The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode 212: Max Joseph - Catfish, Leadership, Making It Count, & Pete Berg Max Joseph is one of the creative minds behind MTV's Catfish and the director of the indie film We Are Your Friends, has teamed up with the social media app Vero to launch a new documentary series, Charismatic Thinker.  He started as an editor, then become a director. He has written, directed, or produced over 64 short films including commercials and web videos. He worked with Casey Nesitat for his famous video for Nike titled, "Make It Count."  It has received more than 25,000,000 views. Recently, he released his latest documentary, DICKS: Do you need to be one to be a successful leader?  It has received critical acclaim and I highly recommend it. (We discussed "the making" of that film during this conversation).   Show Notes: Sustained Excellence = Understanding the importance of leading and managing Why make the film about leadership? Max is a nice guy, not a bully... Was one of the bullied He thought, "If I were a dick, would I be more popular?" "Do I need to be a dick to be a good leader?" As the director it is sink or swim... "You're thrown into it. I did not learn how to lead or manage." Sports can be an education in leadership -- If you don't have that growing up, how do you learn how to lead? A Disagreeable Giver -- (Adam Grant) -- Most reduced form of the film. As a protective measure, that is the lesson in being a great leader "I do think you need to, not be a dick, but turn off the empathy meter some..." A leader must Prioritize the greater vision Why he wanted to talk to Pete Berg ("I thought he would say, "You need to be a dick to be a good leader.") Most people said you didn't need to be one to be successful.  Max was looking for someone who said the opposite. His paradigm -- "You need to be a good coach" "All great leaders have a very strong backbone" Max's parents were too supportive "Being a dick is about ego... You're a dick if you're putting people down just to do it." How to make a living as a smart creative:  "I've always wanted to do this. I love all aspects of filmmaking. I went to Hollywood after college to do this." First job was cutting reels for directors -- "Look you're not the next Spielberg, but can you make this DVD?" "I was a curious, excited, young filmmaker" How did he get the job on Catfish? He emailed Neev after the movie came out... The other guy who was supposed to film and be on the TV show dropped out at the last second. Max said yes and the rest is history (6 seasons, 99 episodes) Read the book: The Surrender Experiment "Every time I surrender to my passion, something amazing happens" "Editing is like being a doctor. You need to put things back together after tearing them apart." "I've had to get better at not being a hero" The famous Nike "Make It Count" video with Casey Neistat Max got to LA 13 years ago. Initially he was unhappy. He hated it. He took a vacation backpacking through Europe and thought, "I love editing, there is real passion there" "Just focus on enjoying one thing I love and that will be enough to sustain happiness" Casey called him and asked him to be his first editor He asked him to fly to New York and then travel the world for the Nike video Casey got a tattoo during it... "Do More" Embrace the adventure... Let the project grow from it Advice: "Everyone has a gift... Has a genius for something. I get really unhappy if I don't do what I love for at least an hour a day" Read Big Magic by Liz Gilbert Look up Max on YouTube and Vero Social Media: See why over 468,000 people follow Max on Twitter: @maxjoseph Watch: Make It Count 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 071: NateBoyer - Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL 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 Rhone.  Use the code "Leader" for 15% off.  Rhone... premium activewear engineered with principle, performance and progress for the modern man.  Rhone builds clothing around 3 main tenants: Cutting-edge Performance, Premium Comfort, and Simplistic Style.

Vanessa Van Edwards, a behavioral investigator and author, shares insights on human behavior and communication. She reveals how vulnerability can actually enhance our charm. Listeners learn the importance of decoding social signals and the traits of high warmth and competence that make charismatic leaders. For introverts, she provides networking tips, suggesting meaningful one-on-one conversations. Vanessa also emphasizes the power of asking the right questions to spark positive interactions and create authentic connections.

