I’m pumped to announce my new book, The Price of Becoming: The Compounding Practices of High Performance. It’s inspired by early moments in my life when I failed… And the past 11 years and 700 conversations I’ve had with some of the most exceptional people in the world: coaches, CEOs, athletes, Navy SEALs, scientists, and quiet leaders you've probably never heard of. The book stemmed from a question I like to ask leaders… What do you intentionally do each day to ensure you’re going to bed a little bit better than you were when you woke up? I’ve been super curious about the power of compounding behaviors. So, this is a combo of the things I’ve learned AND what I’ve actually done over the past decade to move from theory to action. It’s kind of pointless to learn all this stuff without actually doing it too… It comes out July 21, 2026. I know this book can be transformational. Especially for people who want to put a positive dent in the world. I want you to read it. I want you to tell your friends about it. Buy extra copies. And spread the word. If you enjoy my work and think you might buy the book when it comes out, it would mean a ton to me if you pre-order it now. Pre-Orders are a really big deal. They help determine the book’s placement online, in bookstores, and they tell my publisher that they need to print a ton so we don’t run out (like we have in the past when people waited til launch week to buy it). You’ll be hearing more about the book over the coming months. This is a deeply personal project. I am nervous to put it out, but at the same time, I’m proud of it. I think it will change your life for the better. WHO is it for? We work with 8s and 9s who want to be 10s. 4s and 5s will not enjoy this book. This is for people who are doing well… And want to be even better. The target market is not the majority of humans. My publisher didn’t love that part (smaller # of people to sell books to). But that’s who I’ve been lucky to attract with my work on The Learning Leader Show. If you really want to make a difference. Want to leave that dent… Then there is a price to pay. There are trade-offs. This book is the story, science, and practical application of that price. It’s not theoretical. It’s stuff you actually do. Each chapter has lots of prompts for you. As well as actions you can take immediately to change your life. If you actually do the work, the outcomes you want will happen. That’s a big if, though… I’m giving away a lot of pre-order bonuses to make it worth your while to buy it right now. All those are at Learning Leader dot com And if you want to buy in bulk (50 ), DM me or send an email (Ryan at LearningLeader) Thank you for your support! – Ryan

Vanderbilt Head Football Coach Clark Lea (@Coach_Lea) epitomizes the meaning of ownership. I love this clip because it's a masterclass in refusing to play the victim, escaping the echo chamber that imprisons so many people, and understanding that the internal agreement you make to chase excellence comes with immense pain and a hard truth: Nobody is coming to save you. 🔥 We are not victims in this process. The joy we experience is often equal and opposite to the pain we endure. Growth isn't found by avoiding adversity, it's found by carrying it with pride. The struggle you're facing today may be the very thing preparing you for the opportunities you're praying for tomorrow. 🧭 You don't control every circumstance, but you do control your response. This is the ground you stand on. This is where you're supposed to be. There are no mistakes. Every challenge, setback, and obstacle has the potential to drive you forward if you're willing to accept it as part of your journey rather than evidence that you've been treated unfairly. 🪞 Ownership requires honesty. Be proud of where you are, but be honest about where you've fallen short. The objective is never to wait for someone else to rescue you. The objective is always to perform better. To improve. To adapt. To grow. Excellence begins the moment you stop asking who will save you and start asking how you can become better. The moment you stop seeing your circumstances as something happening to you and start seeing them as something shaping you, adversity transforms from a burden into a blueprint. @VandyFootball is leaning into this idea for the 2026 season. #AnchorDown

The Price of Becoming... Available to pre-order now. Out July 21, 2026

"What you allow in your presence is your standard." - @AndyStumpf77

Mindful Monday - "The Science of Super Teams" - @RonFriedman on The Learning Leader Show - You should run a book club... The teacher learns the most - 12 Rules for Life @tylercowen - What I learned from @austinkleon - Wise Words from Hayao Miyazaki ryanhawk.kit.com/posts/524

