The Leadership Podcast

Hugh Blane doesn't claim to know everything about your business. He does claim however to know more than anyone about converting human potential into accelerated business results – that's why his clients call him The Talent Alchemist. In the world of work, the single greatest asset of successful individuals, teams, and organizations is their mindset--what happens in between their ears. It's not the corporate strategy, the sales compensation plan, or the market segments they're pursuing. It is what each leader, team member, and employee chooses to focus on, believe, and create for themselves and others. From Hugh's book, "7 Principles of Transformational Leadership" he discusses the fundamental concepts that will result in dramatic revenue, performance, and relationship growth. Specifically, leaders will learn to: Live their professional and personal lives with unbridled purpose and passion. Retain the brightest and best talent. Have employees, key stakeholders, and managers enthusiastically follow them. Hguh says that you may have employees with all the talent in the world, but you'll never achieve remarkable results until you change your employees' mindset. Listen in to learn more! Key Takeaways [7:10] Hugh uses Tom Brady as an example for his Seven Principles of Transformational Leadership. [8:35] "Heartset" is often missed when recruiting for talent. Hugh explains what a heartset is. [10:45] Driven vs. Drawn. Hugh shares what's the difference between the two. [12:50] We are in the midst of a war for talent. Hugh shares his insights on how to retain talent while keeping a high performance standard. [15:35] Hugh talks about one of his good friends, Jim Kouzes, and how he signs all his emails with "Love and Lead." [16:50] Hugh went through his own personal transformation back when he was forty-seven years old and shares his insights. [19:05] Hugh shares examples of how leaders can be persuasive by talking less. [22:35] Technology is getting in the way of our curiosity and the algorithms are to blame. [25:40] If you really wanna do something, you don't have to be held accountable. Hugh explains what that means and the difference between asking for accountability vs. holding someone accountable. [29:15] Hugh explains how to be a human doing vs. a human being and shares his thoughts on employee engagement. [33:05] The best thing you can do for underperforming employees is to find a way for them to form their self-worth, self-esteem, and self-efficacy, whether it may be in the same organization or not. [36:05] Hugh's sole job is to help people become the best version of themselves. He explains how through his model: reframe the past, reclaim the future, and recalibrate the present. [39:30] Hugh shares a story to share that encapsulates a leader's responsibility to help people and in turn help themselves. [43:35] Adversity and setbacks are the greatest catalysts for the next level of learning and growth. [45:00] Listener Challenge: Think big and pursue greatness in filling the blanks. Quotable Quotes "We don't talk about the heartset much, which is, you may have the skill but not the will to really do the dirty long work to become excellent or great in your craft." "'Drawn,' I think, lasts longer than 'drive.' Drive is what makes motivation get started." "Are you pursuing excellence in yourself as a leader? Because you can't expect anyone inside your organization to do something or follow something if you're not doing it." "I may disagree with you but I will not be disagreeable. I just want to be in conversation and I can learn something from you." "The purpose of life is to find your gift and the meaning of it, and the meaning of life is to give it away." -David Viscott Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com Hugh on LinkedIn Hugh on Twitter Grab Hugh's book: 7 Principles of Transformational Leadership: Create a Mindset of Passion, Innovation, and Growth

Simon Mainwaring is CEO of We First, Inc., the creative consultancy that strategizes, integrates, and activates the growth, productivity, and impact of the world's most successful brands. As a global keynote speaker, New York Times bestselling author of We First and LEAD WITH WE, and highly-awarded brand futurist, he works with leading CEOs, CMOs, and entrepreneurs to define their business strategy, company culture, and brand communications. Simon is a sought-after international speaker whose presentations engage and inspire audiences to think and act in new ways that LEAD WITH WE around a collectivized purpose. He has been voted a Top 5 Marketing Speaker by speaking.com for 5 years in a row, and featured on the cover of the National Speaker's Magazine. From the Cannes Lions Festival to Google, from Necker Island with Sir Richard Branson to the United Nations