After years of serving as a high school government and law teacher, Sharon McMahon took her passion for education to Instagram, where more than a million people rely on her for nonpartisan, fact-based information as “America’s Government Teacher.” In a time where flashy headlines and false information often take the spotlight, Sharon is a reliable source for truth and logic. Sharon is the author of: The Small and The Mighty – Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, From the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement.

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The Learning Leader Show

  • What did Teddy Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, and FDR have in common? The ability to articulate a vision that others wanted to follow. They were great communicators. If you want to lead people, it helps to become a fantastic storyteller. It helps to be able to stand up in front of a group of people and share the vision in an entertaining and informative way. And then execute on that vision.
  • Be a doer. “The best Americans are not the critics, they are the doers. They are the people who went for broke when everyone else yelled to turn back. They are those who know that one becomes great because of who they lift up, not who they put down.” I’ve never observed anyone, regardless of field, achieve lasting prominence while voicing rancor or focusing much on the failings of others. Create and share, support others, and enjoy. Givers and creators always prevail. – Andrew Huberman
  • Door-to-door sales helps you deal with rejection. It’s good for you.
  • When you see a new person at the gym, celebrate them. Help them get acclimated.
  • The Hello Girls — AT&T — Pioneer of telephones. They were doing their jobs wearing gasmasks with bombs exploding around them.
  • Echo Chambers – As a leader, what you don’t know, can hurt you. Do not surround yourself with “yes men” or “yes women.” You need a diversity of viewpoints. You should feel uncomfortable on a regular basis. You should told you’re wrong from the people you surround yourself with. If you’re not, then you’re living in an echo chamber. Also, pay attention to a broad spectrum of media. If you only watch one news channel or read one newspaper, you will probably end up in an echo chamber. Then develop friendships with people who think differently than you. They’re not wrong because they think the way they do. Instead of judging them, why not be curious and learn more about their viewpoint.
  • Gouverneur Morris – One of Alexander Hamilton’s best friends and one of our founding fathers. He contributed as much or more to the early republic than Ben Franklin or John Adams. He conceived America’s great statement of purpose, the one still recited by schoolchildren. He’s the author of the Preamble of the new United States Constitution.
  • “The best Americans are not the critics, they are the doers. They are the people who went for broke when everyone else yelled to turn back. They are those who know that one becomes great because of who they lift up, not who they put down.” I have learned that no one reaches their final moments of mortal existence and whispers to their loved ones, “I wish I had gotten in some more sick burns in the comments section on Facebook.”
  • Advice:
    • “Be the “can-do” person. Have the best attitude in the room. Be amazing at whatever you choose to do. Be the person that others love to work with.”
  • Apply to be in my Learning Leader Circle.
Resources:

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

Time Stamps

01:03 – Early Entrepreneurial Lessons

03:30 – The Value of Persistence and Rejection

05:10 – Embracing Failure in Business

08:42 – Celebrate the Doers

13:52 – Hiring for a Leadership Role

15:57 – Gouverneur Morris: The Forgotten Founder

24:18 – The Origin of Sharon’s Educational Mission

31:04 – Have a Mission Larger Than Yourself

32:44 – Breaking Free From Echo Chambers

39:16 – Political Identity and Independent Thinking

46:15 – Sustaining Excellence Through Vision and Communication

50:51 – The Heroic Hello Girls of WWI

56:38 – Reflecting on Historical and Modern Insanities

59:27 – Advice for Recent Graduates