- @RonFriedman wrote one of the most-read @HarvardBiz essays of all time. He spent years studying what the best teams all did... And then shares how you can build a 'Super Team.' After reading it, I had to talk with him. So, I did. He's my guest on this new episode of The Learning Leader Show: - The Science of High-Performing Teams - Why Chevy Chase was a Toxic Teammate - The Brilliance of the Succession Writers’ Room - How to Build Trust on a Team - Deleting Recurring Meetings At Your Company - Living with High Standards (making excellence the norm) - Why Side Hustles Can Be Good

"Forget the noun. Do the verb." - @austinkleon

This is awesome

I recorded a conversation with @austinkleon for The Learning Leader Show (Episode #690)... I listened to it 4 times. Every time I heard something useful, I paused the podcast and typed a note in my phone. Here are those notes: Bill Murray picture - Stay light, loose, and relaxed. If you can do that, you can play at the highest level. Keep that sense of playfulness. "The analog desk is my R and D time." “People want to watch someone who is activated.” “People pay every night to show up and see somebody believe in themselves.” - Kim Gordon “The market for something to believe in is infinite. The world is full of people who are just going to work, doing whatever. People are really hungry to see people who are on fire for what they’re doing.” “I ran at least the first half of my career off the fumes of that meeting with cartoonist Linda Berry. This person is activated to the world in a way that I want. I’ll have what she’s having. It’s important to have those people who light us up The writer takes what people are thinking and puts it into the words. That’s what we do. That’s what a great writer does. That’s the best compliment I can think of for a writer. I don’t have that many special thoughts. I have a way of communicating that connects with people. It gives them the words. Be a noticer. Therou always had a notebook with him on his morning walks because he knew he would need something to write about. We both went to Miami University at the same time. Austin created his own major (interdisciplinary studies). He synthesized multiple fields (English, Art, Classics). And they housed architecture students there too, which was most important since that’s where Austin met his wife. "My kids taught me more of what it’s like to be able to access the raw creative urge. The title of the book is stolen from an artist who I learned so much from watching a kid draw. Kids don’t call it art; they’re just doing stuff.” I expected to be the teacher, and I ended up being the student. Kids are great because they’ll ask you enough questions that the universe becomes mysterious to you. To keep growing, you gotta toggle between knowing and not knowing To be a parent is to be a perpetual amateur. Neither of you knows what you’re doing. Even if you’ve had a kid before. What worked the last time might not work this time. The word “amateur” in French means “lover of.” To be an amateur is to do it out of love. “Kids are great because they’ll knock you on your ass as far as your pompous sense of certainty about what you do and what you know. Every great CEO should probably be put in the room with a 4-year-old. “ "We are attracted to people who are very curious about the world. Those who are curious about people.” Activation Curiosity = a deadly combo The great leader listens. They ask questions. The leader is curious and asks how others are doing. They aren’t the big talkers. When I’m out in the world, I’m not looking for people who seem to be “successful.” I’m looking for people who seem to be having fun. People say the Friday newsletter looks easy… Do it every Friday for 13 years, then call me. “A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play.” He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he’s doing and leaves others to decide whether he’s working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both. - Lawrence Pearsall Jacks Writing is thinking. People think you gather your ideas, then write them down. The act of writing is the act of figuring out what you actually think. That’s the hard part. Austin’s champagne moment a year from now: his kids flourishing. The older he gets, the less the books mean and the more his family does.

Let’s go! Well earned @CoachDeegan

“People will pay every night to show up and see somebody believe in themselves.” People want to watch someone who is activated. @austinkleon

"Forget the noun. Do the verb." - @austinkleon

To be an amateur is to be a lover. The French root means “lover of.” An amateur does it out of love, not material reward. @austinkleon

“People will pay every night to show up and see somebody believe in themselves.” - Kim Gordon People want to watch someone who is activated. @austinkleon

An amazingly fun talk with @austinkleon "Stay light. Stay loose." “People will pay every night to show up and see somebody believe in themselves.” "The best teachers are perpetual students." "To be an amateur is to be a lover." "Great leaders are great listeners."

The Jim Collins curiosity flywheel