Ramsey Pryor on How to Work With Difficult People

In Chapter 16 of 16 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, product management executive Ramsey Pryor answers "How Are You Learning to Work More Effectively With Different Personality Types?" Pryor finds working with difficult people is something most everyone experiences at some point in their education or career. He learns to respect that these people may have things going on outside of class or work and to be mindful of this, especially as his own family commitments grow outside of work. He also learns that it helps to try and diffuse tense situations rather than escalate them.

Ramsey Pryor is a product management executive at IBM focused on cloud-based collaboration and security software products. Previously he was VP Product Marketing at Outblaze, acquired by IBM. Pryor earned an MBA from IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain and a BA in Economics and Spanish from Northwestern University.  

How to Develop and Retain Your Best Salespeople

In Chapter 14 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, mobile business executive Geoff Hamm answers "What Has Your Experience Taught You About Developing and Retaining Your Best Sales People?" Hamm sees developing and retaining top sales performers as a top sales leader responsibility. He does this by setting career path expectations and listening to employees so they feel heard. As a leader, he uses a style focused more on coaching than high-touch managing to give salespeople room to work while also setting executive team expectations why this is critical to sales success.

Geoff Hamm is a business development executive and VP Strategic Alliances at mobile marketing platform start-up Applovin in San Francisco, CA. Previous to Applovin, Hamm held senior sales management positions at Tapjoy, Scribd, Electronic Arts, Yahoo!, Orbitz, IAC and Excite where he built deep relationships with advertisers and brands. Hamm graduated from the University of Illinois.

Why Wanting to Be Rich is a Waste of Time

In Chapter 20 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, mobile business executive Geoff Hamm answers "How Are Your Aspirations Changing as Your Experience Grows?" Growing up, Hamm remembers always wanting to be rich. Now nearly twenty years into his career, he finds that ambition seems more like a waste of time. He finds success more about waking up and loving what you do while also having an opportunity to raise a family. More than anything, Hamm learns that spending precious time with family is irreplaceable, especially after family members pass away.

Geoff Hamm is a business development executive and VP Strategic Alliances at mobile marketing platform start-up Applovin in San Francisco, CA. Previous to Applovin, Hamm held senior sales management positions at Tapjoy, Scribd, Electronic Arts, Yahoo!, Orbitz, IAC and Excite where he built deep relationships with advertisers and brands. Hamm graduated from the University of Illinois.

Simon Sinek on Why to Live a More Generous and Sincere Life

In Chapter 1 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, author and public speaker Simon Sinek answers "How Are Your Aspirations Changing As Your Experience Grows?" Sinek notes how early in his career his aspirations were about personal achievements and goals. With experience, Sinek shifts his focus to helping others grow and learn. He details why generosity and sincerity have been central elements in the transition and provides examples of why others should consider embracing them.  Simon Sinek teaches leaders and organizations how to inspire people. Sinek is the author of two books, "Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Come Together and Others Don't" and "Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action". He is a public speaker, an adjunct professor at Columbia University and a Brandeis University graduate.

Transcript

Erik Michielsen: How are your aspirations changing as your experience grows?

Simon Sinek: Earlier in my career, my aspirations had to do with me. What can I achieve? What can I do? How much money can I make? That kind of thing. My aspirations have really changed into what can I do for other? How can I help people around me grow, and learn, and do more, and achieve more? And so, my aspirations have a lot less to do with me these days, which not unsurprisingly has been the greatest asset in my own career. It is not unusual to expect that when you give to others that others look after you. The reason to give to others is not so that they will look after you, it is an unintended by-product. There has to be sincerity in the giving, otherwise, it’s not sincere, is it? I mean taking someone out there for a round of golf because you wanna win their business is not sincerely wanting to build the relationship, and it’s just a protracted transaction. The only reason you’re taking them for golf or dinner is because you want something from them. It’s not actually relationship building. Relationship building is I’m taking you out for dinner because I actually wanna get to know you, and whether we do business or not together is irrelevant, that it has to be sincere.

Erik Michielsen: And how has that shown itself, in the actions that you’ve taken, the projects that you’ve taken on?

