615: Brad Thor - The Art & Science of Storytelling, Creating Surprise, Billions, Ray Donavon, & The Willingness (& Ability) To Break The Rules
The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk
Release Date: 12/30/2024
640: Tony Reno (Yale University Head Football Coach) - Writing a Team Creed, Leaving it Better Than You Found It, Going to Gettysburg, Leadership Retreats, & Winning Championships
The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk
Go to for full show notes The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk gives you direct access to some of the most respected coaching minds in the world. Led by HOFer Sherri Coale, Brook Cupps, Geron Stokes, and Eli Leiker. Leaders who have built winning programs, led at the highest levels, and shaped the next generation of elite performers. The Arena is a Learning Leader Circle for Coaches only. We are opening applications now for our first cohort. If you'd like to be part of it, . Once the cohort is full, we will be pausing applications. This is brought to you by . If you need to hire 1...
info_outline
639: Katie Gatti Tassin (Money with Katie) - Building A Media Business, The Morning Brew Acquisition, Knowing Your Retirement Number, & Living Up To High Expectations
The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk
The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk Go to for full show notes This is brought to you by . If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. Katie Gatti Tassin is the author of the "Money with Katie" newsletter and podcast, both acquired by Morning Brew in 2022. Katie provides fresh personal finance advice with a unique outlook, coupled with deep, self-taught knowledge. Before founding Money with Katie in 2020, she...
info_outline
638: Kirk Herbstreit - The Most Prepared Broadcaster In The World, Responding To Adversity, Faith, Elk Pride, High School Sports, NIL Deals, Lee Corso, & The Emotional Moment When The Buckeyes Won The Title
The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk
Go to for full show notes This is brought to you by . If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. Kirk Herbstreit is the voice of college football. A former Centerville High School and Ohio State University Quarterback, Kirk has been the lead Analyst for ESPN’s College Gameday since 1996. He calls the biggest games in college football on Saturday nights, and he broadcasts the college National Championship. Beyond college...
info_outline
637: Tom Ryan (Ohio State Wrestling Coach) - Chosen Suffering, Emotional Control, Responding to Tragedy, Success Pillars, and Learning from Dan Gable
The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk
The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by . If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. Tom Ryan is the head wrestling coach at Ohio State University. In college, he wrestled for perhaps the greatest wrestling coach of all time, Dan Gable, at Iowa, where he was a two-time Big Ten champion and a two-time NCAA All-American. As a coach at Ohio State, he’s...
info_outline
636: William Von Hippel - Why We Need Both Autonomy and Connection to Find Happiness (The Social Paradox)
The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk
Go to for full show notes This is brought to you by . If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. Go to William von Hippel grew up in Alaska, got his B.A. at Yale and his PhD at the University of Michigan, and taught for a dozen years at Ohio State University before finding his way to Australia, where he is a professor of psychology at the University of Queensland. He’s the author of multiple books. A few months ago, he...
info_outline
635: Rich Gotham (President of The Boston Celtics) - How To Build a Championship Organization
The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk
Go to for full show notes This is brought to you by . If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. Go to Rich Gotham is the President of the Boston Celtics. He is responsible for all aspects of the Celtics' business operations. In addition, he works closely with Celtics ownership, basketball operations staff, and the NBA on basketball-related matters, as well as team and league initiatives. He succeeds “Red” Auerbach as...
info_outline
634: Tom Nolan (CEO of Kendra Scott) - 2% Moments, Setting Big Goals, Being Unbalanced, Moving Fast, Coaching High Performers, & Going Through Hard Things Together
The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk
The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk Go to for full show notes. This is brought to you by . If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. Go to Notes "Average players want to be left alone. Good players want some coaching. Great players want the truth." It is not a company’s job to give work-life balance to someone. And he is not balanced. He’s on 24/7. It was refreshing to hear the real story from someone who is...
info_outline
633: General Stanley McChrystal - In Pursuit of Greatness, High Standards, The Ranger Effect, Self-Discipline, White-Water Rafting, Obsession, & Making Choices That Define Your Life (On Character)
The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk
The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk Go to for full show notes This is brought to you by . If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. Go to Stanley McChrystal is a retired four-star general. Stan is the former commander of the nation’s premier military counter-terrorism force, Joint Special Operations Command (also known as JSOC). His command included more than 150,000 troops from 45 allied countries. Since he retired...
info_outline
632: Nick Huber - The Attributes of Winners, Becoming Great at Sales, Changing Your Mind, & The Fundamental Truths of Life (Sweaty Startup)
The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk
The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk Go to for full show notes This is brought to you by . If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. Go to Episode #632: Nick Huber is an entrepreneur who owns stakes in 11 companies, including a real estate private equity firm and several agencies. His portfolio of companies employs over 325 people living all over the world. Nick lives with his wife and 3 children in Athens, Georgia. He’s...
info_outline
631: Bert Bean & Sam Kaufman - Obsession, Grit, Growth-Mindset, Winning in a Tough Market, Hiring for Potential, Running Ultra-Marathons, and Caring For Your People
The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk
The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk Go to for full show notes This is brought to you by . If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. Bert Bean is the CEO of Insight Global. Insight Global is a 4.3-billion-dollar, industry-leading talent and technical services firm based in Atlanta, GA. Bert started with Insight Global in 2005 as a Recruiter and has since worked his way up within the company, exemplifying Insight Global’s...
info_outlineGo to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes and all episodes of The Learning Leader Show
Notes:
Brad Thor best selling author of 22 thrillers...
- Excellence as a leader… What has Brad seen from the military leaders he’s studied: Empathy - Understand what it’s like from their perspective. LISTEN - Care for your people. Actually LISTEN to them and be there. Creativity. Innovate, and think of new creative ways to solve problems.
- Effective storytelling - Don’t start with the weather. Leave out the parts people skip. Don’t be boring. This same advice is useful for leaders when communicating with your team. Put yourself in their shoes. How can you most effectively share your message without being boring. The more entertaining it is, the more likely they’ll remember it.
- Effective storytellers - Plotters (outlines, Dan Brown), Pantsers (write by the seat of your pants). Brad is a pantser.
- Take the first 4 ideas and throw them out. You need the element of surprise. Create surprise.
- Be comfortable breaking the rules.
- Loves Ray Donavon and Billions for the element of surprise
- "No joy in the writer, no joy in the reader."
- "No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader."
- Brad has served as a member of the Department of Homeland Security’s Analytic Red Cell Unit.
- Excellence as a leader (McChrystal) - Empathy, Listen, Creativity.
- PBL - Problem-Based Learning. John Bettis (country singer). How do you recharge your battery? International travel. Immerse yourself in another culture.
- Loves politics. Ran for President.
- Advice for writers – “Gotta Keep Writing” Mary Higgins Clark did it for 2 hours each morning before her family woke up. Whatever it is we want to be great at, we have to get the reps. Consistency beats intensity.
00:53 The Art of Storytelling
04:13 Elements of Effective Storytelling
08:26 The Importance of Surprise in Storytelling
11:33 Writing Process and Challenges
20:43 Research and Realism in Writing
27:04 Leadership Lessons from Writing
30:59 The Importance of Open-Mindedness
32:01 Pre-Publishing Feedback Process
35:09 Homeland Security and the Red Cell Unit
39:05 Maintaining Creative Energy
42:38 Political Ambitions and Leadership
50:57 Advice for Aspiring Writers
54:36 The Benefits of Reading Fiction for Leaders
56:43 Conclusion and Final Thoughts