The Things You Give Away Are the Things You Keep Forever: Interview with New York Times Bestselling Author Ron Hall
Several years ago, I interviewed New York Times bestselling author Ron Hall in an interview originally published in Thrive Global. Here is an excerpt from our conversation:
Adam: What is something about you that would surprise people?
Ron: I’m a welder who makes large outdoor modern sculptures and I write cowboy poetry that I recite by campfires on Texas ranches.
Adam: What are your hobbies and how have they shaped you?
Ron: My hobby is being a volunteer cowboy on big Texas ranches and being schooled in simple things and common sense by the old cowboys who make their living in spurs and saddle while herding cattle.
Adam: How did you get here? What failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Ron: In my long and varied career, I have fallen down hundreds of shafts while searching for elevators. When trying to get my first book published, I was turned down more than the sheets in a five-star hotel. However, I had learned from experience that every NO led me closer to the YES that took me to #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list.
Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader?
Ron: An effective leader must be a good listener with compassion and a kind heart.
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?
Ron: Character is built through acts of kindness to those who have nothing to offer you. It’s not the color of our skin or the language we speak that divides us. It’s the condition of our hearts. You never know whose eyes God is watching you out of!
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Ron: In dealing with difficult people, try blessing the hell out of them.
Adam: How can anyone pay it forward?
Ron: Realize that nobody can help everybody, but everybody can help somebody. And, the things you give away are the things you keep forever.
Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?
Ron: Don’t judge by appearance, for a poor coat may be hiding a rich heart.
Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one-on-one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.
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