Video Transcript: Dan Cathy - Leadercast Conversations: Seth Godin

Dan Cathy - Seth, as we think about leadership, one of the important aspects  about leadership is that of communication, I would I'm curious as to know about  the writing experience that you have, because I think some of our our listeners  may have ideas, and they just need a little encouragement to get those ideas in  print. Talk to us about that.  

Seth Godin - Well, you know, Dan, you never hear anyone get talkers block.  People say, I have writer's block. You never hear about a plumber getting  plumber's block. Comes to your house. I don't think I can plunge this toilet. I'm  just not in the mood. You got any whiskey? That just doesn't happen, right? Why do we get writer's block? And the reason we get writer's block is because we're  afraid right here, our amygdala, our lizard brain, the resistance, as Steve  Pressfield calls it, it's that voice in your head, the one that makes you change  your clothes three times before the big meeting, the one that tells you not to  raise your hand at the end of the meeting with your boss. And the resistance is  wily and it's evil and it's angry and it wants to hide. And so when we think about  writing a memo, when we think about communicating in any way that feels  permanent, we hold back because we don't want to be held responsible,  because we don't want to go out on a limb. And so there's this gulf between the  honest conversation we might be willing to have face to face, and the leap that  some people think they have to make when there's no deniability left. And so for  me, writing is a useful act, even if you're the only one who reads it. And I  encourage people to start a blog. You don't even have to tell people you have  one. And every day write something, because what you discover is that having  to say intelligent things about what you notice in the world makes you smarter,  and then you can go to the next step and the next step and the next step, and  once you've done it for a month, if it's any good, then tell a couple people, and  they can go read what you've been writing. But this act of not writing to Manage  Rules and Regulations, that's easy, but writing to lead is something I think a lot  of people need to get their arms around.  

Dan Cathy - The experience of writing and composition is a wonderful exercise  to give clarity to thought, because we have these general ideas that are out  there. But when the discipline of putting it to words, I was in a eight years ago. I  was in a fire experience where I foolishly used gasoline to light up a big pile of  brush, and I spent 10 days on morphine at Grady Hospital here in Atlanta. But  the day after I got home the hospital, I sat down with a recorder, and I recorded  every little nuance, every little word, adjective, color, smell, all my senses,  everything that could. I captured all that in a little book. And I'm so glad I did.  And I think so many people have lived experiences that they they fail to capture  and they'll vanish. They'll never recall. So I don't know 

Seth Godin - if you've noticed this in any of your restaurants, but all these  people taking pictures of their food. Have you noticed this is happening? No, I  just was in a lousy diner last night, and someone took out a picture there. All  these people will now photograph every meal before they eat it. And I wanted to  say you're letting your food get cold so that you can look at it four weeks later.  Just smell it. Be here for it, enjoy it. And words are different than pictures, right?  

Dan Cathy - Seth, as we just a quick wrap up, I'm asking some of our  participants here to talk to us some philosophical terms about their definition for  success. What's your response to that? I'll  

Seth Godin - tell you what success isn't success isn't doing what other people  think you're supposed to do. So many people are racing around trying to make  more money because they think other people will be happier if they make  another $100 or billion dollars, or whatever the number is. I think success is  doing work you're proud of and having a reputation that you're proud of. Now  what you're proud of could be different for different people, but we too often get  hung up on numbers that we can measure, as opposed to emotions and feelings that are going to go away.  

Dan Cathy - God created us as an original, and oftentimes we may die as a  copy. And what tragedy that is. It's a delight to have you with us. Seth, thanks for being here.  

Seth Godin - Thank you for what you do. Appreciate it.