The Pursuit of Excellence: The Uncommon Behaviors of the World's Most Productive Achievers

by Ryan Hawk, Patrick Lencioni (Foreword by)

Overview

A master class in achieving and sustaining excellence, even in the most challenging of times—from the host of The Learning Leader Show and author of Welcome to Management

Millions of business professionals aspire to become effective leaders. But for hardworking, growth-oriented top performers who are always looking to improve and for rigorous thinkers who are never quite satisfied with the status quo, the true goal is the lifelong pursuit of excellence.

Leadership advisor Ryan Hawk has interviewed hundreds of the most productive achievers in the world on his acclaimed podcast, The Learning Leader Show, to discover the best practices for pursuing and sustaining excellence. He found a pattern of uncommon behaviors that set these stellar individuals apart. By following their examples, you will learn how to:

• Commit to yourself and the process―and build purpose, focus, and discipline
• Develop resilience to face new challenges―and find inspiration for the long haul
• Seek guidance―and lead others to new heights
• Meet the moment―and make the most of every opportunity to excel
• Create a trusted group of advisors―and become a lifelong learner

Packed with specific actions to take, experiments to run, and tools to analyze what works best for you, this uncompromisingly practical guide will inspire, challenge, support, and empower you to become your very best. Put mindsets into action and turn behaviors into habits with The Pursuit of Excellence.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781264269099
Publisher:	McGraw Hill LLC
Publication date:	01/25/2022
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	1,033,217
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Ryan Hawk is the creator and host of The Learning Leader Show, a top-rated business podcast that focuses on learning from the smartest, most thoughtful leaders in the world. He has interviewed over 450 leaders, including such luminaries as Simon Sinek, Seth Godin, Kat Cole, General Stanley McChrystal, Jim Collins, and Adam Grant. The Learning Leader Show has listeners in 156 countries worldwide. Forbes called it “the most dynamic leadership podcast out there,” and Inc. magazine listed the show as one of the top five podcasts to “help you lead smarter.” A sought-after professional speaker, Ryan is the author of Welcome to Management, which Forbes called “the best leadership book of 2020.”

Table of Contents

Foreword xi

Introduction 1

Success Versus Excellence 3

Don't Sacrifice the Gift 4

The Pursuit 5

Why? 6

Part I The Build

1 Purpose Mindset 11

It's About Growth 14

Self-Audit 16

"This Is a Process" 18

Change Your Mind 20

Choose Transformational Relationships 22

Build Through Dialogue 25

2 Focus and Discipline 31

3.9 and 4 Flat 33

What Is Your Wall? 34

Hold onto the Fishing Pole 37

Show Up Consistently 39

Learn the Smalt Stuff to Do the Big Stuff 41

No Cheap Tricks 43

Moki Martin: The Lesson of the Sugar Cookie 44

Consistency: Keep Hammering 46

If You're Not Embarrassed. You Waited Too Long … 48

3 Resistance 51

January 1 Is the Next Day 53

Progress Happens in Uncertain Times 56

The Pain of the Process Is the Point 57

The Handstand Coach 59

Surviving the Hanoi Hilton 62

Keep Taking One More Step 64

Mortals Don't Get to Determine Your Fate 65

Part II The Fuel

4 What Lights You Up 69

Love Versus Will 70

Die Empty 72

Get Out of the Sand 73

The Most Useless Question 75

Find Your Edison 78

Turn Your Flywheel 80

5 The Power of Others 83

A Tale of Two Coaches 86

Stack the Deck 89

How to Ask 91

The Unknown Unknowns 93

The Full 360 95

Listen to Comprehend 97

Learning as a Competitive Advantage 98

6 The Confidence Flex 101

Your Mental Muscle 103

Sasha Fierce 104

No Discounting Allowed 107

Meet the Moment 108

Act When Others Are Scared 110

Build Charisma 111

The Value of Admiration 113

Part III The Chase

7 Making the Commitment 119

Opportunity Is Not a Lengthy Visitor 120

A Sparkling Pocket of Greatness 122

Stand Out and Speak Up 125

The Shape of a Laugh 127

Adapt Like the Frog 129

It Starts with How You See Yourself 131

8 Building Your Band 135

Make Trust Your Opening Bid 137

Stay Away from the Poison 139

Never Stifle a Generous Impulse 141

Practice Generosity. Humility, and Vulnerability 144

Smile 145

Be Punctual 146

Listen with Your Eyes 149

Create Your Junto 151

9 It's a Lifelong Pursuit 155

The Good Fortune of Knowing Nothing 157

Personal Mastery 159

What's Under Your Pillow? 160

The Feynman Technique 161

Step Back to Move Forward 163

The Dinner Table 166

Excellence Takes Time 168

Conclusion 171

Accountability Is Required 173

Publish Your Work 175

Go to Camp 177

Be a Griot 179

Leave Fresh Tracks 180

Epilogue: "This I Believe" 183

Acknowledgments 187

Notes 191

Index 209