How Leaders Lead with David Novak

Latest Episodes:

#27: Lauren Hobart, Dick’s Sporting Goods President & CEO—Communicate by Making a Connection Feb 04, 2021

Show notes

Today’s guest is Lauren Hobart, President & CEO of Dick's Sporting Goods.

If you look at any job description for a leadership role, the one thing that’s ALWAYS going to be listed there is … drumroll, please … excellent communication skills.

In fact, we talk about communication skills in leadership so often that it’s easy to forget what it actually means to communicate well.

Today’s conversation with Lauren is the perfect reminder of what great communicators do.

It’s not just about being well spoken – although Lauren certainly is. It’s more than that.

Lauren sees communication as a way to connect with people. It’s a huge reason she has been tapped to take the reins at Dick’s Sporting Goods, making her one of only 41 women CEOs leading a Fortune 500 Company.

This conversation is a masterclass in great communication – how you can relate better to your direct reports, address conflict, get your vision across, and so much more. I can’t wait for you to learn how to communicate by making a connection.

You’ll also learn:

One super practical strategy to use with your direct reports if you don’t already
Tips for navigating disagreements with a colleague you really respect
What to do (and not do) when you’ve got a toxic person on the team
Why giving your team clear objectives isn’t enough (plus what you need to add)

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

The How Leaders Lead App: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go

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.

#26: General Ray Odierno, Former Chief of Staff, U.S. Army—Three Traits of a Trustworthy Leader Jan 25, 2021

Show notes

Today’s guest is General Ray Odierno, the former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army – which is the top job in the Army. He retired in 2015 as a four-star general and now works in the private sector, consulting on minor little subjects like country risk and cybersecurity

Now it’s one thing to talk about trusting a leader in a workplace setting. But trusting a leader in the military goes up a whole other level, where the stakes can literally be life and death.

After 39 years of military service, through three tours in Iraq, Ray is absolutely a leader people trust – and he knows how to help others become trustworthy leaders, too.

He believes there are three key qualities, and we dig into each one in this incredible conversation.

You’ll also learn:

One practical tip to become a better speaker, especially if public speaking doesn’t come naturally to you
What one Army study said made a leader “toxic” (and it probably isn’t what you think)
How to spot a team who is thriving under their current leadership
What leaders can do to balance immediate needs with long-term strategies

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

The How Leaders Lead App: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go

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.

#25: Kevin Johnson, Starbucks CEO—How to Stay Agile and Innovative Jan 14, 2021

Show notes

Today’s guest is Kevin Johnson, CEO of Starbucks.

Do you ever feel like your organization is incredibly complex? Like it takes forever to get anything done?

It’s a pretty common issue, especially if you lead in a big or fast-growing organization.

Now, obviously, Starbucks is a massive company. They operate in 82 countries with 383,000 employees. But they’re still able to innovate and adapt quickly. In fact, they embrace the mantra that they can go from idea to action in 100 days.

This works because Kevin uses something called distributed leadership – where employees are empowered to make decisions themselves but also given common values and strategies to guide them.

Kevin tells us how we can use the same principles to stop getting bogged down and instead unleash some really great energy and innovation in our own organizations.

You’ll also learn:

The unforgettable image that influences every decision Kevin makes
Two key components of building trust in relationships – and how to incorporate them at work
How to transition a business from founder-led to founder-inspired
Why empowering your employees isn’t enough (and what you need to add to it)
The 3 things you cannot afford NOT to do in a crisis

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

The How Leaders Lead App: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go

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.

#24: Madeline Bell, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia President & CEO—Model the Right Behaviors Dec 17, 2020

Show notes

Today’s guest is Madeline Bell, President & CEO of the world-renowned Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Now you’ve probably heard how important it is for leaders to “walk the talk” – for our actions to sync up with our words.

After all, our people are only listening to us some of the time. But they are watching us all the time. What’s our tone? Our body language? Do we listen? Do we take time off?

That kind of visibility can be a lot of pressure. But it’s also a huge opportunity to model the behaviors we want to see more of from our team. And a lot of us miss that opportunity.

