Radical Candor Podcast: "How to Be Remarkable: Growth, Grit, and Grace with Guy Kawasaki"

Podcast Hosts: Kim Scott, Jason Rosoff, Amy Sandler
Guest: Guy Kawasaki (author, chief evangelist at Canva, host of "Remarkable People" podcast)
Episode: 7 | 40
Release Date: November 5, 2025

Episode Overview

This lively and insightful episode features Guy Kawasaki, renowned marketer, author, and podcast host, discussing his new book, Think Remarkable: Nine Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference. Guy joins Kim Scott and Amy Sandler to break down how anyone can be remarkable through growth, grit, and grace—no matter their stage in life or work.

Through candid stories, memorable quotes, and practical advice, the conversation explores:

• How “being remarkable” is accessible to everyone, not just the famous or wealthy
• The core principles of growth, grit, and grace
• The role of environment and opportunity in personal success
• The value of saying “yes,” handling imposter syndrome, and practicing humility and generosity
• Tips for managers and parents on supporting those around them
• Navigating challenging conversations and connecting across difference

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defining “Remarkable” & The Power of Saying Yes

(07:59–10:00)

• Remarkable people are those who make a positive difference, not just the rich or famous.
• “My podcast is called Remarkable People—not rich people, not famous people, not elite people.” — Guy (08:03)
• You don’t need to be Jane Goodall or Steve Jobs; “you can fix one person, one team, one classroom... fix your own life and be remarkable.”
• Emphasizes the open-endedness and possibility created by defaulting to “yes”.
• “If you say no, that’s the end of the line. But if you say yes, you just never know.” — Guy (07:59)

2. Origins: Growth, Grit, and Grace

(06:53–08:00, 19:25–20:34)

• Book and podcast structure: Growth (inspired by Carol Dweck and the growth mindset), Grit (homage to Angela Duckworth), Grace (service, reciprocity, humility).
• The importance of not just internal growth, but being in an environment that enables growth.
• “If you have a growth mindset inside a fixed mindset organization, you’re gonna suck.” — Guy (20:10)

3. The Power of Environment and Serendipity

(14:17–18:25)

• Personal anecdotes about how unexpected connections (e.g. a 6th-grade teacher’s advice) and friendships (e.g. at Stanford) led to pivotal opportunities (like joining Apple).
• It’s “not important who you know, what’s truly important is who knows of you.” — Guy (17:33)
• Building environments and organizations that encourage connection and the pursuit of the stuff people love.

4. Growth Mindset + Organizational Mindset

(19:25–22:14)

• Growth mindset isn’t just internal; it must be mirrored by the organization.
• Hiring tip: Look beyond degrees—ask, “Does the candidate love what we do?”
• “Love conquers all… You gotta love the product. That goes a long, long way.” — Guy (21:09)

5. Passion, Interests, and Ikigai

(23:19–25:32)

• Passion is often misunderstood and over-pressured in young people—interests should be tried and explored, passions emerge over time.
• “We set people up for failure because they think, ‘I’m supposed to find this passion and it’s supposed to be instant.’ Life does not work like that.” — Guy (24:02)
• Emphasizes “scratching itches” and collecting experiences rather than declaring a passion early.

6. Leadership & Parenting: Following Others’ Interests

(30:47–31:12)

• Great leadership often means getting genuinely interested in what your people (or children) are interested in, rather than the other way around.
• “A great way to be a leader is to get interested in what your people are interested in and go do it with them.” — Kim (30:58)

7. Grace: Dealing with Stereotypes and Everyday Disrespect

(32:18–39:59)

• Guy shares a story about being mistaken for a gardener, and his father’s advice to “take the high road” and use humor.
• Follow-up: Experiences are learning opportunities for others (“You should treat it as a learning opportunity for the other person.” — Advice from a Black activist Guy interviewed, 36:17).
• Kim tells her own story of being stereotyped at a tech event and reflects on the roles of power and how to respond with Radical Candor.

