Here’s a tip for achieving success and becoming the best you can be: find people who have achieved extraordinary things, and ask them how they did it. After all, you learn all sorts of other skills from experts and teachers, so why not apply this same strategy to how to achieve success?
That’s exactly what Kevin does for you in this inspirational interview with Richard Gerver. Richard’s past achievements include being the head teacher who lead the transformation of a struggling school in a tough part of England. He was then appointed as a government advisor on education, before becoming a top leader in the business world. He is a bestselling author, has presented TED talks, consulted with massive companies like Google, and even became Business Speaker of the Year. To say he’s good at helping people succeed would be an understatement!
In this episode of The Unstoppable Teen Podcast, Richard offers not only the advice that he’s gathered through his own experiences, but also some that he’s gleaned from conversations he’s had with high achievers like Sam Smith, Jay-Z, Sir Richard Branson, and more.
Click on the player above to listen now!
You will learn:
- What Richard was like during his teenage years. I might not be what you’d expect! (5:56)
- Some of the things that Richard did to move his life in a more positive direction(8:22)
- Why it’s important to expand your horizons, not limit yourself to your community and the people who happen to be around you (10:48)
- Some of the super successful people Richard has interviewed and what he learned from them. In his answer, Richard refers to Jay Z and Sam Smith, both of whom shared the same mentor: Nick Raphael (13:01)
- How you can go about finding yourself a supportive mentor (15:50)
- The importance of being active rather than passive, and what the “rocking chair test” is (17:47)
- Some of the most important attributes that young people need to develop to set themselves up for a fantastic future (22:42)
- Barriers that can get in the way of being a good collaborator, and how to overcome them (25:51)
- The difference between standards for success in school versus in life (28:52)
- How the perspective of seeing yourself as a habitual problem solver can help you overcome challenges (31:40)
- That no experience is a bad one if you process it the right way (33:52)
- Why Richard recommends that young people watch the film Dead Poets Society(36:46)
- Which books Richard thinks teachers should read (The Element and Winners), and an author who students should read (Andy Cope)
- The thing Richard suggests young people should do first after listening to this episode, and his suggestion for parents (42:54)
- What Richard recommends for teachers (45:23)
- How to get in touch with Richard: at his website richardgerver.com or @richardgerver on Twitter (48:30)
- What Richard believes it takes for someone to become unstoppable (49:04)
Resources that Richard Gerver recommended in this episode:
Stay in touch with Richard and read his books!
Get outside your comfort zone
After listening to this episode we want to encourage you to do one thing that is outside of your comfort zone. This doesn’t need to be big; it can be as simple as trying a new type of food you’ve never had before, or striking up a conversation with someone you tend to be shy with.
Don’t just do this one. Practice doing it every day, finding at least one chance to push yourself at least a little bit outside your comfort zone. You’ll find that it becomes a habit, and it will help you expand your horizons.
As you do this, remember that it’s okay to fail. Pushing yourself outside your comfort zone won’t always go smoothly, and that’s a good thing! Failure is the chance to learn something new, and to develop the self-confidence that comes from knowing with absolute assurance that you’re able to overcome challenges.
If you have questions or thoughts for a future episode, contact us anytime via our social media channels or by email at podcast@unstoppableen.com. If you know a teen who could benefit from Richard’s advice, send him or her the link to this podcast! Finally, we’d love to hear your thoughts about this episode in the comments section below.
Thanks for listening!
