2018 was an incredible year for The Learning Leader Show.  Here’s a quick look back at the great things that occurred over the past year:

  • I walked away from my corporate career to partner with Brixey & Meyer and share the Learning Leader message the world over.
  • From 34 stages in 7 states and in 3 different countries, I had the privilege of delivering the Learning Leader message in person.
  • We created our first two Learning Leader Circles – paid mastermind groups that meet on a regular basis via Zoom to have dynamic conversations about excellence, leadership, growth, and accountability. 4x as many people applied for our second group as for the first, and applications came from more than 20 states and 3 different continents.
  • We hosted learning leaders from across the US at a workshop in our Brixey & Meyer office to focus on being personally excellent as a leader.
  • Every one of our podcast advertisers renewed for multiple episodes, and even more want to partner with the show in 2019.
  • I’ve had the pleasure of working with two incredible leaders/business-owners as their 1-on-1 leadership advisor.  This has been amazingly rewarding work that will continue in 2019.

Looking ahead to 2019, I’m excited to soon be able to share news on some upcoming projects like:

  • an online course (we’ve spent a massive amount of time building this and it’s launching very soon),
  • a forthcoming book,
  • more in-person opportunities to meet with fellow learning leaders, and
  • more in-person/video podcasts (based on the huge response from the George Raveling episode!).

With that said, I know that this all starts with the podcast.  None of the other cool projects, ideas, or events happen without producing a high quality, useful, and entertaining podcast for people to listen to. Because of the quality of the content, the podcast and message spreads one person at a time through the best type of marketing ever devised: word of mouth recommendations.

The purpose of The Learning Leader Show is to:

  • Help you reflect, pause, and learn something new.
  • Provide actionable takeaways that are immediately implementable.
  • Entertain with great stories that help you remember what you learned.

I realize that not every conversation appeals to 100% of the audience. That said, I firmly believe that all episodes are useful in some way.  A big part of my feedback loop is hearing from YOU, the listeners.  Continue to send your thoughts/ideas my way: Ryan at LearningLeader dot com.

Here are the most popular episodes of  2018

(“most popular”= the combination of episode listens + number of emails I receive about that episode):

Episode #281: George Raveling – 8 Decades Of Wisdom: From Dr. Martin Luther King To Michael Jordan.  A pioneer and innovator in college basketball.  The first African-American coach in the Pac 8.  He’s in possession of the “I Have A Dream Speech” that Dr. Martin Luther King delivered.  He helped sign Michael Jordan to Nike.  This is one of the conversations I treasure the most.

Episode #252: Tom Peters – In Search Of Excellence.  He’s written one of the most read leadership books of all time (In Search Of Excellence), given more than 2,500 keynote speeches, made two deployments to Vietnam, and co-founded McKinsey’s gargantuan Organizational Effectiveness practice.

Episode #245: Maria Taylor – ESPN Gameday, Embracing The Grind, The Value Of Versatility.  Maria is a force who has exploded onto the broadcasting scene.  On ESPN Gameday, Saturday Night ABC football sideline reporter, and regular co-host of Get Up on ESPN.  She was a two sport star at Georgia playing volleyball and basketball.

Episode #246: Patrick Lencioni – The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team.  Pat is the founder of The Table Group and the author of 11 books which have sold over 5 million copies and been translated into more than 30 languages. The Wall Street Journal called him “one of the most in demand speakers in America.” He has addressed millions of people at conferences and events around the world over the past 15 years.

Episode #242: Daniel Coyle – The Secret Of Highly Successful Groups (The Culture Code).  Dan Coyle is the New York Times bestselling author of The Talent Code and The Culture Code.  He works as a special advisor to the Cleveland Indians.

Episode #276: Scott Belsky – How To Find Your Way Through The Hardest Part Of Any Venture (The Messy Middle).  Scott is an executive, entrepreneur, author, and investor (and all-around product obsessive). He currently serves as Adobe’s Chief Product Officer and Executive Vice President, Creative Cloud.   He’s the best-selling author of Making Ideas Happen and The Messy Middle.

Episode #239: Dan Pink – The Scientific Secrets Of Perfect Timing.  Dan is the author of six provocative books — including his newest, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, which has spent four months on the New York Times bestseller list.  His other books include the long-running New York Times bestseller A Whole New Mind and the #1 New York Times bestsellers Drive and To Sell is Human.

Episode #260: Mark Divine – How To Create An Unbeatable Mind.  At twenty-six Mark graduated as Honor Man (#1-ranked trainee) of SEAL BUD/S class number 170. Mark served for nine years total on active duty and eleven as a Reserve SEAL, retiring as Commander in 2011.  His leadership of teams was so effective the government tasked him with creating a nationwide mentoring program for SEAL trainees.

Episode #263: Charlie McMahan – How To Build A Tribe From 50 To 5,000 (Video Episode).  Charlie has been the Lead Pastor of SouthBrook Church since 1992. He is driven by a deep concern for those who may feel like they don’t belong in a church.  He’s been the driving force behind Southbrook’s incredible growth from a small 50 person church to one that hosts over 5,000 per weekend.

Episode #266: Ryan Caldbeck – CircleUp CEO: How To Build The Framework Of Your Life & Career.  Ryan is the founder and CEO of CircleUp.  He’s become well-known for his intelligent and useful “tweetstorms.”  He offered an amazing amount of life and career advice on this episode.

Episode #274: Heidi Grant – How To Get People To Help You (Reinforcements).  Dr. Heidi Grant is a social psychologist who researches, writes, and speaks about the science of motivation.  In 2017, she was named one of Thinkers50’s most influential management thinkers globally. She is the Chief Science Officer for the Neuroleadership Institute, Associate Director of the Motivation Science Center at the Columbia University, and author of multiple best-selling books.

Thank you for your continued support in my life’s work.  I am very fortunate to do work that I love on a daily basis.  None of that would happen without your support.  Here’s to leading, learning, and excellence for you in 2019 and beyond.

— Ryan