective of her." Use the "Get To Know You Document" "Silence is the enemy of innovation." Social Media: Read: Dream Teams Follow Shane on Twitter: @shanesnow 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 258: Jesse Itzler - Creating Your LIFE Resume (Living With The Monks) Jesse Itzler is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Living with a Seal, cofounded Marquis Jet, the world's largest private jet card company which he and his partner sold to Berkshire Hathaway/NetJets. Jesse then partnered with Zico coconut water, which he and his partner sold to The Coca-Cola Company. His latest book is titled, Living With The Monks. He's a former rapper on MTV and wrote and performed the NBA's Emmy Award-winning "I Love This Game" music campaign and the popular New York Knicks anthem "Go NY Go." When he's not running ultra-marathons, eating vegan food or being a dad to his four kids, Jesse can be found at the NBA's Atlanta Hawks games, where he's an owner of the team. He is married to Spanx founder Sara Blakely. The Learning Leader Show "I invest in people... You must look into their eyes before making a decision." Show Notes: Sustaining excellence: Spending time around the 4,000 people who used Marquis Jet, "I always asked them about their habits." You have to create the system that works best for YOU: Attack fear, take risks Get up early in the morning Create daily wins, momentum Be a great connector, build relationships Run -- Create great exercise habits Winning habits, routines, mindset. A system for self For 27 years, Jesse has only eaten fruit before noon Relying on gut instinct... How to build this, make better? Must spend time alone, to think. Running is where this happens for Jesse (in the car for Sara) Why? Awareness with time... Understand your own mortality A constant drive to build a "life resume" You only get 1 shot to do this thing Hiking Mount Washington -- Helps you feel "super alive... It's addicting." Have you always been this way? "I get bored easily. This has nothing to do with money." Always being urgent to accomplish something Always carving out time for yourself. Carve at least 1 hour per day. Put parameters around your time YOU are the business plan. "I invest in people... Have you ever looked into his eyes?" "At the end of the day, people drive companies." Why live with the monks? "I did the physical part while living with a SEAL. I needed to focus on the spiritual part." Lived in a monastery with 8 monks... 4 had been there for 50 years How living with the monks helped him handle "decision fatigue" How it free'd up so much energy "The power of cumulative work" "Always do something hard" It sets the tone for yourself Don't back away from challenges -- Build the grit muscle Do small things every day (clean, make the bed, finish tasks, do the dishes now) "I'm turning 50. I only have 28 summers left if I'm lucky." The perfect day = Family time Wellness time (running) Business time "Get your heart rate up!" Social Media: Read: Living With The Monks Follow Jesse on Twitter: @the100MileMan 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