Episode 210: Noah Kagan - How To Start A Business Noah Kagan was the #30 employee at Facebook (started there in 2005), and the #4 employee at Mint.com.  He came up with the idea of real-time updates and executed with one engineer (Mark Slee) at Facebook.  He is now the Chief Sumo at Sumo.com (A domain in which he paid $1.5m to own.  We discussed why on this episode). This episode is different than most in that it was more conversational, and less interview.  There was real-time coaching, and off the cuff conversation about how I should progress The Learning Leader.  If you are uncomfortable with creative use of the English Language (re: use of curse words), then skip this episode.  If not, I think you'll really like it. "You shouldn't get a job... You should get a career." Show Notes: Sustained Excellence = Getting feedback from professionals Noah hired pros from NPR to review his interview transcripts. "Most of the time we have too much.  Need to edit it down." How to create a narrative -- The NPA producer changed his life Employees -- "They are not my people. They are people I work with. I don't like the word employee." How do you hold others accountable? -- Autonomy, coaching, help when needed.  Hire correctly. "What I'm great at is starting..." How the quest to India changed Noah's life "You'll almost always push hard on the last lap." The impact Mark Zuckerberg had on him when he worked for him at Facebook "When I was at Facebook, there was a singular focus: Growth." "You shouldn't get a job, get a career." -- "I was a cubicle monkey at Intel" Using a journal to plan your day/week/month "Here is a story I've never shared before..." Why you should always ask yourself..."What's exciting for me?" Why you should go on walks with your spouse/significant other Instead of building something in a month, why not build it by Monday? -- Do it quicker than you think possible You need to constantly try and test it out... Don't overthink it.  Will people pay me for this?  Keep evolving Keys to building your audience "Art of The Deal" is a helpful book Noah's salary?  Low 6 figures "Good people don't work for cheap rates" The two ways to scale a business Technology People What Noah learned about vision -- Initially didn't believe in it... But he has matured and fully believes in it. "As I've gotten older..." "It's much easier to get what you want when you know what you want." The impact of Noah's Dad dying had on him "I'm much more protective of my time" "Good people don't ask for cheap rates." Social Media: Follow Noah on Twitter: @noahkagan Go to: Sumo.com  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 071: NateBoyer - Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL 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 Rhone.  Use the code "Hawk" for 15% off.  Rhone... premium activewear engineered with principle, performance and progress for the modern man.  Rhone builds clothing around 3 main tenants: Cutting-edge Performance, Premium Comfort, and Simplistic Style.  

Episode 209: Jason Redman - The Power Of Being Humble: From A Wounded Navy SEAL Sustained Excellence = Humility... Re-learning how to humble yourself.  Arrogance can ruin you The story of Jay being "ripped in to" by a leader after he made a mistake that could have costs lives... And how that impacted him "Great leaders take a step back... To analyze what happened" "There are no bad teams, just bad leaders" "You have to allow the situation around you to develop before making a decision" How Ranger school helped him stop being selfish, humbled him. Forced to lead in adverse situations, and stop thinking about just himself Story: "I am bleeding out. I can feel my life ebbing away as blood seeps from my body into the Iraqi soil..." "I was hit in the face and my left arm..." How the preparation and training saved his life "If facing death, you won't be thinking about material things" The sign Jay hung up outside his hospital room The Key Tenants Lead Always Overcome All "That journey in the hospital taught me... If you are a leader, lead always" Building mental resiliency, must build an overcome mindset "The woman behind The Trident" -- How his wife Erica acted was heroic (and still is) "She never batted an eye" "When they sent me home, I was a mess, and Erica cared for me.  She was never negative, never questioned me for going to war." The greatest natural leader Jay ever met -- Vince Peterson He always led by example, would never ask you to do something he wouldn't do He lost his leg below his knee "Selfless, servant leader, humble" -- Motivated and inspired you to be better Always remained calculated -- Had the ability to drive the team where it needed to go Took ideas from members of the team, dynamic leadership at it's best Listen as Jay describes how Dave Michaels was shot 27 times, fought back... And then said, "Come get me... They're all dead." The Overcome Academy A way for us to give back to veterans www.OvercomeAcademy.org Social Media: Follow David on Twitter: @JasonRedmanWW Read: The Trident Connect with me on LinkedIn Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

David Novak is Co-Founder, Retired Chairman and CEO of Yum! Brands, Inc. (Pizza Hut, KFC, and Taco Bell), one of the world’s largest restaurant companies with nearly 43,000 restaurants in more than 130 countries and territories. He stepped down as CEO on January 1, 2015 and retired from Yum! and Yum!’s Board in May 2016. During his time as CEO, Yum! doubled in size and became a global powerhouse going from approximately 20% of its profits coming from outside the U.S. in 1997 to nearly 70% in 2014. David is also the best-selling author of multiple books including Taking People With You: The Only Way To Make Big Things Happen.  In May 2016, he founded OGO (O Great One!) a consumer lifestyle brand on a mission to turn the world on to the awesome power of recognition and remedy what he calls the “global recognition deficit.” In This Episode, You Will Learn: Sustained Excellence = "You must be passionate about what you do."  Warren Buffet said he "tap dances to work everyday." You should strive to do that. Must also be a constant learner/grower.  Have a healthy dissatisfaction for the status quo When people struggle at work, it's typically because they don't like the job What do you say to skeptics about the "do what you love" advice: "Colonel Sanders started KFC late in life with his social security check.  It's never too late." Must be self reflective.  Develop a strategy for yourself.  Do a needs assessment.  Dig hard at understanding yourself. The impact of moving his entire childhood.  Living in 23 states by the 7th grade.  Moved 3 times per year.  Lived in trailer parks most of his childhood. Advice to people early in their career: "Don't wait until you have a management job to lead.  Start doing it immediately." "I tried to learn everything I could from the people above me." "The minute I stopped learning, I asked for another job." "I looked at my boss as my coach.  A good boss should be a coach." The manage 2 up plus 2 down strategy: Make your boss very successful and make his/her boss very successful Help the people directly working for you successful and directly help the people that work for them to be great "Every time I met with the CEO, I always brought 3-5 ideas every time we met.  I always brought value to those meetings." "When a good opportunity came up, he thought of me"  Coaching is an "AND" job -- Tell them what you like AND how they can improve.  Must do both. The 3X5 note card exercise: Write a strength and a developmental area for yourself and share it with others so they know what you're working on.  How can CEOs get people to trust them and tell the truth? -- Ask people what they would do if they had your role.  LISTEN.   "You have to be vulnerable enough to want to know the truth" The power of recognition -- "The secret weapon I had as a leader was to recognize great performance to drive the behaviors we valued" Why people quit their jobs: Their boss They don't feel appreciated Utilize the digital leadership platform

