Podcast

SPOS #920 – Alan Eagle On Learned Excellence At Work

Welcome to episode #920 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #920. Alan Eagle is a senior executive communications expert and co-author of the recently published book, Learned Excellence – Mental Disciplines For Leading And Winning From The World’s Top Performers. The book delves into the nuances of mental toughness, the intricate balance between nature and nurture, and the pivotal role of effective communication in fostering leadership and excellence. Alan co-wrote the book with Eric Potterat. One of Eric’s many accolades is that he served for 10 years as the psychologist for the US Navy SEALs, and was responsible for the mental assessment, selection, development, maintenance and enhancement programs for the SEALs. Alan is no slouch either. He worked for over 16 years as a Managing Director at Google, where he was also the speechwriter for influential Googlers like Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, Marissa Mayer, and Susan Wojcicki. Alan is also the co-author of How Google Works (with Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg) and Trillion Dollar Coach – The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley’s Bill Campbell (also with Schmidt and Jonathan). In a world increasingly polarized and challenging to navigate, Alan addresses how individuals and organizations can stay true to their core values, even as they grow and evolve. He highlights the crucial role of maintaining these values, not just for personal integrity but also for organizational coherence and success. Alan also explores the idea of managing people in an outcome-focused environment. He advocates for a process-oriented approach, emphasizing the journey over the destination. This perspective, he argues, is not just applicable at the corporate level but resonates universally across various levels and types of organizations. Alan offers profound insights into the realms of leadership, communication, and personal development. His experiences and perspectives provide valuable lessons on resilience, the pursuit of excellence, and the art of effective communication, essential for anyone looking to excel in today’s dynamic world. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 57:22.
Hello from beautiful Montreal.
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Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.
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or you can connect on LinkedIn.
…or on Twitter.
Here is my conversation with Alan Eagle.
Learned Excellence – Mental Disciplines For Leading And Winning From The World’s Top Performers.
Co-author Eric Potterat.
Trillion Dollar Coach – The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley’s Bill Campbell.
How Google Works.
Follow Alan on LinkedIn.
Follow Alan on X.
This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Takeaways:

Mental toughness is essential for performing well under pressure, and it can be developed through practice and training.
Excellence is not limited to high-stress situations. It can be achieved in everyday life.
Values and identity play a crucial role in achieving excellence, both individually and within a team or organization.
Leaders can create a culture of excellence by exemplifying the principles of learned excellence and fostering open communication and trust.
In a polarized world, it is important to focus on shared values and create an inclusive environment that respects diverse perspectives.
Core values should be upheld even as a company grows and faces new challenges.
Focusing on the process rather than just the outcome leads to better results.
Process is a universal truth that can be applied at any level and in any organization.
Compelling communications are about understanding what the audience is interested in.

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction and Background
03:06 – The Importance of Mental Toughness
08:26 – The Difference Between High-Stress Situations and Everyday Stress
11:37 – The Role of Nature vs. Nurture in Developing Mental Toughness
14:48 – The Connection Between Excellence and Identity
18:43 – Applying the Principles of Learned Excellence in Personal Life
23:33 – Creating a Culture of Excellence in the Workplace
28:01 – The Role of Communication in Leadership and Excellence
31:46 – Leadership and Excellence in a Changing World
43:46 – Navigating Values in a Polarized World
47:36 – The Value of ‘Don’t Be Evil’
50:30 – Managing People in an Outcome-Focused World
53:42 – The Universal Truth of Process
57:08 – The Power of Compelling Communications

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #920.

Before you go… ThinkersOne is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.