Sean Iddings is co-founder of the Intelligent Fanatics Project which helps investors and entrepreneurs see further by standing on the shoulders of organizational and leadership giants. The book series, of the same name co-authored by Ian Cassel, is the introduction into the overall project. Sean is also a member of MicroCapClub and runs Unconventional Capital Wisdom, a registered investment advisor in New York State.
1. What is an “intelligent fanatic,” and why do we want to recognize them as investors? What are some qualities you didn’t like in some of the leaders or their organizations you highlighted in the book? Why?
2. Who was John Patterson and how did he embody an intelligent fanatic?
3. Finding a Jeff Bezos or Warren Buffett after they’re big and famous seems easy. How do we find an intelligent fanatic early enough to invest in them to really see the benefits? Are there markers we can look for a priori to success?
4. A large addressable market with a big runway for growth was a common theme among everyone profiled. The timing also happened to coincide with an epoch of unprecedented economic growth in the US. If you consider that the tide might not be coming in as quickly in the developed world as it once was, are the spectacular results of an intelligent fanatic still replicable?
5.Many of the intelligent fanatics chose a lowest-cost-provider business model to succeed. Is that the most likely way to succeed for them? Or are there others who were able to create differentiated products instead?
Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, a monthly columnist for Scientific American, a regular contributor to Time.com, and Presidential Fellow at Chapman University. His new book is "Skeptic: Viewing the World with a Rational Eye." He is also the author of “The Moral Arc: How Science and Reason Lead Humanity Toward Truth, Justice, and Freedom”, “The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies”, “The Mind of the Market”, “Why Darwin Matters: Evolution and the Case Against Intelligent Design”, and “The Science of Good and Evil”. He has been a college professor since 1979, also teaching at Occidental College, Glendale College, and Claremont Graduate University, where he taught a transdisciplinary course for Ph.D. students on Evolution, Economics, and the Brain. As a public intellectual he regularly contributes Opinion Editorials, book reviews, and essays to the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, Science, Nature, and other publications.
Dr. Shermer received his B.A. in psychology from Pepperdine University, M.A. in experimental psychology from California State University, Fullerton, and his Ph.D. in the history of science from Claremont Graduate University. He appeared on such shows as The Colbert Report, 20/20, Dateline, Charlie Rose, and Larry King Live. His two TED talks, seen by millions, were voted in the top 100 of the more than 1000 TED talks.
1. How has reasoning and scientific thinking changed the way we view morality and created a more just world?
2. Why do people think that things are bad and getting worse when, in fact, they are good and getting better? That is, why all the doom and gloom pessimism when optimism and gratitude should be the response to all the progress we have realized in our time?
3. There are many reasonable and smart people on both sides of the climate change issue. What are your thoughts these days?
4. There are many products that seem to fall into the “can’t hurt, might help” category. Is there anything wrong with taking advantage of the placebo effect?
5. Are there any investment takeaways from your research and insights?
Dov Baron has been sharing his wisdom and expertise privately and on international stages with professional leaders for more than 30 years. He has interviewed and worked with leaders featured on Oprah, Ellen, CNN, Fox, MSNBC, CBS, Huffington Post, Larry King, New York Times, Washington Post, Forbes, and the Wall Street Journal.
Dov was named by Inc Magazine as one of the Top 100 Leadership Speakers.
His current podcast “Leadership and Loyalty Tips for Executives” is the #1 podcast for Fortune 500 Executives.
In addition to being a speaker, author, and a radio host, Dov Baron is the leading authority on Authentic Leadership and creating a corporate culture that generates fierce loyalty, particularly when dealing with Millennials.
http://amzn.to/2m2KMhE
1. Why is loyalty the single most important characteristic of any organization?
2. It’s easy to imagine finding meaning if you work for the Red Cross, Patagonia, or maybe Whole Foods. But if you’re in a more “regular” business, how do you find that all-important meaning for you and your employees? Especially given that surveys find doing meaningful work as highly important to millennials?
3.What’s a Chief Relationship Officer?
4. Vulnerability is a hot topic these days, and everyone agrees that it’s an important part of leadership. But what are some tactics we use to actually be vulnerable, especially if it’s not something we’re predisposed toward?
5. What are the 4 C’s?
Maureen Monte is a leadership and team consultant with over ten years experience in building winning teams. She has a BS & MS in Mechanical Engineering and an MS in Leadership and her client list includes Kellogg, SalesForce, Huntington National Bank, and La-Z-Boy. She is the author of Destination Unstoppable which documents the true story of helping a talented but dysfunctional boys varsity hockey team become state champions - in six weeks. Her process works in the locker room and the board room!
1. How did an elite high school hockey team become the narrative of your story?
2. Why are sports teams such an apt environment for strengths-based work?
3. What’s the secret to good team chemistry? How about outside of the sports world?
4. What’s an abundance mindset and why is it so important to cultivate it? Does our society have a bias toward some strengths?
5. What’s a trust bank?
David Hassell is the founder and CEO of 15Five, the leading web-based employee feedback and alignment solution that is transforming the way employees and managers communicate. Named "The Most Connected Man You Don't Know in Silicon Valley" by Forbes Magazine, David has also been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Inc., Entrepreneur, Wired, Fast Company, and the Financial Post. You can learn more about 15Five and David Hassell at www.15five.com.
1. Children ask upwards of 300 questions per day. As adults we only ask a handful. Why do we change, and are we missing something as adults by asking fewer and less thoughtful questions?
2. You have two “must ask” questions every boss should be asking. What are they, and why are they so effective?
3. What are some tips for managing introverts?
4. What are the best questions to ask to help a remote team succeed?
5. How have you personally used asking better questions to influence the evolution and success of your company, 15 Five?