  In This Episode, You Will Learn: Liz asks... What makes a great podcast episode? A host is listens, asks good follow up questions... And a guest who understands why they've sustained excellence and can intelligently share quality stories. The great leadership on her son's football team.  Selflessness, diverse... They all made sacrifices. "We've noticed a shift fueled by technology "It's not about having the answer, it's about helping the team find the answer." How should we deal with diminishers? Diminishers don't realize they lack self-awareness -- "Accidental Diminishers" The 5 most prevalent strategies to people use to deal with diminishers: Confront Avoid Quit Quit and Stay Ignore Dimishing behavior If you are being micro-managed, don't judge or exclude -- Instead, be curious, ask why that person is a micro-manager? Think "I wonder why they need to do this?" -- This can change your mindset and create empathy for that person.  It will help you be less upset "Choose to respond with curiosity.  I wonder how they got like that?" -- Be empathetic Google's 5 hiring criteria for leaders: Leaders who can move in and out of leadership roles (one day they are in charge, they next day someone else is... Must be fluid) Impacting cultural change -- Share common language, behavior, belief, norms, legends, heroes, rituals Creating a culture of trust -- In low trust environments, people retreat and regroup. The best leaders are great listeners -- FULLY PRESENT with each person they speak with. "Great executives have a buffer between the stimulus and their response." -- They are measured and know when to take emotion out of their decision making process. Need a container to create space and focus How to create an environment where people do their best work.. 

Episode 206: Sam Walker - The Hidden Force That Creates The World's Greatest Teams: Captains Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio The 7 Traits of Elite Captains: Extreme doggedness and focus in competition, often to the point of madness A tendency to play aggressively up to, and often beyond, the limits of the rules A willingness to do thankless jobs in the shadow of more acclaimed teammates A bias against making big speeches in favor of continuous practical communication A talent for displaying their commitment and motivating teammates through aggressive nonverbal means An unwavering commitment to defend their principles and speak truth to power The presence of a "kill switch" for shutting off emotion when it's not useful Studying the moment when teams went from good to great Why LeBron James is a unicorn "His model of leadership is completely new." Relation to the business world -- Some of the greatest leaders don't think they deserve the title (job title or to be captain) -- Tim Duncan & Yogi Berra The rituals of Tim Duncan Short conversations with each teammate Great facial expressions Effective messaging Never giving big speeches How to be a charismatic connector like Tim Duncan Great captains (and leaders) are not "yes men." They defend their principles and speak truth to power Jack Lambert purposely left blood on his jersey as a message to his team -- Great captains have a talent for displaying their commitment and motivating teammates through aggressive nonverbal means The ability to develop "emotional maturity." A measured approach As Liz Wiseman said "Great leaders have a buffer between the stimulus and their response" They are able to build resilience Social Media: Follow David on Twitter: @SamWalkers Read: The Captain Class 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 071: Nate Boyer - Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL 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 Rhone.  Use the code "Hawk" for 15% off.  Rhone... premium activewear engineered with principle, performance and progress for the modern man.  Rhone builds clothing around 3 main tenants: Cutting-edge Performance, Premium Comfort, and Simplistic Style.  

