Jane Goodall, Akon, Greta Thurnberg, Malala Yousafzai, the Clooney’s, Shaq, the person who gives $1 to the homeless guy on the corner, and even the woman who crossed the U.S.-Mexican border and is now an executive at Adobe… What do they have in common?
They’re all “remarkable people,” according to Guy Kawasaki, the chief evangelist of Canva and author of best-selling books that include his most recent, Think Remarkable.
“It’s nothing to do with how many computers you’ve sold or how many books you’ve sold,” he says in an interview on the Mindvalley Book Club with Kristina Mänd-Lakhiani. “It’s ‘have you made a difference and made the world a better place?’”
This is a mission Guy himself is on. With his book and his Remarkable People podcast, he’s out to make the world a better place filled with… well, remarkable people—and that includes you.
Who is Guy Kawasaki?
When you think “Guy Kawasaki,” the last thing that might pop into your head is “evangelist.” But that’s how he describes himself.
Far from the religious connotation, the “evangelist” he’s referring to—specifically, “chief evangelist”—is someone who promotes a positive message for a brand. While he didn’t invent the term, he most certainly popularized it (he was the chief evangelist of Apple and now, with Canva).
That, in itself, is a pretty remarkable feat considering he grew up in a “tough part of Honolulu called Kalihi Valley.” But his accomplishments go far beyond that. He’s deeply involved in the world of startups and venture capital, gives fifty keynote speeches per year, and has written several best-sellers, including The Art of Start 2.0, Enchantment, and Wise Guy.
The more recent one on the “Guy Kawasaki books” list is Think Remarkable, which is inspired by his Remarkable People podcast. It’s not your typical self-helper, either. According to Jane Goodall, the renowned primatologist and anthropologist who’s been featured on the podcast, it’s one that “challenges us not only to improve our own individual lives but also to create a positive impact on the world around us.”
It’s his contribution to the world. It’s his way of being remarkable.
What makes a person “remarkable,” according to Guy Kawasaki
When we think of people who are remarkable, oftentimes we think of those who are successful. Entrepreneurs who’ve come out of poverty and now run a Fortune 500 company. Movie stars who’ve won awards. People who’ve transitioned from social media influencers to big-time celebrities.
While they’ve absolutely made a name for themselves, they’re not considered “remarkable.” At least not in Guy’s eyes.
“Fundamentally, the way you’ll be remarkable is, you make a difference,” he explains. “And then, if you make a difference, then people will have no choice but to consider you remarkable.”
Who, then, are remarkable people? Those who’ve dedicated their lives to making positive changes. Like psychologist Carol Dweck, astrophysicist Neil Degrasse Tyson, and happiness advocate Gretchen Rubin.
Those are just some of the well-known ones Guy has featured in his book and podcast. However, he has a knack for highlighting others. This includes former White House director of speechwriting, Cody Keenan; the head of the Center for Civil Liberties in Ukraine, Oleksandra Matviichuk; Senior Police Canine Unit supervisor, Garrett Wing; youth activist Olivia Julianna; and so many more.
If you notice, these remarkable people aren’t in it for the fame, the glory, or the money. Rather, it’s their qualities, achievements, and characteristics that make them notably inspirational.
For example, Oleksandra’s determination to be on the front lines, document Russia’s war crimes, and fight for the rights of persecuted individuals. Or Garrett’s partnership with canines in law enforcement and the life-saving work they do together.
If you make a difference, then people have no choice but to consider you remarkable.
— Guy Kawasaki, author of Think Remarkable
These are the people who are in it to find solutions to problems, make people’s lives more efficient, help understand the world better…
As Guy points out, their goal isn’t to be remarkable. “Their aspiration is to make a difference.” And that is what makes them remarkable.
Guy Kawasaki’s 3 G’s to becoming “remarkable”
According to Guy, there are three things you need to make a difference: growth, grit, and grace. (Uncoincidentally, they’re the three main chapters of Think Remarkable.)
So, let’s explore why exactly he’s highlighted these three G’s:
Growth
There’s been a lot of talk about growth mindset over the years. As a matter of fact, Mindvalley’s content revolves around it.
But what about it makes it such a hot topic?
According to psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck’s research, adopting this mindset has a number of advantages. Here are a few:
- Challenges are seen as opportunities rather than obstacles,
- You’re able to problem-solve and innovate,
- You’re more resilient,
- There’s confidence and higher self-esteem, and
- You have a more positive attitude.
Guy’s own experience was when his wife gave him If You Want to Write, a book by Brenda Ueland. “My mindset at the time was that I was not a ‘writer’ because I didn’t have a degree in English, nor any formal training for the task,” he explains in Think Remarkable.
However, it was Brenda’s insights that made him realize that maybe he could write his own book—and he credits his first one, The Macintosh Way, to what he learned from her book.
The fact of the matter is, those who embrace growth refuse to be complacent. Instead, they find ways to level up—from personal to professional development. And as Guy points out in his book, “If you want to be remarkable, you have to grow.”
Grit
While growth is how you view your potential, grit is having the balls to get it going. To, as Guy puts it in his book, “do good sh*t.”
Those with grit are more likely to find alternate paths to their goals rather than give up once the going gets tough. For this evangelist, one example of his grit is picking up surfing at 60, not necessarily because he wanted to but because it was something his daughter was interested in.
“Rather than forcing your kids to take up what you like, you take up what they like,” he tells Kristina. It’s a goal that takes courage, conscientiousness, perseverance, resilience, and passion—key traits that go hand-in-hand with grit, according to researcher Angela Duckworth.
“Life doesn’t happen according to your ideal plan,” Guy adds. “You have to have the grit to pursue things even when things are going to sh*t, basically.”
Grace
Grace is a show of leadership. It’s not about how the individual can progress in this world; rather, it’s about what that person can contribute to help the world progress.
That’s what makes people like Jane Goodall, Olivia Julianna, and Neil Degrasse Tyson so remarkable—their humility, their humbleness, their grace. It’s a quality that translates to helping people “just for the sheer joy and beauty of helping people,” according to Guy.
In fact, research shows that those who possess this trait are likely to experience…
- Stronger personal and professional relationships,
- Greater emotional well-being, and
- Better work performance.
But grace doesn’t necessarily mean you have to create a million-dollar fund or donate money to charity (you can, if you want to, of course). What it means, as Guy explains, is to serve the community, do voluntary work, or do things like leave a decent tip at a restaurant or help your mom bring in groceries from the car without being asked to do so.
“You take the high road,” he adds, “and you help people without expectation of repayment or anything like that.”
Fuel your mind
Think Remarkable by Guy Kawasaki is a great starting point to step into your greatness. It is, though, one of many books Kristina Mänd-Lakhiani has in the ever-growing library at the Mindvalley Book Club.
If you want to be in the know about the latest and most transformative personal growth books, sign up now to be a part of this community of book lovers. You’ll receive book recommendations—handpicked by Kristina herself—and get access to awe-inspiring discussions with authors like Guy.
The thing is, when you make a difference, you live a meaningful life, you show up as your best self, and, most importantly, you inspire others to do the same. As Guy adds, “Making a difference and being remarkable are not easy, but you won’t regret trying.”
Welcome in.
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Featured Image: Guy Kawasaki / guykawasaki.com