But Madeline doesn’t! She knows how powerful her own behavior is for setting the tone at her hospital. She recognizes people watch her – and that visibility is an opportunity for her to shape a stronger culture.

And it has helped guide her team through a global pandemic – despite staff exhaustion, financial strain, and rapidly shifting information. And she’s still been a champion for the incredible medical innovation the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is known for.

So let’s dive in and see how she does it – and how we can also build stronger teams simply by modeling the right behaviors for them.

You’ll also learn:

How to get comfortable saying “I don’t know” – while still offering reassurance
The key to finding the silver linings in a crisis or tough situation
An incredibly practical strategy to help your team bounce back after a big disappointment
Advice for anyone who struggles with the dreaded “imposter syndrome”

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

The How Leaders Lead App: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go

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.

#23: Lindsey Johnson, Weezie Cofounder & CEO—Pair Passion With Substance Dec 03, 2020

Show notes

Today’s guest is Lindsey Johnson, Cofounder and CEO of Weezie Towels.

She and her co-founder Liz Eicholz are long-time friends who joined forces to build something really special.

At Weezie, they have made a unique product people love. They’ve created differentiators no one else has. They’ve wrapped it all up in fun, thoughtful branding. They’re making a splash everywhere from Forbes to Southern Living.

And it all started because Lindsey and her cofounder were really passionate about this problem of bad towels that were either not absorbent enough or not soft enough.

But they took that passion and added substance. Lindsey got a little obsessed with it – in a good way. She dove deep into the technical details of her category. As a result they have developed incredible product innovations that nobody else can rival.

It’s amazing what can happen when a leader has big-picture passion about a problem, and then jumps into the tiny specific details of that problem. And hearing from Lindsey is a great way to learn for yourself how to pair passion with substance.

You’ll also learn:

An encouraging consumer insight for anyone who works in ecommerce
Practical wisdom for working with a friend
A unique way to look at balancing growth and profitability
Why you shouldn’t overlook your press strategy
How to adapt your management style to draw out the best from different people

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

The How Leaders Lead App: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go

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.

#22: John Calipari, University of Kentucky Head Basketball Coach—Care About Your People Nov 19, 2020

Show notes

Today’s guest is John Calipari, head basketball coach at the University of Kentucky. Yes, the legendary Coach Cal!

I gotta tell you, if you’re listening to this podcast first thing in the morning, you can just skip the coffee. Coach Cal will get you fired up with just his passion and energy alone.

But you know, there’s something even more powerful behind that enthusiasm – and that’s how much Coach Cal cares for his players.

He is always pushing his guys to improve. He knows how to relate to each guy to draw out their best. He is a master at framing up a big goal, and you can see, in every decision, he is putting his players and their families first.

It’s the foundation of every season, and it comes before the tactics and strategies. It’s a huge reason his teams continually do well, and it’s placed Coach Cal in the pantheon of college coaching legends.

When we truly care about our people – and they know that we truly care – good things happen.

You’ll also learn:

How to take risks to improve even when things are working (fun note: it involves the story of the dribble-drive offense)
Secrets of his legendary recruiting skills
His process for helping tap into each player’s individual strengths
The power of setting one big single goal (and why other good results tend to follow when you do)
The one defining trait of leadership he strives to teach his players

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

The How Leaders Lead App: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go

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.

#21: Jack Nicklaus, Golfer, Businessman & Philanthropist —Learn From Both Success and Failure Nov 12, 2020

Show notes

Today’s guest is Jack Nicklaus, who is widely regarded as the best golfer to ever play the game.

He hardly needs an introduction! He won 117 professional tournaments over his 44 year career, including six Masters, five PGA championships, four U.S. Open titles, and three British Open titles.

But his legendary status doesn’t stop with his playing career. He’s gone on to design world renowned courses and build a fantastic brand. He and his wife Barbara have done a tremendous amount of philanthropic work for children’s health. And he’s kept a humble attitude through it all.

There are about a zillion things Jack can teach us about leadership.

