The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

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?"  

Phil Jones, an international speaker and author known for his sales and communication expertise, shares his journey from selling sandwiches as a child to becoming a top sales manager by age 18. He discusses the importance of determination and curiosity in sales, emphasizing the shift from quick wins to nurturing long-term relationships. Phil reveals strategic communication techniques, like the power of the phrase 'just one more thing' and the influence of 'most people' in decision-making. Continuous improvement and the application of knowledge are key themes in his approach to leadership and sales.

The Learning Leader Show Episode 220: Robert Greene - The Laws Of Power & Mastery Robert Greene is an American author and speaker known for his books on strategy, power and seduction. He has written five international bestsellers: The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, The 50th Law and Mastery. In addition to having a strong following within the business world and a deep following in Washington, DC, Greene’s books are hailed by everyone from war historians to the biggest musicians in the industry (including Jay-Z and 50 Cent). "Do Not Speak Unless You Can Improve Upon The Silence." Show Notes: Sustained Excellence: Self Mastery Self Control -- "We are emotional animals, governed by emotions. It can get you in trouble." Self Discipline Flexibility -- Ability to adapt Why Napoleon was successful? He had a front line obsession Writing a book with 50 Cent "Never let your guard down" Law 4 - Always say less than necessary. "Do not speak unless you can improve upon the silence." Learn the power of being quiet If you're upset about an email, do not respond emotionally. Wait 24 hours and then respond with a level head Law 9 - Win Through Your Actions, Never Through Argument. "Demonstrate, do not explicate." Commit to action. Words are devalued "Show them. Don't talk." Law 10 - Infection: Avoid The Unhappy and Unlucky You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with "We absorb the energy of other people." Look to "level up" your peer group at all time" How to deal with a person in a power position who you do not like or respect? Do not let them see you upset. Do not show them emotion (when they try to rile you up) Did President Trump read The 48 Laws of Power? He appears to have used some of the laws to help get elected: Law 6 - Court attention at all cost Law 17 - Keep others in suspended terror. Cultivate an air of unpredictability Law 27 - Play on people's need to believe to create a cult like following Very common in business for an "aggressive, loud yeller" to push people around and somehow get promoted... But once they have to actually lead and manage people, they fail miserably Rappers, movie stars, athletes quoting (even tattooing) The 48 Laws. How has that impacted you? Great satisfaction, but even more from "regular" people who email him and said his work helped them start a business or quit a bad job. "Sometimes you don't know what you're intended to do. It pays to have an open mind." -- Robert didn't write The 48 Laws of Power until he was 38 years old "The human brain does not learn unless it is excited" Cesar Rodriguez -- "Trust The Process" -- You must get reps, reps, reps in order to achieve any level of excellence Think long term and put in the necessary work to be great Advice: "You were born with a purpose. Tap into what makes you different and unique. There is tremendous pressure to fit in. You will have success if you dig deep, be adventurous, try things out. Respect your unique-ness, something great will happen." "The Human Brain Does Not Learn Unless It Is Excited." Social Media: Read: The 48 Laws Of Power Read: Mastery Follow Robert on Twitter: @RobertGreene 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

219: Eric Barker - Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong Eric Barker is a thought leader in the field of success. His humorous, practical blog, "Barking Up the Wrong Tree", presents science-based answers and expert insight on how to be awesome at life. Over 300,000 people subscribe to his weekly newsletter and his content is syndicated by Time Magazine, The Week, and Business Insider. He has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic Monthly, and the Financial Times. Eric is also a sought-after speaker and interview subject, and has been invited to speak at MIT, Yale, West Point, the University of Pennsylvania, NPR affiliates, and on morning television. To Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: www.RyanHawk.net www.LearningLeader.com  Show Notes: Sustained Excellence: Consistent habits and routines Experiment Evolve Learn/Grow Create a feedback loop Steve Martin -- "Being great isn't hard. Being consistent is." -- (Note: Watch the Steve Martin MasterClass) -- Meta principal for how people do things "Hit the ball every time. It's hard." Eric started the blog in 2009 -- He read abstracts, academic research He wanted to focus on things that were applicable to being awesome at life "The future is already here, it's just not evenly distributed." How he went from unemployed --> MBA in 2009 --> Screenwriter in Hollywood for Disney, Fox --> Successful blog/book Advice to people who have a side hustle: "It's a hard road. Give 1 hour per day to it. If you really want to do it, there will be trade offs. You have to measure how you will spend your time and what's important to you." Book writing vs Blog writing -- Book = 5 days per week working on. Blog = 2 days per week. How can we find work life balance? -- "It did not previously exist for me." How to say NO like Warren Buffett Networking -- Who you know is very important... However there is a tradeoff and extroverts waste time "at the water cooler" Nice guys, Givers... There is a tight rope between confidence and delusion There is a problem: "Nobody likes narcissism and hubris, but some confident people have those qualities." When is it a good idea to quit? "It's unrealistic to never quit. We quit things all the time. Show GRIT on the things that are important to you." Make little bets -- Read Little Bets by Peter Sims Learning Leader = Humility "People love having choices... But people hate making choices." Social Media: Read: Barking Up The Wrong Tree Follow Eric on Twitter: @bakadesuyo 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 #218: David Hornik - Why Givers Win Show Notes: Sustained Excellence: Great story-tellers -- Every message is better told as a story Great sales people Why generous people win in the long run -- David is naturally generous He answers every email VC's invest in people more than investing in a product The story of Danny Shader and their daughters' soccer team The many conversations which led to working together after Danny initially turned David down because he thought he was "too nice" -- Why he was wrong The aspect of the job that David doesn't like -- Narcissistic people - "You don't have to be that way" "In the long run, doing the things you like, with the people you like, will be better" What percentage of your job do you love? -- "North of 80% of it. I've been doing this for 17 years. You have to do it with people you enjoy. If not, it's terrible." Do you have a boss? -- "Not really" How to handle a bad loss? -- "We lost $35m at one point. A lot of sleepless nights. It was very hard. This business is not all about succeeding." Why doesn't David use hard end dates on his term sheets like all other VC's? "Investing is a big decision." How to differentiate from other VC's? Money is all the same, does not differentiate "It's about help, guidance. I tell them to speak with every person I've ever worked with. Ask them what they think." "I genuinely care about people I work with" "The Lobby" -- David's annual conference -- "The best values from conferences are the relationships with other attendees." Do work outside at a table in Hawaii -- It promotes better work Best advice for hosting and event?  "Maniacally curate the guest list. It has to be full of givers. If takers are there, it won't work." Start the conference with a fun game Do NOT gather in conference rooms (Hence the name "The Lobby") - The best conversations happen during the breaks in the lobby Goal is to break even on the event. The budget is more than $1m -- Get sponsors, the guests all pay "The goal in life is to have a good time... To have a good life. What's the point otherwise?" "My goal is to surround myself with great people and enjoy my life. See what's out there if you don't like what you're doing." Making a lot of money... Impact? "If I make more, I can give more away."