Matt Higgins was an executive for the New York Jets and then the Miami Dolphins. He Co-Founded RSE Ventures with Miami Dolphins owner, Stephen Ross. Matt was a guest shark on ABC’s Shark Tank (seasons 10-11), He is an executive fellow at Harvard Business School, and he recently published a book called, Burn The Boats, Toss Plan B Overboard and Unleash Your Full Potential...

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FORBES called WELCOME TO MANAGEMENT, “the best leadership book of 2020.”

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The Learning Leader Show

  • Matt’s Mom: “My mother, Linda, died with $100 in her bank account, but I inherited the most valuable gift a parent can give a child: limitless faith in my ability to figure anything out.”
  • Matt gave the 2019 commencement speech at Queens College – According to Vanity Fair Contributing Editor Paul Goldberger, “This is a magnificent and truly inspiring speech that everyone should read. If you think commencement speeches are made of cliches, this one will change your mind.”
  • The most important ingredient to professional success: “Make yourself indispensable at whatever task you’re doing and you’ll always have a job.”
  • Research proves that the mere contemplation of Plan B statistically reduces the probability Plan A will ever materialize.
  • The advice Matt got from Daymond John on how to handle imposter syndrome on his first day of filming Shark Tank: “You belong here because you are here.”
  • How to raise your kids to not be spoiled when you can provide anything they’d ever want?
    • There is nobility in work. Ensure they do hard things and do real work.
  • Matt’s “must-have” qualities when hiring a leader:
    • Confidence + Humility
    • Empathy
    • They just “figure it out”
    • They are a servant leader — They can “plug holes”
  • Matt’s four-step process:
    • What’s the worst that could happen?
    • If it doesn’t work out, what will I do?
    • What’s the probability the bad stuff will happen?
    • What pain am I willing to endure to make it happen?
  • “Burn the boats for goals, not tactics.”
  • Apply to be part of my Leadership Circle
Resources:

Time Stamps

00:21 – The Difficulty of Writing Your Acknowledgments

06:09 – You’re Interviewing for Your Next Job Every Day

14:16 – Developing Grit In Your Children

20:06 – The Mindset of Defiance

29:22 – Make Yourself Indispensable

36:18 – Have the Confidence to Change Your Circumstances

41:53 – The Decision to Pursue Shark Tank

45:16 – Imposter Syndrome Advice from Damon

50:01 – Must Have Qualities To Earn a Leadership Role

54:46 – Life Advice

More Learning:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 216: Jim Collins — How To Go From Good To Great

Episode #300: AJ & Keith Hawk – How To Instill Work Ethic & Curiosity In Your Children

Episode #303:  General Stanley McChrystal – The New Definition Of Leadership