Foundation, and now on The Leadership Podcast, he delivers a roadmap for revolutionizing your business from the ground up by factoring all "shareholders" into your collective future for all your business decisions. Key Takeaways [2:20] Simon talks about his two daughters who have been trapeze artists since they were three years old. [4:05] Spending fifteen years in big creative advertising agencies, Simon shares his views on capitalism and how his opinions have evolved. [6:10] Simon thought about using the power of storytelling in business to make a difference, which led to his dialogue around capitalism. [7:25] Simon explains where the danger comes from when influence turns into manipulation. [8:50] It's a constant in human nature to play with power but there is nowhere to hide now. The motive will eventually get exposed. [10:50] Capitalism as we know it is dead; it has evolved. Simon expands on this further. [12:40] Business leaders and owners will suffer if the societies they live in fail. It is best to re-engineer capitalism that better serves people and the planet. [13:55] Do well by doing good vs. the virtuous spiral of collectivized purpose and action. Simon explains what that means and how they differ. [16:40] COVID-19's silver lining is that it has been a massive global moment of reflection. Simon shares his thoughts further on the current generation's awareness that our future is compromised as an optimistic period. [18:45] Strategy vs. tactical execution. Simon shares his objections to stakeholder capitalism. [20:30] Our actions are levers for change if we look at it through the lens of collective action. [24:40] We have defaulted to what makes us the most money, the fastest way, and at the greatest convenience for everyone. Simon describes how that impacts us now. [28:00] There is a great opportunity to leverage social media to reweave the social fabric and remind us of what connects us rather than divides us. Simon shares his thoughts further. [30:40] Much of today's capitalism transpires through the internet. Jim asks Simon about his thoughts on social media companies' influence on commerce. [35:45] Humanity is staring itself in the mirror right now and it's got two versions of reality right now. Simon talks about what they are. [34:40] Jan also asks Simon which brands he thinks are doing things right that others can model from. [37:20] Simon talks about the new generation of entrepreneurs that are coming through and how that makes him optimistic about the future. He shares some examples. [39:35] Jim asks Simon what story comes to his mind that helps us get a better lens on leadership. [44:15] The luxury of thinking about how to fix our future is scarce. Simon shares how we can best create a better future. [46:20] Listener Challenge: 1. Trust your abilities as a leader. 2. Define your company purpose. 3. Work with your team. Quotable Quotes "There was no strategic plan in place, I just happen to be somebody who's been lucky enough to have an experience on the power of storytelling." "I do think it's a constant of human nature that people would play at it or pay lip service to something but there is nowhere to hide now; you're gonna be exposed by your customers, you're gonna be exposed by your employees, you're gonna be exposed by your investors." "Capitalism can remain constant but how it shows up can evolve and that's peculiar to the circumstances we're in." "Companies and brands cannot survive in societies that fail." "It just means that we've got to create the synergies and compounding effect between all these individual efforts and companies so that we can meet these challenges with equal force because it is all of our actions that got us into this mess in the first place." Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com Simonmainwaring.com Simon on LinkedIn Simon on Twitter Grab Simon's book: We First: How Brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World

Your hosts of The Leadership Podcast look back on 300 episodes in 6 years! The tagline is "We Study Leaders," and Jim and Jan share what they've learned from the array of amazing guests. Listen in to learn the number one trait all the guests share; hear what they've learned about human nature, teams, tribalism, and how music seems to be a thing many leaders leverage as inspiration. Also, don't miss their take on the human aspect of many leaders' stories. Lastly, Jim and Jan share their gratitude for your listenership! Key Takeaways [1:55] Jim and Jan recall the days when they first started the podcast. [3:35] Jan shares his conversation with Preston Pysh and how that got him into podcasting. [5:30] As an interviewer, you get better over time. Jan shares what he has learned over time. [6:10] They look through the inventory of guests that they've interviewed on the