Simon Sinek: Well, two ways, I would say. The first way is when I have a meeting. I don’t come into a meeting wanting something from the person in the meeting. I will answer every question. We’ll have every discussion. I’m happy to give my ideas away. Someone told me a long time ago that people who are protective of their idea only have one idea. Well, I have a lot of other ideas. And not to mention the fact that when you’re an idea generator, and somebody’s not an idea generator, and they wanna steal your ideas, they have value in you because (chuckles) you can generate ideas. They see value in you. So I tend to not want anything from anybody when I come into a meeting. And it never occurred to me that I was doing that until somebody said, “Why are you so generous in your meetings?” And I was like, “I’m just answering all your questions.” And never would say, “Well, it’s gonna cost you,” or “Well, we’ll have to do a consulting engagement,” or hold anything back with the hope of. That’s one big thing. The other big thing is who I choose to work with. I wanna work with people who have similar values as I do, and so I’ve become more discerning as to who I work with, that people are devoted to other people. Those are the people I wanna work with. And people would sort of scoff at me and say, “Oh well, yeah, you can afford to do that now.” I’ve been doing this my whole life. When I was living paycheck to paycheck, I still did this, which hurt, but, for me, it was worth it, because “Do I wanna make money working with somebody I don’t wanna work with?”, which is then taking time away from finding somebody who I do wanna work with, and so it might have taken longer for me to sort of get the financial stability that I needed, but I certainly don’t regret it.

Erik Michielsen: I distinctly remember you talking about this back in 2003 with some of those old clients from your old company—.

Simon Sinek: Yeah. It was so hard, and I had a business partner back then who used to get very mad at me, like, “Why are we turning away business? We need the business.” And it’s because our values didn’t align. There’s an old Zen Buddhist saying which I love, which is, “How you do anything is how you do everything.” And so, when somebody treats you like dirt or like browbeats you to get a contract? Well, guess what’s gonna be like once you have the contract. So I pay great attention to sort of the courtship, and if the courtship is stressful, I don’t want any part of it, because that’s what the relationship will be like. It’s an indicator of what you’re gonna expect and it always is. Nobody ever says, “Well, I’m just like this now, and then I’ll be nice.” Like, “I’m only abusive while we’re dating, but once we get married, don’t worry, it’s gonna go away.” It doesn’t work that way.

Simon Sinek on Training Your Mind to Perform Under Pressure

In Chapter 14 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, author and public speaker Simon Sinek answers "What Does It Mean to Perform Under Pressure in the Work That You Do?" Sinek notes how performing under pressure is the same for him as it is for anyone else - meeting deadlines, hitting financial goals, etc. Olympic athletes teach him how it is possible to interpret stimuli that pressure brings as excitement and not nervousness. This positive interpretation of pressure helps Sinek embrace the moment as a public speaker and be at his best on stage. Simon Sinek teaches leaders and organizations how to inspire people. Sinek is the author of two books, "Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Come Together and Others Don't" and "Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action". He is a public speaker, an adjunct professor at Columbia University and a Brandeis University graduate.

Simon Sinek on Turning 40 and Remaining a Kid at Heart

In Chapter 23 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, author and public speaker Simon Sinek answers "What is on Your Mind As You Turn 40 This Year?" Sinek shares that going into his 40th year he does not feel his age. Living with youthful exuberance, Sinek embraces a life of curiosity and wonder. He wonders if and how his fortieth birthday will change his approach to life. Simon Sinek teaches leaders and organizations how to inspire people. Sinek is the author of two books, "Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Come Together and Others Don't" and "Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action". He is a public speaker, an adjunct professor at Columbia University and a Brandeis University graduate.

Idan Cohen on What It Feels Like When Others See You as a Leader

In Chapter 9 of 13 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, technology entrepreneur Idan Cohen answers "What Does It Mean to Be a Leader in What You Do?" Cohen shares what it felt like to realize that moment when others see you as a leader. He shares what it was like with his employees and what it meant for him to be mindful of that responsibility and what it was like as a startup going into meetings with industry giants who saw him and his team as leaders.

Idan Cohen is a technology entrepreneur and product management leader at Samsung Electronics. He co-founded Boxee, which was acquired by Samsung in early 2013. 

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: What does it mean to be a leader in what do?

