Mindful Monday / Archive

Every issue of Mindful Monday

Mindful Monday is one free email a week from Ryan Hawk, host of The Learning Leader Show: the week’s conversation, the best things he read, and some wise words. More than 100,000 leaders read it every Monday. Every issue is here to read in full.

All issues

Issue #542 · October 12, 2026A Roadmap for Doing What Matters MostRavi Gupta on mastering a new skill every year, a short video on how Ben Affleck makes movies, and some examples of people doing things very quickly.Issue #541 · October 5, 2026Ask The 9 Power Questions…Vanessa Van Edwards on the 9 power questions, a rare leadership essay from James Clear, and David Brooks on the moral bucket list.Issue #540 · September 28, 2026What Could Possibly Go Right?A conversation with Danny Meyer, how (and why) to chase the unthinkable, thoughtful interviews with Aaron Sorkin, and becoming a noticer of the world.Issue #539 · September 21, 2026The 7 Essentials of Enduring LeadershipAndy Stanley and Sam Kaufman on enduring leadership, why you have to stay in the game, and an essay from Ryan on being in pursuit of excellence.Issue #538 · September 14, 2026The Founder of Positive PsychologyKIND founder Daniel Lubetzky, a special episode with Dr. Martin Seligman, an oral history of September 11, and a playbook on leading people well.Issue #537 · September 7, 2026The Attributes of a Great CoachA conversation with the CEO who greenlit Dirty Dancing and owns Grand Theft Auto, and a letter the creator of Slack sent his team in the thick of it.Issue #536 · August 31, 2026Grit is Not EnoughAngela Duckworth on the power of your situation and agency, a speech from Admiral William McRaven, and two quotes from The Price of Becoming.Issue #535 · August 24, 2026Gratitude, Mantras, & Hiring Like a ChampionBlake Mycoskie on hitting your goals and still not feeling great, the mundanity of excellence, making something heavy, and Brian Chesky on culture.Issue #534 · August 17, 2026Why We All Need a CoachMark Pincus on coaching, a beautiful essay on ordinary abundance, Taming The Mammoth, and some wise words about how hard it is to write well.Issue #533 · August 10, 2026Celebrating 700 Episodes of The Learning Leader ShowRyan celebrates 700 episodes of The Learning Leader Show with his dad Keith and brother AJ, plus how an introvert gets herself to speak up.Issue #532 · August 3, 2026A Field Guide to Wealth & PurposeJack Raines on wealth, ambition, careers and luck, McKinsey Author Talks on daily habits, and the 200-day writing streak.Issue #531 · July 27, 2026How to Think for Yourself in the Age of AIJoanna Stern on AI and life, the goal-setting mistake you don't know you're making, and Shane Snow's essay on building a better me.Issue #530 · July 20, 2026The Compounding Practices of High PerformanceRyan and his research assistant on The Price of Becoming, three ways to manage up and get promoted, and the only thing you need to get good at.Issue #529 · July 13, 2026The Harvard Study on HappinessDr. Zeke Emanuel on The Learning Leader Show, a commencement speech from Jerry Seinfeld, and Derek Sivers on the joy of doing the thing.Issue #528 · July 6, 2026What You Allow In Your Presence Is Your StandardNavy SEAL Andy Stumpf on The Learning Leader Show, how to time travel, what makes a dream job, and some wise words about tension from Austin Kleon.Issue #527 · June 29, 2026BOGO – The Price of Becoming…Clark Lea live at the Learning Leader Growth Summit, why optionality isn't helping you, 9 rules for living an excellent life, and Paul Graham.Issue #526 · June 22, 2026Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About LuckTina Seelig on how to become luckier, how Ohio became a hub for tech and manufacturing, how to write a great cold email, and Seth Godin.Issue #525 · June 15, 2026Most Great Leaders Are Great Sales ProfessionalsScott Harrison on valuing excellence, a TED Talk from Bill Gurley, why you need to stay in the game, and what Noah Kahan told his band before a show.Issue #524 · June 8, 2026The Science of SuperTeamsDr. Ron Fried on the makeup of super teams, Tyler Cowen's 12 rules for life, what Ryan learned from Austin Kleon, and Hayao Miyazaki.Issue #523 · June 1, 202610 Ways to Create Like a Kid AgainAustin Kleon on how to stay loose, an essay from Alex Sasse, why writing cultures win, and some wise words from Jim Collins about winning.Issue #522 · May 25, 2026The Costco Hotdog Story….Eric Ries on The Lean Startup's unfinished business, Wright Thompson's story about Steve Kerr, live music from Noah Kahan, and Teller on magic.Issue #521 · May 18, 2026Why High Performers Seek CoachingDr. Henry Cloud on why high performers seek more coaching than ordinary people, Jack Raines on AI slop, 7 rules about selling, and Dan Pink.Issue #520 · May 11, 2026Reconnecting With an Old FriendJim Collins on how