show. [8:45] Jan talks about what happens before and after every recording. [10:50 ] Jim shares what he learned about himself through the six years of this show. [12:45] Jim talks about letting people finish, an important lesson he learned from Jen Waldman. [14:25] Jan shares what he has learned from Jim throughout the years. [15:20] Jim and Jan have a mantra for working with other people. They share the three criteria they have to meet. [18:00] Everyone's message is different, and Jim shares what he hopes the listeners won't get from them. [21:00] Jim is always curious about their guest's stories but more than that, it's the great storytellers that made an impact on him. [24:05] For most of their guests, they've focused on the human side of leadership; and Jan shares what he has commonly observed from the majority of them. [25:30] Jim has noticed some interesting patterns from those who are retiring vs. the ones who were younger. [27:00] Major milestones in our lives help prepare us for what we are meant to do in the future. [28:10] There is a gift in struggle and you will never "get there," because life will always be a journey. [29:20] In the big scheme of things, it's not about you. Jan shares what some leaders had figured out way sooner than others. [30:00] Jim shares they don't track statistics of their show. They are just grateful that people are listening and finding value in their conversations. [31:20] Jim closes the episode with a quote from Charles Darwin. Quotable Quotes "You and I were so obsessed about making sure the show went out every week and perfectly. I just remembered feeling this pressure to do a good job." — [2:20] "Back then, I wasn't listening to podcasts. I like to read and I thought 'I don't know about this,' and then he said, 'You know this is a great excuse to meet really interesting people.'" — [4:35] "Not to be morbid, but we've had some guests who have passed away. And I'm so glad that we had an opportunity to speak with them and their story and the things that were important and dear to them were captured." — [7:40] "Understanding people more deeply and just getting a window into that is so interesting, fascinating, and honestly, fun." — [9:10] "To work with other people, they have to meet three criteria: They have to be likable, we have to respect them, and we have to trust them." — [15:20] Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com

Don Yaeger is an award-winning Keynote Speaker, Business Leadership Coach, eleven-time New York Times best-selling author, and longtime Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated. He is one of America's most provocative thought leaders. From first-hand experiences, Don shares lessons on achieving greatness based on working with some of the greatest sports legends in the world. Listen in for some fascinating stories from many of your heroes on how they are intentional, curious, and hate to lose! Key Takeaways [3:55] With all the great stories that Don has experienced and written about, he shares a backstory from when he graduated university as a starting point for today's discussion. [5:15] Don shares the one question he asks everyone he interviews. [6:35] His book, Greatness: The 16 Characteristics of True Champions, is a compilation of the top sixteen answers that came up frequently from his interview question. [7:55] If you choose to lose and blame someone, then you will never achieve that next level. [9:15] The mind of a champion is wired intentionally. They know the potential weakness of blaming someone else so they keep themselves from doing it. [10:25] Don shares the one lesson that resonated with him that he learned from coach John Wooden. [12:30] Don is very selective about his inner circle and explains his process on how he chooses them carefully. [15:25] When your people know you care and want what's best for them, their level of commitment will be off the charts. [18:20] You can become invaluable without being the most valuable. Don shares a story about the year the Cubs won the world series to bring this point home. [22:40] Don learned to be more attentive to the people he doesn't see often within his organization. [24:45] Getting to the matters of the heart doesn't happen quickly; it's about listening well, finding connection, and taking time to find out what drives the other person. [25:50] Trust takes time. Don constantly builds upon the last conversation he has with a person to earn their trust. [28:00] Coaches shared with Don that their relationship with their players changed when their conversations and questions were better structured. [29:50] Don talks about why some teams are capable of being consistently high-performing while others are not. [33:30] Don's interview with Ed Bastian, the CEO of Delta, was one that really stood out to him. He