Idan Cohen: One thing is reminding yourself sometimes that other people look at you as a leader and view your thoughts, opinions, knowledge as, you know-- look up to it and wait to hear what you have to say. So eventually for me, I think one thing is reminding yourself that you have that power and that actually that you have that knowledge, that you've managed to acquire some understanding of this specific domain that other people don't have and you can lay it back and you can form opinions and you can set the agenda. I just-- I find myself a lot of times just needing to remind myself of that.

Erik Michielsen: At Boxee, when did you realize that you were looked upon as a leader?

Idan Cohen: I think pretty early on, but the difference was that, you know, we were always viewed as a leader when it came to, like, being on the cutting-edge of the TV experience and understanding what the future of TV is going to be like, but we never managed to really penetrate, obviously, kind of the mass-market exposure. And so in a way, I think that was what was a little harder for me, understanding that even though other companies are 100, 1,000 times bigger than you, they're actually still looking at you, and definitely when they meet with you, then they are looking to see what you have to say.

And it was interesting. Like, you would go into meetings with people who are, you know, much more senior and run huge operations and have a lot of power, way more power, and you need that power, that control that they have, you need that. You need their help. And eventually, you sit in a meeting, and you see them kind of, you know, kind of just taking whatever you are saying and really drinking that and appreciating it. And then you understand that actually, you have that power over them, not the other way around.

Lauren Serota on the Why Trust is the Key to Project Collaboration

In Chapter 13 of 21 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and educator Lauren Serota answers "What Have You Found to Be the Keys to Creating Successful Project Collaborations?" Serota finds building trust essential to creating successful creative team project collaborations in her work at frog design. She learns to both understand team expectations and communicate her own expectations to motivate her team and create an inclusive environment where each team member has a stake in the project.

Lauren Serota works as an associate creative director at frog design. She is also a teacher at the Austin Center for Design (AC4D). Serota earned a bachelor's degree in industrial design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). 

Lauren Serota on Blending Life Passions and Career Goals

In Chapter 21 of 21 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and educator Lauren Serota answers "How Are Your Personal Experiences Shaping Your Professional Aspirations?" Serota shares how work and life experiences integrate together into how she lives her life. She notes how life outside work - from exercise and cycling to personal relationships to traveling - inform life inside work and vice versa. As a creative leader, she looks to always learn and figure out the right homeostasis between her work and life that keeps her simultaneously happy and challenged.

Lauren Serota works as an associate creative director at frog design. She is also a teacher at the Austin Center for Design (AC4D). Serota earned a bachelor's degree in industrial design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

Nina Godiwalla on Turning One Act of Courage Into a Life of Confidence

In Chapter 15 of 18 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, author and entrepreneur Nina Godiwalla answers "What Role Does Confidence Play in the Work That You Do?" Godiwalla sees confidence as everything. She builds confidence by taking risks and having the courage to ask for something. This starts by her choosing to write her book "Suits: A Woman on Wall Street" and continues by following through on that first step both with the both and the public speaking that comes with it. Nina Godiwalla is an expert on diversity, leadership and women in the business world. She is CEO of Mindworks, which provides leadership, stress management, and diversity training to companies all over the world. She is also a bestselling author and public speaker. Godiwalla earned an MBA from Wharton, a MA from Dartmouth and a BBA from the University of Texas.

Yoav Gonen on Managing Changing Relationships in News Reporting

In Chapter 13 of 19 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City reporter Yoav Gonen answers "How Are You Learning to Work More Effectively With Different Personality Types?" In six years reporting on the "education beat", Gonen shares how turnover in the Department of Education - or DOE - has required him to adjust to working styles of new DOE employees. Working a job where communication is important, he finds relying too much on email over phone or face-to-face is not a good idea and is challenged by new DOE employees who prefer email over phone calls. Yoav Gonen is a reporter and City Hall Bureau Chief for the New York Post daily newspaper. Previously he spent nearly six years covering the education beat for the New York Post. Gonen earned a B.A. in English from the University of Michigan and a Masters in Journalism from New York University.

Michael Margolis on Ways Presence Helps You Perform Under Pressure

In Chapter 9 of 17 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and entrepreneur Michael Margolis answers "What Does It Mean to Perform Under Pressure in the Work That You Do?" For Margolis, performing under pressure means being present in the moment with others. This allows him to eliminate artificial or self-imposed pressure and instead direct his energy toward others to make a contribution or difference in that particular experience. Michael Margolis is founder and president of Get Storied, an education and publishing platform dedicated to teaching the world how to think in narrative. He earned a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from Tufts University.

