When I found out I’d be getting the chance to sit down with Robert Sutton I was genuinely excited to dig around inside the mind of a kindred spirit. In Robert’s latest book he detailed the exact same struggles I’m dealing with at this point in my own growth and the growth of my company. Robert has seen it all– From his work with incredible hard-hitters like Microsoft, Facebook and Apple, Robert has witnessed the watershed moments when good leaders either fail or succeed based on the choices they make in those pivotal moments.

The deeper you dive into the world of Robert’s writing, the more difficult it is to stop. He possesses a dizzying array of anecdotes, real-case scenarios and a lifetime of firsthand experience in the entrepreneurial world. He’s a high-octane bundle of intellectual energy and the recipient of numerous awards including the Eugene L. Grand award for excellence in teaching, Business 2.0’s “leading management guru” award, and the Quill for his 2007’s New York Times bestseller, “The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t.”

Bob is currently a tenured professor of Management Science at the Stanford Engineering School. His most recent release (co-written with collaborator Huggy Rao), “Scaling up Excellence: Getting to More without Settling for Less” is a must-read for anyone willing to face the rigors and challenges of growth head-on.

Robert Sutton has spent the past seven years learning how to “scale up excellence” in organizations of all shapes, sizes, colors and qualities, so do yourself the service of watching this episode and light a fire you can give to someone else in an effort to inspire.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN 1. Brainwashing is essential. 2. Mindset trumps all. 3. You can’t lead from a position of weakness. 4. Why a leader should put themselves in harm’s way. 5. The effectiveness of being a strategic asshole. 6. Why being a superstar doesn’t feed a cooperative company. 7. How making a weird idea work can help you adapt.