explains why. [35:30] Jan really enjoyed his conversation and interview with Joel Peterson, the Chairman of JetBlue. He shared what his impact was to him and Jim. [38:35] Everybody is gifted but it's those who feel comfortable expressing their gifts and have the willingness to be vulnerable with others that makes the team successful. [40:20] Don talks about the days he spent together with Walter Payton when he was writing his autobiography. [41:45] Don asked Walter to pick one day in his future to give up everything else for. Don didn't write his answer in his book. [44:30] Intentionality is one of Don's favorite words. [46:20] A great question can be a gift to someone. Don tells an emotional story with Warrick Dunn as an example. [51:15] Listener challenge: Great leaders are curious, ask great questions, listen intently, and they care. Quotable Quotes "If you're willing to be curious and willing to ask others about what they believe gave them an edge, it's amazing what you'll learn." — Don Yaeger [6:00] "Losses are just learning opportunities and if you don't treat them as that, then you're not gonna be your greatest version of yourself." — Don Yaeger [8:10] "When people know that you care for them, you speak truth to them and you want what's best for them, whether it's good for you or not, when they know that, the discretionary energy they will pour into what you're asking them to do is off the charts." — Don Yaeger [15:45] "We have invaluable people who we don't ever give a parking space to; they're never employee of the month but boy, do they make a difference. And if we can learn to celebrate them, boy, what a game-changer it is." — Don Yaeger [22:05] "They may act like they are welcoming of me but truth is, they have defenses up and I have to not be bothered by that. I have to recognize it and earn the right for them to let those defenses down." — Don Yaeger [26:50] Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com Donyaeger.com Don on LinkedIn Don on Twitter Grab Don's books: Greatness: The 16 Characteristics of True Champions and more John Wooden Ed Bastian Joel Peterson Warrick Dunn Walter Payton

Sabrina Horn is an award-winning CEO, tech industry communications expert, and advisor with over 30 years of experience. In 1991, she founded Horn Group, one of Silicon Valley's most iconic public relations firms, and built it from the ground up to national acclaim. While growing her business and working with countless entrepreneurs and CEOs, she came to understand how deeply a leader's actions can impact a company's success. From her book, Make It, Don't Fake it, Sabrina shares how honesty and authenticity lead to success in business, and in life. Key Takeaways [2:20] Sabrina has a stamp collection and shares where it all started. [4:30] Talking about her book, Make It, Don't Fake it, Sabrina shares the different ways people fake it. [5:55] People exaggerate the truth. Sabrina provides some examples. [6:35] Sabrina explains what she calls "ostrich lies." [7:05] Selective truth-telling can be very dangerous. [9:10] Procrastination or avoiding the truth is more harmful than exaggeration. Sabrina shares a story to explain why. [13:00] Sabrina shares her thoughts on the book, Leadership BS. [15:10] More recently, everybody's language is all about empathy, humility, and authenticity. This book would not play well today. [17:10] What some leaders do to get power and keep power is to withhold information. Sabrina shares insight on how to handle difficult conversations truthfully. [20:05] It's tough being a leader and employer managing through the pendulum of a company's profitability. [22:45] Sabrina talks about imposter syndrome. [24:20] How to deal with imposter syndrome: Meet with everybody, be the director of your own movie, use the "we" word, and lastly, remember that you've earned your success. [28:05] Cognitive behavioral therapy and mentors can help you with your imposter syndrome. Sabrina shares her own experience with this. [30:35] Jan asks Sabrina why good PR should have nothing to do with spin. [32:25] It's not about being better or sexier, faster, or cheaper, it's about being different. Sabrina shares how honesty can be a great PR strategy now. [35:05] There are so many people clamoring for attention and it feels emotionally draining. Sabrina shares her insights on the best strategy for marketing. [37:55] Because of the amount of information we are being bombarded with now, leaders can't be numb if we expect our people to be resilient. [40:50] Sabrina shares a piece of advice that is hardest for her to take as well. [42:10:] Sabrina would tell her twenty-nine-year-old self to make an effort to build a team of mentors and advisers and be true to her own convictions. [45:15] Sabrina shares some practices on how to stay true to your own core