Go To www.LearningLeader.com For more information on DHH and this episode Common themes of leaders who sustain excellence: "For me it's falling in love with the work itself..." Being excited to do the actual work everyday... The actual day to day work "I don't have a need to think "What's Next?" -- "I'm thrilled to do the thing I've fallen in love with." How did he become DHH? What percentage of your job do you love and what percent do you dislike? DHH works to minimize the parts he doesn't like Managing others is low on his list of what he loves. "The thought that you can't be innovative if you aren't in the same room is bullshit." -- You can do that remotely, in fact better in most cases. DHH shares why the open office concept is horrible for creative people who like to "get shit done." Remote work gives peace, tranquility, quality Commuting to work can be a wasteful, drain on your life The future of work -- More remote work, more contractors, less full time employees "The office is something you choose to have, you don't need to have it." "The Day I Became A Millionaire" What DHH learned that day... What changed? What didn't "The things that brought happiness were the things I was already doing. I love writing, programming, reading." Will a certain amount of money ever be enough? Ray Kroc said "No." "The human condition does not end because you get rich."  You'll still have problems. Best advice to give to people early in their careers? "Be careful what you wish for.  Managing other people is not in my top 5 things I like to do." "Prove you can execute.  That's the way to get to the executive level. Just simply make shit happen, you get shit done." You have to weigh shipping vs quality Take measured risks, and don't be afraid to make mistakes    David "DHH" Heinemeier Hansson is the creator of Ruby on Rails, founder & CTO at Basecamp(formerly 37signals), best-selling author, Le Mans class-winning racing driver, public speaker, hobbyist photographer, and family man. He is the best selling author of ReWork and Remote: Office Note Required.  You can also read his wildly popular writings on Medium.com/@dhh

Episode 204: Dr. Tasha Eurich - How To Become More Self-Aware Common themes of leaders who sustain excellence: Self Awareness - "I scientifically studied this." "People who work on their Self-Awareness are happier, get more promotions, and lead better lives" It's become a national sport to point out that someone is self-aware -- "I wanted to do the research behind this to truly learn about it" 95% of people think they're self aware -- But only 10%-15% are actually self aware It's vitally important to regularly question your assumptions to become more aware Don't wait for a life event or someone else to tell you to do this. You must work on it daily.  The gains will be incremental (The Compound Effect) "We cannot own other people's journeys, we must own ours." You will work with people who lack awareness. Don't put it on yourself to fix it. Tasha previously worked within a company in the "Wendy Rhoades" role from Billions The Mary Tyler Moore Show -- Her boss -- Picture a "laugh track" behind what someone says to help deal with their lack of awareness Practical ways leaders build self-aware teams and organizations Alan Mulally story of how he gained self-awareness despite starting with very little of it "It shows that anyone can become self-aware" A great leader goes out of their way to build a culture where people can tell the truth." It's vital that the leader is vulnerable -- shares weaknesses and mistakes made Implementing a Business Process Review on a weekly basis Doing this at home with family as well -- Every Sunday, each family member provides updates The Speed of Trust -- Why everything is much faster when built upon the foundation of trust Pixar is the model of Trust.  Ed Catmull shares how they built this.  No leaks to the press. The "Selfie Syndrome" -- "There is a direct impact on social media & narcissism" "Resist the pull of the cult of self" How to promote your own work you're proud of without becoming a self-promoter? -- It's about the work and positively impacting people. Mindfulness practice = Doesn't always have to involve meditation. "Actively noticing the present" Continue Learning: Follow Tasha on Twitter: @tashaeurich Read: Insight Connect with me on LinkedIn Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

Common themes of leaders who sustain excellence: They know why they’re there “They always have their eye on the why” “They think about success often” They understand their strengths and weaknesses “Surround yourself with people who compliment your strengths/weaknesses” How did Todd make a quick ascent to CEO? There must be an opportunity and then you “must go like hell when that happens” “I love the outcome, I love the impact we have” “When coming up through the company, I always kept an eye on the overall strategy” “Don’t focus on getting credit for the project.” “Make sure your personal goals and company goals are aligned.” How he does two separate CEO roles? — “Must surround yourself with people you trust” “A strong WE” Calendar/Time Management All meetings are 15 minutes in length — This forces people to get to the point immediately Week unfolds: Front load all staff meetings by 1:00 Monday. Must be done by Monday afternoon — “What are the goals for the week?” Having a chief of staff is important Todd is an introvert and does not do back to back meetings all day.  Needs 30 minutes breaks every 3 meetings to think “You said an important word… And that word is THINK” “As a manager you are responsible for the success of people.” — Management means you have a responsibility for them Must give feedback.  Feedback is a gift.  It’s generous to give feedback. “There’s nothing easier than sharing credit.” “Management is around understanding the differences in people, and getting the best out of them” “Leadership is about painting a vision” Lead with trust Todd’s story of his first client engagement – FAILED… How his boss responded with trust was powerful — “I trust you” When managing through a crisis… BE: Clear Calm Credible How sketch comedy can help you be a better leader Bring your whole self to your job Build emotional intelligence Paying employees to take a class that has nothing to do with work (Learn a second language, guitar lessons, etc) Hiring process: “What are the first 5 things you read everyday?” — “Okay, now tell me the real answer. I want to learn about you, not what you think I want to hear” “I want to hear them defend or support an argument.  It doesn’t matter what it’s about Books to read: The Enders Game — Incredible story about getting the best out of people and creating teams To be a Learning Leader? — “A process of building.  It’s a thing you do.” “Time is a really expensive leader.” “Must always evolve and pick up lessons”