Episode Details

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

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Full show notes can be found at www.LearningLeader.com

Episode #350: Tom Rath - Answering Life's Great Question

Tom Rath is an author and researcher who has spent the past two decades studying how work can improve human health and well-being. His 10 books have sold more than 10 million copies and made hundreds of appearances on global bestseller lists. Tom's first book, How Full Is Your Bucket?, was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller and led to a series of books that are used in classrooms around the world. His book StrengthsFinder 2.0 is Amazon's top selling non-fiction book of all time. Tom's other bestsellers include Strengths Based Leadership, Eat Move Sleep, and Are You Fully Charged?

Notes:

• Commonalities of leaders who sustain excellence:
  • "They are the single best people at asking good questions."
  • "They are amazing listeners. They make you feel like you are the only person in the room."
    • Ask insightful questions that help others identify something they had not previously thought of
• How does one develop that skill?
  • Spend time alone learning... Have a genuine intellectual curiosity... Write caring, handwritten notes
• Make sure your teammates know you care about them and show your gratitude
  • I shared the story of Doug Meyer calling me simply to say "thank you" and how much it meant to me. Be a thoughtful leader who leads with gratitude.
    • Use specifics when describing why you appreciate someone
• Why did StrengtsFinder catch on?
  • "We should not fall back to a resume. We don't have a good language to describe what we do and our talents." Strengths Finder does that for people
    • As leaders, we should always be on the lookout for the unique talent in others
• Tom's Top 5 Strengths:
  • Futuristic
  • Analytical
  • Relater
  • Significane
  • Activator
• My Top 5 Strengths:
  • Learner - People who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.
  • Input - People who are especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.
  • Intellection - People who are especially talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.
  • Individualization - People who are especially talented in the Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively.
  • Achiever - People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.
• Individualize -- Send articles to specific people each day -- Write: "Hey, I was reading this and thought you might find it helpful."
• What you can contribute is more important that your passions. "There's an enormous mismatch in what the world needs and what's out there."
• Three big influences on Tom:
  • Dr. Martin Luther King - "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: what are you doing for others?"
  • Ben Horowitz's commencement speech
  • His grandfather, Don Clifton -- "Our greatest contribution can be to teach others."
• There is a higher correlation in helpfulness when you can literally see the people you're helping (Tom shares the resea