values as a leader. [48:10] A bad subculture can infect the whole. Sabrina explains how this can relate to your company and brand. [49:20] Sabrina's closing thoughts: Be successful by doing things the right way. Quotable Quotes "So, we go from this seemingly innocent not-meaning to do any harm to crossing the line where you actually are saying and doing things with the intent to deceive." "Hope is not a strategy." "A leader may be tempted to lie and to deceive in order to get out of a tough situation or under pressure but the problem with that and with all kinds of faking it is ultimately the truth always comes out." "Imposter syndrome can arise in situations where people don't know who you are, and you don't know who they are. And you're walking in there and people think you're going to put on a show for them." "Spin really is about us peeling back the onion, getting to the absolute truth so that you can then find a path forward through a crisis or to create a great brand and tell a great story." Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com Sabrinahorn.com Sabrina on LinkedIn Sabrina on Twitter Grab Sabrina's book: Make It, Don't Fake It Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth At A Time, by Jeffrey Pfeffer

Banks Benitez joined Uncharted in 2012 as an unpaid intern, and became the CEO in 2017. Since stepping in as CEO, Banks and his leadership have tripled the size of the team and doubled their revenue. Also during the pandemic, Banks moved to a four-day workweek at the same wages. In this episode, Banks shares his insight on the move to a four-day week, and the lessons learned about time management, mental health, and productivity. As a CEO, Banks went from 52 hours a week to 34 hours a week! Key Takeaways [1:50] Advice Jim and Jan give to veterans is, "If you hear about really interesting people, just reach out to them." [2:20] Banks has not only grown his organization to triple its size but shifted to a four-day workweek. [5:20] Banks is currently reading Making Numbers Count, by Chip Heath. [6:20] Banks shares his story on how he got selected for Rotary International. [9:35] Jan believes understanding anthropology will also help you towards being a better leader. [11:00] Banks talks a little bit about his company, Uncharted, and the inspiration behind it. [12:15] It's so easy to be a fixer of problems. As a leader, Banks found himself spending all of his time making things "less bad." [13:35] Banks and his COO decided to change things up after feeling burned out within the company. They decided to go on the offensive instead of being on the defensive. [17:55] Banks is a few months into his company working on a four-day workweek. He shares his results so far. [20:35] Banks was nervous at first when he had to talk to his investors and clients about this. He was worried they would not see him as a serious company. [23:15] Banks has noticed that his team really hates a three-day week. [24:55] Prior to converting over to a four-day workweek, Banks decided to hire a third party to help evaluate the productivity and measure if it made sense to convert over. [28:34] The book Essentialism, by Greg McKeown was critical in determining what was important work and what was not. [29:55] Jim and Jan hear topics about mental health all the time with their clients. It's important. People are getting burned out. [30:30] You can easily quantify turnover costs and when people burn out, and how much it takes to replace that talent. A four-day workweek makes you competitive. [35:50] Banks explains how Uncharted works and how they've been a successful non-profit company. [37:40] Entrepreneurs who are successful tend to be coachable and follow up/follow through. [39:45] Sell the problem, not the solution. [43:55] Busyness and working "hard" is a cultural value that needs to be questioned. [44:35] When Banks closes his laptop on Thursday night, he still feels incomplete. There's still a lot to get done. [45:35] The more you focus on brute force hard work, the less you are refining your "decisive" muscle. [48:40] Listener challenge: Plant yourself in the richest soil you possibly can. Quotable Quotes "It's so easy to be a fixer of problems. It's easier to fill holes, but it's harder to build peaks." "We spent the whole month of May in 2020 to how we might optimize our work week; the ways we could get smarter about how we structure our time." "Not all hours of the workweek are created equally. They are some hours that are productive. There are some hours that are a complete waste of time." "My day before, I was working 52 hours a week. Now I am down to 34 hours a week." "The best entrepreneurs that we work with are those who are really good at handling a lot of loose ties." Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com Uncharted.org Banks on LinkedIn Banks on Twitter Outsideonline.com Heathbrothers.com Rotary.org Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, by Greg Mckeown