Tricia Regan on Finding a Mental State to Do Your Best Work

In Chapter 4 of 15 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, filmmaker Tricia Regan answers "When Are You at Your Best?" Regan notes she is at her professional best when she is fully immersed in her project work. She translates this focus into effectiveness and finds the intensity and purpose she gives to her work exciting. Tricia Regan is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker known for writing, directing and producing documentary films, including the Emmy-winning "Autism: The Musical". She also has worked extensively in non-fiction television for A&E, ABC, FOX, Lifetime, MTV Networks and NBC. Regan earned a bachelors from Binghamton University and masters from New York University. 

Tricia Regan on Why Confidence is Everything When You Make Films

In Chapter 7 of 15 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, filmmaker Tricia Regan answers "What Role Does Confidence Play in the Work That You Do?" To Regan, confidence is everything in her work as a filmmaker.  Confidence helps her lead other people, make decisions and move projects forward toward completion. Tricia Regan is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker known for writing, directing and producing documentary films, including the Emmy-winning "Autism: The Musical". She also has worked extensively in non-fiction television for A&E, ABC, FOX, Lifetime, MTV Networks and NBC. Regan earned a bachelors from Binghamton University and masters from New York University. 

Doug Jaeger on Improving Teaching by Sharing Knowledge Online

In Chapter 4 of 14 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and brand marketer Doug Jaeger answers "How Are You Becoming a Better Teacher?" Jaeger finds that the Internet continues to make it easier and easier to share your knowledge and create a virtural mentoring environment with online learners and students. He looks for ways to share his thinking and work to get feedback and give away his knowledge to a larger audience outside the classroom. Doug Jaeger is co-founder and creative director at JaegerSloan Inc. where he focuses on brand and experimental marketing for clients such as Squarespace, Samsung and PwC. He is an adjunct professor at New York's School of Visual Arts (SVA) and co-curator of JnrlStr. He graduated from Syracuse University.

Clara Soh on Creating Social Impact in a Health Economist Career

In Chapter 5 of 20 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, health economist Clara Soh answers "What Makes Your Work Meaningful?" As a health economist working on health care policy issues, Soh finds meaning working to solve problems caused by an aging baby boomer population and rising lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Her work focuses on finding innovative ways to pay for health care advances and also ways to change consumer behaviors to live healthier. Her work with Medicare healthcare financing becomes all the more relevant as her parents become members. Clara Soh is a health economist and Senior Director of Policy and Research at a pharmaceutical trade organization in Washington, DC. Previously, Soh held senior roles at Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research (KPCHR) and Health Policy Research Northwest (HPRN). Soh earned her Masters of Public Administration (MPA) in Policy Analysis and Healthcare Public Finance from the NYU Wagner School and a BS in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University.

Clara Soh on How Rock Climbing Brings Out Your Personal Best

In Chapter 16 of 20 in her 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, health economist Clara Soh answers "When Are You At Your Best?" Soh finds she is happiest when out rock climbing. The concentration and focus climbing brings pushes Soh to give her best and in return the feeling she receives from the experience brings her great joy. The joy is apparent in the office and Soh explains how your passion can help you connect to others including your boss. Clara Soh is a health economist and Senior Director of Policy and Research at a pharmaceutical trade organization in Washington, DC. Previously, Soh held senior roles at Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research (KPCHR) and Health Policy Research Northwest (HPRN). Soh earned her Masters of Public Administration (MPA) in Policy Analysis and Healthcare Public Finance from the NYU Wagner School and a BS in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University.

James McCormick on Learning Teaching Skills by Raising a Child

In Chapter 11 of 21 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, legal search and consulting firm executive James McCormick answers "How Are You Becoming a Better Teacher?" Raising a 2-year old son, McCormick learns the importance of patience as it pertains to teaching and instructing. By creating calm situations he is able to understand all parties involved and provide better instruction as a teacher. James McCormick is a Partner at Empire Search Partners in New York City. Previously, he practiced law as an employee benefits and executive compensation attorney for Proskauer Rose and Jones Day. He earned a JD at Tulane Law School and a BA in History at the University of Michigan.