486: Hidden Genius with Polina Marinova Pompliano

Twitter, or X, or whatever we’re calling it these days is an incredible place to learn and meet new and exciting people, despite what others are saying. It’s all about who you CHOOSE to follow that makes all the difference.

polina marinova pompliano

Someone I follow—I don’t recall who—made mention of a new book called Hidden Genius: The secret way of thinking that power the world’s most successful people.

I was immediately intrigued and began to researching the book and its author, Polina Marinova Pompliano.

In her book, Polina asks, “What distinguishes the truly exceptional from the merely great?”

After five years of writing The Profile, she has studied thousands of the most successful and interesting people in the world and examined how they reason their way through problems, unleash their creativity, and perform under extreme pressure.

The highest performers don’t use tricks or hacks to achieve greatness, she says. They use mental frameworks that fundamentally change the way they see the world. They’ve learned how to unlock their hidden genius in order to reach their full potential.

Polina’s book will help you do the same. After learning from the world’s most successful people featured inside, you will have a mental toolkit to help you tackle thorny problems, navigate relationships, and use creativity and resilience in times of uncertainty.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Polina and her work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

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485: An Unbound and Unbridled Path to Unstuck Growth with Bryan Orr

When I first met today’s guest several years ago, it was actually the second time I’d met him. Apparently, I said something like, “Nice to meet you.” To which he replied, “We’ve actually met before. I obviously made a strong impression,” or something to that effect. I liked his sense of humor right away.

bryan orr

His name, which I’ll never forget now, is Bryan Orr. And, his new book is called Unconformed: The Unbound and Unbridled Path to Unstuck Growth.

Let me ask you a question: Have you ever felt like you’re stuck in a rut with your job? Or maybe you know someone who jumped into college because of family pressure, gathering loans for a degree they’re not even sure they’re into. It’s even tougher when they feel like they’re backed into a corner, unable to explore new career paths.

That’s where Bryan’s book, Unconformed, comes in. It’s a toolkit for preventing and overcoming that “stuck” feeling and exploring the many paths to success, no matter your age or life stage. With many stories about successful people from diverse backgrounds, this book offers a fresh look at learning and working.

Unconformed questions the whole “you need a college degree to succeed” mantra. It highlights the awesome value in tradespeople and artisans – real people who shape our world. This book focuses on the importance of lifelong learning and resilience rather than a diploma from a lofty institution. The best part? It will show you how to take advantage of real-world opportunities and get unstuck at any stage of life. Unconformed is your guide to becoming “unstuckable.”

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Bryan and his work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

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484: The Surprising Science of High-Performing Teams with David Burkus

This week’s guest is making a repeat appearance (or should I say, “three-peat” appearance?). It’s been a while since his last visit, but I can say it is definitely worth the wait.

david burkus

His name is David Burkus. We previously chatted with David about his books Friend of a Friend and Under New Management.

His new book is called Best Team Ever! The Surprising Science of High-Performing Teams.

Talent, David says, doesn’t make the team—the team makes the talent. But why are some teams more motivated, innovative, and successful than others? Why do some groups of talented people fall short against lesser teams? And how do you go about building a high-performing team?

David understands that to build the best team, you must first shape the habits and practices that bring out the best in each member. Best Team Ever reveals what some of the world’s most effective teams do, and shows you how you can do the same.

Banish the frustration of having a team of talented people who can’t perform optimally. Discover how to develop a clear, concise understanding of how your team’s culture affects its performance. Follow this simple, practical blueprint to cultivate a Best Team Ever environment and set your team on a path to success.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about David and his work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

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483: The Illusion of Choice with Richard Shotton

My guest this week is making his first—and hopefully not his last—visit to the Read to Lead Podcast, and on the eve of the show’s 10th birthday, no less.

richard shotton

His name is Richard Shotton. He’s written a followup to his amazingly well-received The Choice Factory. It’s called The Illusion of Choice: 16 1/2 psychological biases that influence what we buy.

I devoured this book in a single day. It’s just over 190 pages with short, to-the-point chapters. Each one lays out plainly a psychological bias, shares what recent studies have shown about it (some of which are Shotton’s own), and then proceeds to show you, step-by-step, several ways you might consider applying what you’ve learned to your business.

It doesn’t get much more practical than that.

Richard draws on academic research, previous ad campaigns, and (as mentioned) his own original field studies to create a fascinating and highly practical guide that focuses on the point where marketing meets the mind of the customer.

You’ll learn to take advantage of the peak end rule, the power of precision, the wisdom of wit – and much, much more.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Richard and his work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

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482: How Leaders Can Move Teams From Isolated to All In with Steven Van Cohen

I was in a crunch for time the week I sat down with today’s guest and needed to get through his book (a seven- to eight-hour read) in a single day. What to do?

steven van cohen

I had a physical copy of the book in hand, but needed to get through it quickly. I decided to use one of my favorite speed reading tricks. I purchased the audiobook version. Then, following along in the physical book, I cranked up the audiobook to 2X speed. Instead of nearly eight hours, I was through the book in less than four!

Now, to be clear, you can do this with audiobooks (and podcasts) all day long if you like. But with books, unless you’re following along in either the ebook or have a physical copy, don’t expect to retain much of the book’s content later, let alone comprehend any of it.

Who is this guest and book? His name is Steven Van Cohen. His new book, co-written with Ryan Jenkins, is called Connectable: How Leaders Can Move Teams From Isolated to All, and connect we did.

I found Steven to be quite personable. He’s extremely good at what he does, as he’s been doing it for nearly two decades. Here’s a bit about what the book dives into:

The book covers how tackling the issue of worker loneliness head-on can transform an isolated workforce into one that’s happier, more engaged, and more productive.

Steven and his co-author, Ryan Jenkins, distill their methodology, showing you what’s causing today’s loneliness, the role inclusion plays in solving it, and how you can decrease loneliness and increase belonging, engagement, and performance with employees at every level―including yourself. 

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Steven and his work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

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