Ralf Specht has been called "a visionary business leader" by FastCompany Press, and he is the creator of the Soul System™, a framework that aligns value-creating employee action with broader corporate strategy through shared understanding and purpose. Ralf is the author of, "Building Corporate Soul." Corporate soul means integrity, shared purpose, shared understanding, and behaviors. Listen in to learn how "soul" can make a difference with talent attraction and retention. Key Takeaways [4:40] Ralf shares why it's hard to execute on value-first behaviors within the business world. [8:20] Mission, vision, and values get blurred a lot. Ralf details how soul and spirit also play a part in the overall company objective, and how you can blend them together. [10:00] Ralf defines what purpose, vision, mission, and values mean to him. [11:45] Ralf uses LinkedIn as an example of how they effectively live out each of these unique distinctions. [16:15] Ralf gives three examples of companies that were purchased because of their culture, and how they were able to maintain that culture after an acquisition. [19:40] Ralf offers ways individuals can gauge whether their company has a high level of trust within their culture. [22:35] For the corporate soul to really thrive and grow, there needs to be a certain set of principles. Each chapter in Ralf's book has "soul-searching" questions to help leaders explore these unique principles. [27:40] Ralf breaks down what the soul index is and how it was calculated. [29:45] Patagonia is often mentioned as a great example of a timeless and impactful company that lives out its company's values, but it wasn't mentioned in Ralf's soul index. He explains the reasoning behind this. [32:30] There is a great resignation happening right now. Ralf offers insight into why employees are really leaving. [35:35] Jan understands it's often hard to develop certain characteristics within people like drive and curiosity. [38:35] Ralf shares how interview candidates can vet and gauge whether a prospective company has a corporate soul. [40:35] If you're interested in a job position, ask if you can talk to three happy employees within the company. [43:00] If you're always surrounded by yes-men, you're not going to really get what you want. [44:35] Listener challenge: You need a great corporate culture to be successful in business. Quotable Quotes "When I talk 'purpose,' I am talking about the reason for being in business. When I'm talking 'vision,' it's to imagine a world that does not yet exist. 'Mission' is the overall goal and what kind of product we provide, and 'values' are beliefs/principles that define the business." "Corporate soul means integrity, shared purpose, shared understanding, and behaviors." "It's the people in the company who understand whether the company has got soul." Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com Ralfspecht.com Ralf on LinkedIn Ralf on Twitter Grab Ralf's book: Building Corporate Soul

Ann Latham is the founder of Boston-area consulting firm Uncommon Clarity, Inc. and author of The Power of Clarity. Ann spent the first half of her career working in high-tech companies, beginning as a software engineer and winding up reporting to the CEO and leading cross-functional and cross-divisional efforts to set strategy and make operational improvements. Ann shares how to create clarity within your organization to increase productivity, increase your confidence and effectiveness towards people, and empower your employees to maximize their contributions. Key Takeaways [3:00] Ann shares her experience hiking through the Swiss Alps and her greatest takeaway from it. [6:15] The feeling of clarity is rare in today's times where things seem to be more complicated. Ann explains why that is. [7:55] All activities that are moving cognitive objects are inefficient and ineffective because there is no clear process in making decisions. [9:00] Ann talks about how to get more formalized processes into cognitive activities in a business or organization. [10:45] There are a lot of tools we could use but there is no one way to create a strategy. [12:40] Ann shares how to break the cycle of busyness. [14:45] She also talks about the three different ways you can create clarity as a mid-level leader. [15:55] There are only five effective ways to deal with too much workload. Ann explains each one of them and adds that number six is called, "wishful thinking." [18:40] Patience vs. Clarity. Ann shares an example of what clarity really means: to not need patience. [22:05] Patience is important when you are asking for people to change their behavior or to understand new concepts. [24:05] Some