Modern Wisdom – #655 – Polina Pompliano – The 10 Habits Of The World’s Most Successful People

Intro

In this episode of the “Modern Wisdom” podcast, host Chris Williamson interviews Polina Pompliano, who shares insights into the habits of history’s highest performers. By deconstructing the habits and mindsets of successful people, listeners can gain valuable insights on how to expedite their own success and avoid common pitfalls. From channeling creativity and building mental toughness to effective storytelling and leadership, Polina provides a broad view of what it takes to achieve success.

Main Takeaways

Channeling Creativity and Inspiration

• True original creators have a unique point of view, audacious goals, and a willingness to fail spectacularly in pursuit of their goals.
• Pixar’s success comes from an iterative process of making films from bad to less bad to the best possible version they can make.
• Unstructured freedom is the enemy of true creative achievement, so finding and learning the rules allows for breaking them later on.
• Overnight success in creative fields is rare and usually involves years of learning and practice.
• Creativity requires work and structure, not just waiting for inspiration to strike.

Building Mental Toughness

• Mentally resilient people personify pain and see it as a place of transformation.
• Visualizing pain as a place of transformation can lead to personal growth and metamorphosis.
• There is a fine line between self-criticism and self-accountability, and it’s important not to overshoot and lambast oneself.
• Taking extreme ownership may be a smart strategy for some, but it’s important to recognize when one is already over-indexing for accountability.
• Victimhood comes from within, and only you can make yourself feel like a victim.

Effective Leadership

• Effective leaders approach leadership from a bottom-up perspective, giving employees agency and freedom to create and innovate.
• Spotify’s Daniel Ek fosters a culture of bottoms-up leadership, allowing employees to drive the company.
• Servant leadership is similar to bottoms-up leadership, where the CEO is there to serve the employees of the company.
• The highest level of leadership is when the company runs itself without you.
• A true leader prioritizes the success of the organization over their own ambitions.

Consistency and Commitment

• Consistency, routine, and commitment are indicative of success.
• Focusing on doing your job well leads to success.
• Evaluating and calculating risk properly is important in decision-making.
• Making the scary decision is better than staying in the dangerous one.
• Letting go of past versions of yourself can lead to new opportunities.

Optimizing Content Consumption

• Being mindful of the content we consume and conducting a content audit can optimize our content diet.
• Creating a forcing function in your life that forces you to read more high-quality content can lead to more interesting ideas and a more fulfilling life.
• Evaluate how you feel after consuming a piece of content, not just during.
• Your felt sense and remembered sense of what’s going on can be different, so evaluate how you feel after consuming content.
• Look for little nudges that push you in the right direction.

Building True Communities

• Building a successful community requires taking the time to do the work person by person.
• Personal interactions with followers create lasting memories and build true community.
• Non-scalable actions can be a high-impact and costly signal to followers.
• VIP ticket incentives and meet and greets can create personal and intimate experiences for fans.
• Starting small and scaling up can create a memorable journey for fans.

Embracing Change and Reinvention

• Hidden genius can be found in anyone and is not limited to IQ or traditional measures of intelligence.
• Reinvention and starting over can lead to new opportunities for success.
• Positive visualization is helpful, but reflecting on past failures and obstacles can give real confidence.
• Looking at past experiences can be more effective than positive visualization.
• Embodying the version of yourself you want to be involves taking actions aligned with your future self’s desires.

Summary

Channeling Creativity and Inspiration

True original creators possess a unique point of view, audacious goals, and a willingness to fail in pursuit of their goals. Pixar’s success is built on an iterative process of continuously improving their films. Creativity requires structure and work, not just waiting for inspiration to strike. Breaking rules and conventions can be enhanced by first understanding and learning them. Overnight success in creative fields is rare and typically involves years of learning and practice.

Building Mental Toughness

Mentally resilient individuals view pain as a place of transformation and personal growth. It’s crucial to strike a balance between self-criticism and self-accountability. Taking extreme ownership can be beneficial, but it’s important to recognize when one is already over-indexing for accountability. Victimhood is a mindset that can only be overcome by taking responsibility for one’s own actions and emotions.

Effective Leadership

Effective leaders empower their employees by giving them agency and freedom to create and innovate. Spotify’s Daniel Ek exemplifies bottoms-up leadership, allowing employees to drive the company. Servant leadership focuses on serving the employees of the organization. The highest level of leadership is when the company can run itself without constant supervision. True leaders prioritize the success of the organization over their personal ambitions.

Consistency and Commitment

Consistency, routine, and commitment are key indicators of success. Focusing on doing one’s job well leads to success, according to college football coach Nick Saban. Evaluating and calculating risk properly is essential in decision-making. Making scary decisions is often better than staying in dangerous situations. Letting go of past versions of oneself can open doors to new opportunities.

Optimizing Content Consumption

Being mindful of the content consumed and conducting a content audit can optimize one’s content diet. Creating a forcing function that encourages reading high-quality content leads to more interesting ideas and a fulfilling life. Evaluating how one feels after consuming content, not just during, provides valuable insights. Little nudges that push individuals in the right direction can lead to personal growth and development.

Building True Communities

Building successful communities requires investing time and effort into each individual. Personal interactions with followers create lasting memories and foster true community. Non-scalable actions can have a high impact and serve as costly signals to followers. VIP ticket incentives and meet and greets create personal and intimate experiences for fans. Starting small and scaling up can create a memorable journey for fans.

Embracing Change and Reinvention

Hidden genius can be found in anyone, regardless of traditional measures of intelligence. Embracing change and starting over can lead to new opportunities for success. Reflecting on past failures and obstacles can provide real confidence. Looking at past experiences can be more effective than relying solely on positive visualization. Taking actions aligned with one’s future self’s desires can help embody the desired version of oneself.

Conclusion

Polina Pompliano’s insights into the habits of history’s highest performers provide valuable lessons for achieving success. By channeling creativity, building mental toughness, practicing effective leadership, maintaining consistency and commitment, optimizing content consumption, building true communities, and embracing change and reinvention, individuals can expedite their own paths to success. By applying these lessons, listeners can navigate their personal and professional lives with greater clarity and purpose.