to make the most of your life, Easy, Moderate, Hard, an essay on how AI is coming for your mind, and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.Issue #519 · May 4, 2026Why You Should Meet Your HeroesDr. Nicole LePera on the cost of being good at everything, why to run a book club, Ryan's essay on meeting Jim Collins, and wise words from Jack Carr.Issue #518 · April 27, 2026How Constraints Make Us BetterDavid Epstein on the power of constraints, George Nakashima's home and workshop, a review of Tim Cook's tenure at Apple, and Richard Feynman.Issue #517 · April 20, 2026How To Unleash The Most Powerful Force in BusinessMarcus Buckingham on designing love into work, Ramit's book-buying rule, an essay on becoming more ambitious, and a definition of success.Issue #516 · April 13, 2026How To Break Limiting BeliefsNir Eyal on limiting beliefs, why going back to the moon is awesome, six selfish reasons to have kids, and Ariel Helwani on The Price of Becoming.Issue #515 · April 6, 2026The Only Competitive Advantage That LastsWill Guidara on taking Eleven Madison Park to number one in the world, one person's search for meaning, and Rick Rubin on discipline and freedom.Issue #514 · March 30, 2026Building a Championship CultureVanderbilt coach Clark Lea on relatedness as an edge, a lesson from March Madness, and the letter Steve Kerr wrote after a World Series loss.Issue #513 · March 23, 2026The Secret to Making Your Days Feel FullScott Galloway on living a novel life, Ramit's book-buying rule, Cameron Young's family, and lessons from a phone call with a guy on his boat.Issue #512 · March 16, 2026You're Interviewing For Your Next Job Every DayKat Cole on why you are interviewing for your next job every day, skiing with family, Paul Graham on parenting, and Morgan Housel on risk.Issue #511 · March 9, 2026Rejected on Shark Tank. Sold to Amazon for a BillionThe inventor of Ring on selling to Amazon for $1.1B, handwritten thank you notes, Derek Thompson on fatherhood, and leaders and communication.Issue #509 · February 23, 2026The Beauty of ObsessionJesse Cole and the Savannah Bananas, an essay on leading yourself, the skill of being alone with your thoughts, and Murakami's speech on values.Issue #508 · February 16, 2026Eulogy & Resume VirtuesTom Hardin on the largest insider trading case in history, Kat Cole's leadership truths, the downside of 80/20, and why Norway wins the Olympics.Issue #507 · February 9, 2026A Nekton MindsetPJ Fleck on leadership and a wild college game, Graham Duncan on hiring excellent people, and Paul Graham on why thinking for yourself is hard.Issue #506 · February 2, 2026Why You Should Open More Yellow DoorsDan Coyle in Cleveland, Parker Conrad's story of Kleiner Perkins on the brink, an essay on goals, and whether a Super Bowl ad is worth it.Issue #505 · January 26, 2026A Guide to Deep Satisfaction in a Chaotic WorldBrad Stulberg on excellence, Naval on high standards, Nathan Barry on hosting a mastermind retreat, and wise words from Booker T. Washington.Issue #504 · January 19, 2026How To Build Trust (From the Founder of Wikipedia)Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales on trust, 54 prompts to beat the blank page, how to manufacture luck, and the culture document a16z employees sign.Issue #503 · January 12, 2026Mudita – Joy For Someone Else's SuccessMike Deegan on his team's ethos of mudita, a rare new Morgan Housel essay on what he is sure about, and Brent Beshore's year in review.Issue #502 · December 22, 2025How To Collect Interesting PeopleNick Gray on connecting fascinating people, Jim Collins on level 5 leadership, and process goals versus results goals.Issue #501 · December 15, 2025Why You Should Sell Door-to-DoorAngie Hicks on selling door-to-door at 23, the most Warren Buffett question ever, why you should always go to the funeral, and wise words on networking.Issue #500 · December 8, 2025Why Do You Want To Be a Leader?The 500th issue, with an emotional conversation with Pat Lencioni about why you want to lead, plus the essays and ideas Ryan found most useful this week.Issue #499 · December 1, 2025"Why Not Me? Why Not Now?"David Adelman on how to respond when you lose, why you should write, the success of hands-on leaders, gratitude, and wise words on practice.

What’s inside every issue

01

The week’s conversation

The newest episode of The Learning Leader Show, and the one idea from it worth taking into your week.

02

Things worth reading

Essays, interviews and playbooks Ryan came across, with a line on why each one is worth your time.

03

Some wise words

A short quote to end on, from a leader, a writer or a coach.

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One free email a week from Ryan Hawk: the best ideas from his conversations, and a few things worth your attention. Join 100,000+ leaders. Unsubscribe any time.