leaders might not have an idea how to create clarity so they have no idea how to teach someone else to be clear. Ann shares her evolution from when she was just starting as a consultant. [25:25] She urges leaders to read her book to understand why they aren't being clear enough and learn the techniques she has. [26:20] Ann shares the two reasons why big decisions are rarely big decisions. [30:15] Using a disciplined decision-making process can help define which decisions are the critical ones. Ann shares four steps on how to do that. [33:35] A lot of what Ann shares falls into common sense but leaders can still lack the level of specificity required to make things clear. [35:30] Ann explains further what is the dynamic between creating clarity as a leader vs. as an employee. [37:50] Everyone hates meetings and Ann uses this as an example to distinguish clarity. Everyone should know what must be different when they are done. [42:00] Ann also talks about two ways people delegate and the key to no-risk delegation. [44:55] Listener Challenge: We are not as clear as we think we are. The power of clarity creates a huge opportunity. Quotable Quotes "If you think about asking people how they make decisions, you'll get as many answers as the number of people you ask. There isn't a shared clear method for making decisions." "The farther you get from the production processes, the less clear we are." "If you're not specific enough and you're running in too many different directions, you don't create clarity at all. You create a mess." "They (the mid-level leaders) have to push back. And by pushing back, they help themselves and they also help the people who report to them." "If you break things down into what those cascading decisions are, you can get into places much faster." Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com Uncommonclarity.com Ann on Linkedin Ann on Twitter Grab Ann's book: The Power of Clarity: Unleash the True Potential of Workplace Productivity, Confidence, and Empowerment Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, by Greg McKeown

Stephan Aarstol is well known for his appearance on Shark Tank as the founder and CEO of Tower Paddle Boards and Tower Electric Bikes. After being funded by Mark Cuban on ABC's Shark Tank in 2012, Tower went on to become one of the biggest success stories in the history of the show. As an internet business entrepreneur since 1999, Stephan felt it was time for another disruption and wanted to force creative thinking? Through his new book, The Five Hour Workday. In this episode, Stephan shares the principles needed to spark creative thinking, and why it doesn't take a traditional eight-hour day. Key Takeaways [2:10] Stephan shares something about himself that not many people know about. [3:10] Stephan explains what is the most important leadership quality an entrepreneur needs. [5:55] In the tech world where everything is fast-changing, we need to keep pace and be more agile. Stephan shares what are the early warning signs to be aware of. [7:05) Stephan shares an example of how not to spend money unnecessarily in order to be profitable. [10:25] Stephan is known for having the worst pitch on Shark Tank. Despite this, he was still able to land the deal. [12:40] Stephan shares what his go-to questions would be if he was a Shark on Shark Tank. [16:05] As a mature business owner, Stephan looks at things differently now. However, when you have nothing to lose, that's the perfect time to start a business. [18:00] Stephan talks about his journey into writing The Five Hour Workday. [20:25] The key difference between Stephan's book and Tim Ferriss's The Four Hour Work Week was that Ferriss's book was about individuals outsourcing their work and compressing their days. Stephan wanted to apply the same principles to an organizational framework. [21:45] During the pandemic when Tower was about to go bankrupt, they used their ability to work faster to double their productivity. They did it for a year and were able to double their revenues. [22:30] Stephan shares how he overcame the challenge for his organization to use The Five Hour Workday as a motivation rather than an entitlement. [24:35] The pandemic created a constraint for all businesses and his book has found new interest because work has changed now. The pandemic allowed businesses to go into creative thinking. [25:45] Remote work is going to work for at least 10% of the population as they are intrinsically motivated. However, the remaining 90% look for the path of least resistance. Stephan shares his prediction and why remote work could be a disaster. [28:00] Being called The World's Best Boss, Stephan shares his thoughts about having this title. [31:00] Constraint is how you change the way you work from being traditional to becoming disruptive and forcing