Price of Becoming

Ryan Hawk is an author and the host of The Learning Leader Show, which was recently ranked the #1 Business Podcast in the world by Apple Podcasts. He also conducts group Leadership Circles, one-on-one advising, and teaching through his online school, the Learning Leader Academy. He has also delivered hundreds of keynote speeches on leadership and performance excellence worldwide. He spent over a decade in corporate America, working from an entry-level sales rep at LexisNexis to a VP of sales at Elsevier. He lives in Dayton, Ohio, with his wife, Miranda, and their five daughters.

“I've sat across from countless interviewers—Ryan Hawk makes the rest of them look lazy. The Price of Becoming is what happens when someone spends a decade asking better questions than everyone else and writes down the answers. This is the best leadership book of the year. If you want to understand what high performance actually requires, start here.” — Scott Galloway, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Notes on Being a Man“The Price of Becoming refuses to sell you a shortcut. Instead, Hawk shows how small daily deposits—one hundred shots, five hundred words, a single tough conversation—compound into something that looks like an overnight success to anyone who wasn't paying attention. This is a clear-eyed, powerful book.” — Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Drive and The Power of Regret“Having led in environments where preparation, discipline, and trust determine outcomes, I found The Price of Becoming deeply authentic. Ryan Hawk captures a truth familiar to those in uniform: excellence is earned through consistent effort, accountability, and the willingness to stay uncomfortable long after others stop.” — General Stanley McChrystal (U.S. Army, Ret.), New York Times bestselling author of Team of Teams“The Price of Becoming is a clear-eyed look at transformation and the cost that comes with it. No hype. No shortcuts. Just the truth about change... And the discipline required to sustain it. This is a must-read if you are serious about doing work that matters. Buy it! Read it! Then go forth and CRUSH!” — Jack Carr, U.S. Navy SEAL (Ret.) and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Cry Havoc“Excellence isn’t a moment, it’s a pursuit. It’s thousands of small decisions, executed with care. In The Price of Becoming, Ryan Hawk shows that greatness is built in the details, in the daily practices that quietly compound over time.” — Will Guidara, New York Times bestselling author of Unreasonable Hospitality“Ryan Hawk is a master of dualities: He’s a great leader, but also a ferocious learner. He’s an accomplished athlete, but he’s also excelled in the business world. He’s eminently interesting, but he’s also genuinely interested. Ryan has uncovered the secrets of what the best leaders do and how they think.” — Liz Wiseman, New York Times bestselling author of Rookie Smarts and Multipliers“I've been on Ryan's podcast twice, and both times his preparation was exceptional. What stood out was that he'd actually thought deeply about the messy parts. That's what this book is about. After interviewing so many elite performers, Ryan has identified the unglamorous, compound practices that lead to sustained excellence. The best leaders know how messy they are. They acknowledge their imperfections. They do the work no one sees. This book shows you exactly what that work looks like and how you can do it too.” — Brent Beshore, founder and CEO of Permanent Equity and bestselling author of The Messy Marketplace“Ryan Hawk is that rarest kind of people – a truly curious soul who asks questions that drill down into the heart of the matter, leave space for contemplation, and gently urge his subjects to look inside for answers they might not yet have discovered themselves.” — Robert Kurson, New York Times bestselling author of Shadow Divers“Most books about success focus on the highlight reel. Ryan Hawk focuses on the reps — the daily, unglamorous work that compounds into something extraordinary. The Price of Becoming is a sharp, practical playbook for anyone willing to stay in the arena long after the excitement fades.” — David Epstein, New York Times bestselling author of Range“I knew Ryan Hawk was serious when he interviewed me. His preparation was exceptional, his curiosity genuine. In combat sports, you see who did the work and who didn't. There's nowhere to hide. Ryan brings that same ruthless clarity to excellence in any arena. The Price of Becoming shows exactly what the best do differently. Not the motivational speech version, but the actual daily practices they won't compromise on. If you're serious about your craft, read this book.” — Ariel Helwani, multi-award-winning MMA Journalist of the Year