The online learning platform that David Rogier founded and now heads up as CEO features some of the world’s most talented people who share and preserve invaluable knowledge and stories so future generations can access and appreciate them.
You would think that working with all this world-class expertise would rub off on David’s leadership style. And guess what? You would be right. For example, in her entrepreneurism class on MasterClass, instructor Sara Blakely, the self-made billionaire founder of Spanx, tells the story of how her father tried to make it acceptable to try things and fail by asking family members at dinner every night, “What is something that you failed at today?”.
David loved this idea so much that every week he followed suit, sending out a company memo talking about MasterClass’ “best failure” of the week. Rather than dread their boss’s memo, David’s team came to look forward to hearing about the things each failure taught the team and why David was so proud and impressed by them.
“The only way that you are going to discover new things and do big, cool, new things is you are going to have to fail at them,” David explained in the podcast. “You get back up, learn from it and go and build the next thing.”
In the podcast, David demonstrates a particular penchant for showing how leaders can build not only high-performing but also courageous cultures based on shared values and expectations.
You will Learn:
"Don is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever met. I’ve known him for a long time and every time we talk I walk away wiser and more inspired. He is the best in the business at teaching you a skill – storytelling – that will last you a lifetime.”
“The ability for athletes to get hired is carried on through you because you are putting out the message that lessons learned from sports are important in life. It is embedded in this podcast, what you’re doing is significant.”
We speak the same language. I am inspired by the stories you tell, the people you have met, and the things you’ve done. Those of us that are competitors like to follow others that have been down that journey, so it is always fun talking to you!”
“Many of the leaders I have worked with were excellent athletes, and I think there is a direct correlation. You’re one of the few people that really has pursued this study, Don. Keep up the great work. What you are doing really makes a difference.”
“Don, you have mastered the skill of interviewing and asking great questions. That is a great skill all leaders need in order to understand their team members’ thought processes.”
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