Culture is strategy

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Episode #282: Seth Godin - You Can't Be Seen Until You Learn To See

"In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is a failure. In a busy marketplace, not standing out is the same as being invisible."

Show Notes:

• Commonalities of sustaining excellence:
  • It changes over time
  • Must be willing to fail - "Okay... Will I do things that might not work?"
• Some of Seth's failures: many teaching mistakes, tried to build philanthropy platform that failed, blog has failed at times
• How to handle a slump? - "There's no such thing as a long slump."
  • Stephen J. Gould - "The real problem is how you respond to the failure. You can't tell yourself a story that's not true."
  • Have honest self talk -- "This isn't a slump."
• Stanford MBA - Friends with Chip Conley. "Everyone there feels like a fraud or an arrogant jerk. I felt like I was drowning. The sessions with Chip changed my life." Chips "Random Acts of Initiative" were life changing. Chip taking initiative and not fearing rejection. Remarkable.
• Empathy - A mentor wants to see you do things that are bold, leap forward because of them.
• Be a mentor - "Make the world shinier. Bring life to more causes."
• Economy of words - "I made the decision to write like I talk."
  • "Talking isn't better because you're afraid."
• The book publishing world and why Seth chose to traditionally publish This Is Marketing
• What percentage of Seth's success is luck? "98.2%" The final 1.8% is "relentless persistence." "The 98.2% is the parent lottery."
• How to deal with rejection after rejection...
• "Culture IS strategy. How we treat people. It's hard to do the things we're proud of."
  • "Great ones have better clients."
• Side hustle advice -- Start it on the side so that you don't have to make money at it right away. You can choose your clients and never just "do it for the money."
  • "Exactly. Great advice."
• Keys to storytelling - "We have too much stuff."
  • Better understand the story you're telling yourself.
• Why joining The Learning Leader Circle is a good idea
• Use the "Get To Know You Document"

"Luck for me is 98.2% of it. The other 1.8% is relentless persistence."

Social Media:

• Follow Seth's writing on Twitter: @ThisIsSethsBlog
• Read: This Is Marketing
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• To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12