My Quest for the Best with Bill Ringle

Episode 205

Workplace Poker with Dan Rust

Listen to our interview with Dan Rust, author of Workplace Poker.

Hosted by: Bill Ringle Released: February 25, 2019 Duration: 0:50:26

Episode Summary

Dan Rust and Bill Ringle discuss the game beneath the game – understanding the culture and maximizing your chances for success – known as workplace poker. Visit https://MyQuestForTheBest.com for complete show notes on this episode as well as over 200 other interviews with experts to inspire and influence you on your journey as a small business leader.

Authored by Dan Rust

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Authored by Dan Rust

Featured title: Workplace Poker: Are You Playing the Game, Or Just Getting Played?

Dan Rust and Bill Ringle discuss the game beneath the game – understanding the culture and maximizing your chances for success – known as workplace poker.

Top Takeaways from this Interview

  • Leadership is not just about having power. The higher your level of authority becomes, the thicker and more giant your bubble, which often distorts your relationship with others.
  • Despite our best intentions, we sometimes do things that are illogical and frustrating to us.
  • Likability is important in leadership. Share the parts of yourself that make you more relatable to your people.

Interview Insights

Show Notes

  • Dan’s father was his inspiration growing up. [01:05]
  • What is a ‘workplace poker?’ Dan explains the concept of this phrase. [03:26]
  • The plus of thinking before speaking. [05:35]
  • People are surprised by layoffs. Dan shares about Tony, one of mid-level managers who got a lay-off notice from them, his reaction, and what happened next. [08:50]
  • Dan talks about his experience being emotionally disengaged from his work. [12:09]
  • How anger and frustration tends to blind you to the deeper reality of what’s going on. [13:38]
  • How the ‘workplace poker’ approach differ from just a Machiavellian ruthlessness. [15:09]
  • Everyone with degree of authority understands that not all situations are win-win. [16:52]
  • Why the worst thing that can happen for a leader is for someone to be working him and he does not realize that he’s being worked.[18:40]
  • Dan shares his experience as a stock broker, working in a Darwinian environment. [19:47]
  • Why likability is important in leadership. [24:43]
  • My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [35:28]

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Expert Bio

Dan Rust is the founder of Frontline Learning, an international publisher of corporate training resources. His delivers keynote speeches and workshops that focus on employee engagement, productivity, and career management for corporate clients including GE, Apple, Starbucks, Saudi Aramco, and Disney Interactive. 

He’s here to talk about his book, Workplace Poker: Are you Playing the Game or Just Getting Played?, published by Harper Business.

Contact Info for Dan Rust

  • Travels from, Minneapolis, MN.

Resources Mentioned During the Interview

Below are key people, places, books, quotes, websites and other resources that we discussed so you can explore further. 

Social Media Links

Books authored by Dan Rust

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