But one big takeaway for us is how he is just as eager to learn from his wins as he is from his losses.

Now, we all know – failure is a great teacher! But success can be, too. When we have a winning moment, we don’t want to just high five each other and move on. It’s important to understand why it worked so we can do more of it!

And you’re about to learn how.

You’ll also learn:

What you need to understand about yourself in order to come through adversity
The “secret ingredient” to being more consistently excellent
How visualization can give you a competitive edge at work (not just on the course)
Practical advice for working with your family

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

The How Leaders Lead App: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go

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.

#20: Dave Cote, Honeywell former CEO—Find Win/Win Solutions by Thinking for Yourself Nov 05, 2020

Show notes

Today’s guest is Dave Cote, former CEO of Honeywell.

Dave led an incredible turnaround at Honeywell. When he took charge in 2002, the company was in dire straits. Dave was in charge for 16 years, and in that time, Honeywell's market cap grew from $20 billion to a whopping $120 billion.

And at every point along the way, Dave fought the misconception that leaders have to choose between two seemingly conflicting things. For example: you can either have short-term results or long-term growth, but not both.

For Dave, you can have both, but it takes a lot of creative thinking. And you’ve got to be able to think for yourself. You can’t fall into the trap of agreeing with the prevailing opinion or what you “should” do.

When you listen to Dave, it comes through loud and clear: great leaders know how to think for themselves. And when they do, they get beyond surface-level answers and uncover truly creative win/win solutions.

You’ll also learn:

The important mindset you need to lead during tough times (hint: you won’t like it)
A genius way to approach your next meeting if you’re trying to reach a good decision
What the “Any Ninny” theory of leadership is and how to rise above it
How to build trust when you’re in an adversarial environment

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

The How Leaders Lead App: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go

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.

#19: Frank Blake, Home Depot former CEO—Aim for Excellence, Not Just Growth Oct 29, 2020

Show notes

Today’s guest is Frank Blake, former CEO of The Home Depot.

He actually calls himself the “accidental CEO” – and it was a bit of a surprise when he was appointed back in 2007. It’s not every day that a former lawyer for GE finds his way to the top role at a home improvement store.

However, his success at The Home Depot has been anything BUT accidental.

He made big calls that turned the company around. And one of his biggest strategic moves was to stop relying on opening new stores for growth and instead focus on generating more sales at existing stores. It worked.

Sometimes growth, for its own sake, isn’t the right goal. Instead, we want to strive for excellence – getting back to basics and being brilliant at what we do.

When we do, growth will follow. In Frank’s words, it’s a “compelling, fascinating, never-ending journey” when we aim for excellence, not just growth.

You’ll also learn:

What to do if you find yourself unexpectedly in a leadership role
The single most important insight you can have about how to communicate to an organization
One savvy little trick to get some honest feedback from people who report to you (instead of always just hearing what people think you want to hear)
Why “listening to your team” is a lot harder than you think

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

The How Leaders Lead App: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go

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.

#18: Steve Burke, NBCUniversal Chairman—Draw Out Your Team’s Wisdom Oct 22, 2020

Show notes

Today’s guest is Steve Burke, Chairman of NBCUniversal.

Since taking over NBCUniversal in 2011, he's almost tripled the profits from around $3 billion to over $8 billion and is leading the fastest growing media company in the world.

Before that, Steve was the #2 guy at Comcast alongside Brian Roberts as they acquired NBCUniversal. He’s also led hugely successful efforts at Disney and ABC.

He has accomplished SO much. But in every role, Steve just knows how to get the most out of the people around him. It’s how he was able to lead the turnaround at DisneyWorld Paris and how the whole idea of Disney Stores even came to exist!

Steve shows us that sometimes, truly breakthrough ideas are already there within your team – and it’s your job as a leader to draw them out.

You’ll also learn:

What to look for in great talent, especially if you work in a rapidly changing field
The #1 mentality you need to establish in your team members
Two things you absolutely must do if you need to make a bold decision
How to balance a legacy product with an emerging one

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

The How Leaders Lead App: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go

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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