Larry Connor is an entrepreneur, non-profit activist investor, and adventurist. In business, he is best known for founding The Connor Group, a real estate investment firm, and growing it from $0 to $5 billion in assets. Outside of work, Larry lives an adventurous life. Within a 12 month period Larry did something that had never been done before. He completed 3 dives to the deepest part of the ocean (the Mariana Trench) AND traveled to the International Space Station as an astronaut. In addition to that, Larry is a private pilot and was part of a Le Mans racing team that has won championships.

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The Learning Leader Show

  • “At The Connor Group, we don’t have, and never will have, a mission statement. We have culture. When you have the latter, the former is not necessary.”
  • The culture is built on 5 core values, on which we don’t compromise:
    • Do the right thing
    • People count
    • Live the Circle of Success
    • Think long-term, not short-term
    • Relentless pursuit of excellence
  • “We exist, quite simply, to be the best.”
  • “We don’t hire for experience. We don’t hire for knowledge. We don’t care where you went to school. We hire for personality traits. Especially in leadership roles. You have to have the big 6. You have to have all 6. They are:
    • 1. Be able to motivate and inspire others.
    • 2. Self-accountability and ability to hold others accountable in an honest, direct manner.
    • 3. Organizational multi-tasking. The speed of the game is fast.
    • 4. Cultural fit.
    • 5. Grit. Doing the thing that others say are impossible.
    • 6. Work orientation. If you want to come in at 8:30, take a 90-minute lunch, and leave at 4:30, The Connor Group is not for you.
  • “People never outperform their own self-image. So aim high!”
  • Failure: “Failing is the absolute best teacher… If you can get yourself to the place where you associate nothing from failing except learning… you go from a very negative voice to a positive, constructive voice.”
  • “Mediocre people don’t like high achievers and high achievers don’t like mediocre people.”
  • “By definition, if you want to be exceptional, you have to be different. If you’re like everybody else, you’re going to end up like everybody else.”
  • In 2008, Larry said, “We simply decided we weren’t going to participate in the global recession.”
  • Excellence Through Measurement – “You can measure anything… If you got the right people, you got the right plan, you got the right processes, and you have perseverance, you’re gonna end up with measurables no matter what the endeavor is.”
  • 3 P’s – People, Plan, Process
  • People’s performances are measured through daily, weekly, and monthly IAMs (Individual Accountability Meetings). Clear expectations and clear management.
  • When I asked him about becoming a billionaire, Larry immediately jumped to the impact he’s having on others. “There are far more important standards than money. How well have you treated your associates? Have you made them better people? How much have you done to help other people? Have you made a difference?” All of that is available to all of us regardless of us being a billionaire or not.
  • The company headquarters are next door to a hangar that houses a working model of the “Wright B Flyer” – The Wright Brothers’ first production airplane.
  • Challenge and Purpose Drive Everything – From space missions to deep-sea dives: “We never do anything that doesn’t meet two specific standards: can we do it safely and can we do it successfully?” Every extreme adventure had both challenge and research purpose.
  • Living in the Future, Not the Past – “People have asked me… what was the one that you liked the most or was most exciting? My answer is always the same. The next thing I’m gonna do.”
  • “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”
  • “I’ve tried poor and I’ve tried rich. Rich is probably a little better, but it’s not the most important thing.”
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Resources:

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Time Stamps