8. Connecting Across Difference: Asking “How,” Not “Why”

(40:01–44:41)

• Advice from Mark Laberton: Instead of asking people why they believe something (e.g. in politics or faith), ask how they came to believe it. This invites story, empathy, and understanding.
• “Don’t ask them why they believe it. Ask them how they came to believe that because that fosters an actual conversation and discourse.” — Guy (41:16)

9. Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

(49:29–53:23)

• Guy notes the prevalence of imposter syndrome amongst high-achieving women on his podcast—“Not one man said they had imposter syndrome.”
• Advice: Recognize it, remember that it’s common, consciously focus on positive accomplishments, and surround yourself with uplifting people.
• “If you had a choice between having imposter syndrome and having entitlement syndrome, pick imposter syndrome all day long.” — Guy (53:04)

10. Everyone is Remarkable at Something

(55:19–56:00)

• “I have come to believe that everybody you meet is better at something than you. Everybody.” — Guy (55:27)
• “Everybody’s great at something. Everybody’s remarkable, but nobody’s great at everything.” — Guy (56:00)

11. Decision-Making: Make the Decision Right

(56:00–58:13)

• Citing Harvard’s Ellen Langer: We waste time striving for the perfect decision, but “You cannot predict the future… Just make your decision, then make your decision right.”
• “A better attitude is you take your best shot and then you just make your decision right.” — Guy (57:04)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Serendipity and Saying Yes:
  • “Defaulting to yes will lead you to places you will never ever predict and never know.” — Guy (07:02)
• On Growth Environments:
  • “If you have a growth mindset in a growth mindset organization, you’ll do well. But if you have a growth mindset inside a fixed mindset organization, you’re gonna bang your head.” — Guy (20:10)
• On Humility:
  • “It’s not important who you know. What’s truly important is who knows of you, which is key difference.” — Guy (17:33)
• On Imposter Syndrome:
  • “You are not the center of the world.” — Guy (55:38)
  • “If you had a choice between imposter syndrome and entitlement syndrome, pick imposter syndrome all day long.” — Guy (53:04)
• On Making Decisions:
  • “People think if you make a decision careful enough, you’re going to make the right decision. A, you’re not going to make the right decision and B, it’s not going to be easy. So just figure out that whatever you decide, you make your decision right.” — Guy (57:04)
• On Remarkability:
  • “You can be the most amazing individual contributor for 20, 30, 40 years. What’s wrong with that?” — Guy (23:08)
• On Connection & Empathy:
  • “Ask them how they came to believe that because that fosters an actual conversation and discourse.” — Guy (41:16)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 07:59: Guy defines what “remarkable” means
• 14:17: The story of how he connected with Jane Goodall (TEDx, Apple, and making connections)
• 19:25: Growth mindset—Carol Dweck, organizational context
• 21:09: Hiring for passion, not just credentials
• 23:19: Interests vs. passions and embracing exploration
• 32:18: Stereotypes, humor, and lessons on taking the high road
• 40:01: Mark Laberton’s “ask how not why” advice for dialogue
• 49:29: Guy on imposter syndrome—women vs. men
• 56:00: Ellen Langer’s insight on decision-making

Practical Takeaways

• Default to yes: Being open to opportunities—even unexpected or “small” ones—creates remarkable possibilities.
• Value the journey, not just the outcome: Growth and impact come from continual learning, new experiences, and environments that support experimentation.
• Lead with grace: Offer help, take the high road, approach mistakes as learning moments for all involved.
• Challenge stereotypes—including your own: Use moments of discomfort as opportunities for constructive conversation.
• Support, don’t superimpose in leadership: Show genuine interest in your team’s (or child’s) interests and let passions bloom through exploration.
• Curiosity bridges divides: Shift from debate (“why do you believe that?”) to storytelling (“how did you come to believe that?”).
• Combat imposter syndrome: Acknowledge it, name it, know you’re not alone, and focus on your strengths and merits.

For Further Engagement

• Think Remarkable by Guy Kawasaki (find it wherever books are sold).
• Listen to the Remarkable People podcast.
• Subscribe to Guy’s Substack newsletter.

Quote to Remember:
“Everybody’s great at something. Everybody’s remarkable, but nobody’s great at everything.” — Guy Kawasaki (56:00)

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