creative thinking. [33:10] Stephan also talks about his key takeaway from Tim Ferris's book: Management by absence. [34:30] One of the biggest leadership lessons Stephan had was going through trial and error. [35:50] The biggest advantage of being an entrepreneur with a small company is you get to pick the people you take on your journey and experience hardships with. [37:05] Looking back, Stephan shares what he would do differently, historically and moving forward. [42:00] Listener challenge: We're in a scary time. Figure out how to get your burn rate to negative and diversify. Quotable Quotes "When you're in college, this is the time to have a business because you have nothing to lose. You have no experience - and you have nothing to lose." "We squeezed people for time during the busy season and that's the magic of it. You put an unrealistic constraint and that forces creative thinking." "Start-ups basically disrupt the world constantly and it's because of constraints. Constraint is the way you do it. That's what we did with The Five Hour Workday." "The world has changed and we have these very powerful companies. We are in a really scary time right now and I would say, go for cover and figure out how to get your burn rate to negative and diversify." Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com Towerelectricbikes.com Stephan on Linkedin Stephan on Twitter Stephan on Instagram Grab Stephan's book: The Five Hour Workday: Live Differently, Unlock Productivity, and Find Happiness The 4-Hour Workweek, by Tim Ferriss

Brant Cooper is the New York Times bestselling author of "The Lean Entrepreneur," and the CEO of Moves the Needle. With over two decades of expertise helping companies bring innovative products to market, he blends agile, design thinking, and lean methodologies to ignite entrepreneurial action. Brant's new book, "Disruption Proof," explores the three drivers of leadership and organizational disruption, and how leaders today can use this power to embrace uncertainty for maximum effect. Key Takeaways [3:35] When we are successful, we want to take credit. When we fail, we retreat and examine why. [4:10] Disruption creates the opportunity for the entrepreneurial mindset. [6:15] Brant defines disruption. [7:00] The pandemic was brutal for many businesses, but this is just a small learning lesson for what's to come. We will see multiple bubbles of disruption. [8:25] When it comes to disruption, Brant uses the acronym RAD = Resilient, Aware, Dynamic. [11:55] When faced with uncertainty, create as many small experiments as you can to gain a better understanding and bring more unknown information into the known. [12:55] Jim shares an example of how Rockefeller innovated in times of uncertainty and disruption. [15:30] The biggest setbacks in business are when businesses don't explore and illuminate assumptions. [16:25] Brant shares his thoughts on how you can cultivate a RAD mindset throughout the entire organization. [20:45] Managers' new role isn't to micromanage and be "on top" of their people, it's to cultivate a learning environment. [24:55] Brant breaks down how you can test out your riskiest assumption first in a safe way. [31:00] A good team doesn't just depend on one leader. They depend on each other and even team members might switch between being the leader themselves, based on their expertise. [35:25] Companies are always focused on being under budget and on time, which leaves gaps in developing their talent. [40:00] Brant shares examples of how companies of the past have empowered their people to solve tricky problems in the moment. [43:00] Not everyone understands what it means to be "empowered." Leaders need to set an example of what that actually looks like. [45:55] Listener challenge: Put an expiration date on the calendar to explore uncertainties. Quotable Quotes "Failure is where the wisdom comes from, not from your successes." "I don't think this is the last major disruption that's going to roll across our economy." "We are living in this interconnected mesh network world with the speed of information. It's this connectedness that makes us more fragile to disruptions." "Our first inclination is that everyone wants to be empowered and everyone knows how to be empowered, and it's really not that way." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Darley.com Brantcooper.com Movestheneedle.com Brant on LinkedIn Grab Brant's book: Disruption Proof: Empower People. Create Value. Drive Change. The Innovator's Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book That Will Change the Way You Do Business, by Clayton Christensen The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization, by Peter Senge Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win, by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin