How Leaders Lead with David Novak

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#316: Philippe Laffont, Founder, Coatue Management – Know your gaps, then fill them Nov 05, 2026

Show notes

Philippe Laffont isn’t interested in leading thousands of people. He doesn’t want the CEO title of the company he founded.

And yet he’s built Coatue Management into one of the largest technology investment firms in the world, managing almost $100 billion in assets.

And he’s done it by knowing exactly what he does well and what he doesn’t, and then building a team to fill those gaps.

Great leaders know what aspects of leadership they’re not so great at. And when you have that kind of humility and self-awareness, you can bring in the right people, fill the gaps, and build something amazing together.

Philippe is a disarming leader whose honesty will both make you laugh and make you think. Plus, he shares insights into the future of technology and AI that every leader or investor should hear.

This episode is for you if:

You need some encouragement after a career stumble
You’re trying to boost the level of healthy debate on your team
You’d like the freedom to be more authentically “you” at work
You want to hear what one of the world’s smartest investors thinks about the future of AI

Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources:

Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.

#315: David Rogier, Founder & CEO, MasterClass – Get curious about everything, even failure Oct 29, 2026

Show notes

You might expect the founder and CEO of MasterClass to be a curious guy. And you’d be right.

David Rogier soaks up insights all the time from people like Serena Williams, James Patterson, Gordon Ramsay, and over 200 other world-class talents who’ve created courses for his online learning platform.

But he’s just as eager to learn from mistakes, which can be really hard to do. Because failure stings, and our instinct is to get defensive when things go wrong. But if you’re willing to get curious instead, you can actually solve problems, grow as a leader, and make a real impact.

This episode is for you if:

You want tips for influencing important people (including your boss’s boss)
You’re trying to create a culture where people learn from their mistakes
You get anxious any time you have to hear feedback about yourself
You want to know what Coach K, Martha Stewart, and Martin Scorsese taught David about leadership

Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources:

Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.

#314: Kyle Leahy, Chief Commercial Officer, WHOOP – Outhire yourself Oct 22, 2026

Show notes

Good news for anyone who doesn’t have all the answers: you don’t need them. You just need the right people in the room—and the humility to hire them.

Kyle Leahy has used this leadership philosophy to build strong brands and teams at Glossier, Nike, and now, at WHOOP as the Chief Commercial Officer.

She calls it outhiring yourself: bringing in the right mix of specialists who know more than you, then unlocking that expertise around a big, strategic vision.

Is it unnerving? Yes. Does it work? Also yes. And this episode will show you how to do it.

This episode is for you if:

You’ve ever struggled with imposter syndrome
You’re trying to build a special brand
You’re starting a new role and want to make the right first moves
You want to build a culture that’s big on both kindness and accountability

Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources:

Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.

#313: Joe Preston, President & CEO, New Balance – Focus on what you can control Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

How did New Balance go from a modest “dad shoe” brand to a $10 billion global company?

You might assume they just copied the playbook of their big-name competitors.

But New Balance President & CEO Joe Preston knows better. In this conversation, he opens up about their unconventional path to success, including how they’ve worked hard to control their own destiny instead of just reacting to what the big guys are doing.

If you want to scale smartly, you’ve got to learn where you can actually move the needle, then have the discipline to focus on those things instead of everything else.

This episode is for you if:

You work in retail and want to see what’s working
You’re in a season of rapid growth but want to protect your culture
You need to make quick progress without burning out your team
You want to know what makes sponsorships and partnerships work

Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources:

Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.

#312: Ben Cowan-Dewar, Cofounder & CEO, Cabot – Be an idea collector Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

How does a 24-year-old with no construction experience turn a remediated coal mine in rural Nova Scotia into one of the world’s top golf destinations?

That’s the story of Ben Cowan-Dewar, Cofounder and CEO of Cabot. Twenty years later, he’s built one of the most respected golf brands in the world, with five courses featured in Golf Digest’s World Top 100.

And he did it by becoming an “idea collector” – obsessively studying great courses and learning from key mentors, then turning that expertise into something that stirs people’s souls.

This conversation is packed with leadership lessons and golf lore aplenty, and it’ll help you be the kind of leader who inspires others through grit, expertise, and a genuine love of excellence.

This episode is for you if:

You’re an entrepreneur – or want to become one someday
You’re building your career and want to find people to mentor you
You have high standards but also want to build a kind culture
You need inspiration for your next golf trip (and honestly, who doesn’t)

Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources:

Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.

#311: Mark Pincus, Founder & Former CEO, Zynga – Trust your instincts, but vet your ideas Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

Back in 2007, Mark Pincus had a gut feeling that adults would play games on their phones if they were just woven into their daily lives.

On that instinct, he founded Zynga and built the biggest games of the early social internet — including FarmVille, Words With Friends, and Zynga Poker. Four years later, they had over a billion users. Safe to say, Mark’s instincts were right.

But according to Mark, that’s where a lot of leaders lose the plot. They have the right instincts but then put the wrong ideas around those instincts. They try to change too much. They don’t iterate quickly. Or worst of all, their culture doesn’t let people be intellectually honest about what’s not working.

In this conversation, you’ll see how to avoid those mistakes with Mark’s “Proven-Better-New” framework for designing products. Plus, he opens up about his (very public) fall from Silicon Valley’s graces and the surprising freedom that came with it. It’s a must-listen conversation for anyone who’s building something – whether that’s a company, a product, or a team.

This episode is for you if:

You want to develop products people love
You want to have more fun at work (or hey, just in general)
You’re trying to build a culture that’s intellectually honest
You’re navigating a low point in your career or company

Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources:

Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.

#310: Demond Martin, Cofounder and CEO, WellWithAll – Recognize how others shape you Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

A lot of leaders brag that they’re “self made.”

Demond Martin says he’s “community built.”

He recognizes all the people who helped him move out of a violent environment as a preteen and go on to work at the White House, graduate from Harvard Business School, and become a successful hedge fund manager.

Now, as the Cofounder and CEO of the wellness brand WellWithAll, he’s trying to do the same for others – putting a portion of profits toward ending health inequity.

In this conversation, you’ll get an inspiring look at Demond’s philosophy of being a “friend of the good” – someone who sees the humanity in other people and builds relationships on respect, not transactions.

When you learn how to surround yourself with those people (while striving to be one yourself!), you’ll find a whole new level of meaning and purpose in leadership.

This episode is for you if:

You’re wondering if you can scale a business while keeping people at the center
You want to either find a mentor – or become one
You want to develop more ways to give back through your business
You could use a big jolt of inspiration

Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources:

Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.

#309: Ben Zobrist, 2x World Series Champion – Prepare for pressure Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

Game 7 of the 2016 World Series had gone to extra innings. The Cubs were trying to break a 108-year championship drought that some called a curse.

If you’re a baseball fan, you already know what happened next: With two runners on base, Ben Zobrist stepped up to the plate. Despite being 0-4 in the game so far, he pinged a double to left field that brought in the winning run and made him a Chicago legend.

So yeah, Ben Zobrist knows about pressure.

And you do, too: pressure is a part of every leader’s reality. How you understand it, prepare for it, and handle it in the moment can make or break your career – not to mention your overall sense of well-being.

This conversation is a candid look at how to navigate all the pressure you face – from success, from failure, from life in general – plus the habits and routines that keep you ready and regulated when you’re feeling it.

This episode is for you if:

You struggle to deal with pressure, especially after a big success
You’re trying to find better self-care habits and routines
You want to get better at understanding and managing your emotions
You’re a coach or parent of a child athlete
You just love all things baseball

Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources:

Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.

#308: Zac Taylor, Head Coach, Cincinnati Bengals – Consistency creates results Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

Imagine being Zac Taylor in 2019. He was 0-11 in his first season as head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. He knew they were doing a lot of things right, but the results just weren’t coming.

Eventually, they did: just over two years later, Zac led his team to the Super Bowl.

But for a while, there was a big, painful gap. And you may be in a similar place right now – where you believe you’re on the right track, but the results aren’t showing up yet.

In this conversation, you’ll see what great leadership looks like in those seasons when you’re building, grinding, and learning – but not necessarily seeing results. It’s a powerful reminder of the power of consistency … and a fun way to get ready for another exciting year of NFL football!

This episode is for you if:

You’re in a season where progress feels invisible
You need solid advice on managing elite talent
You’re trying to connect more meaningfully with your team
You want to know what weirdly simple habit Zac attributes his success to
Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources:

Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.

#307: Clark Lea, Head Football Coach, Vanderbilt – Belief is a practice Sep 03, 2026

Show notes

We’ve all got big goals and dreams, both for ourselves and our people.

But often, there’s a gap between what we say we want and what we’re actually willing to do to get it.

Vanderbilt head football coach Clark Lea is obsessed with closing that gap. For him, the ultimate measure of your beliefs isn’t how you feel or what you say. It’s the actions you take. And that alignment is at the heart of the incredible turnaround he’s leading.

Under his leadership, Vanderbilt’s football program has gone from being the punching bags of the SEC to one of the NCAA’s most exciting teams, notching their first 10-win season in 2025.

This conversation gives you an inside look at what’s driving their success … and an inspiring reminder that your true beliefs show up in what you practice, not what you preach.

This episode is for you if:

You feel disconnected from your goals or your core values
You want to disrupt a culture that’s gotten used to losing
You’re feeling discouraged after a setback
You just love all things college football

Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Daily Insight Emails⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: One small (but powerful!) leadership principle to focus on each day

Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.

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