How Leaders Lead with David Novak

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**How Leaders Lead with David Novak**

How Leaders Lead gives you a front-row seat to exclusive conversations with the world’s most iconic leaders across business, sports, and entertainment. Hosted by David Novak, Co-founder and former CEO of Yum! Brands, this podcast pulls back the curtain on how top CEOs, founders, and game-changers make things happen. When you tune in, you’ll learn from legends like Tom Brady, Condoleezza Rice, Jamie Dimon, Coach Prime (Deion Sanders), Indra Nooyi, Stanley Druckenmiller, and more.
Other guests include:

CEO of Starbucks

CEO of Target

Co-founder of Home Depot

and many others…

David’s unique perspective and thought-provoking questions distill the wisdom of these leaders into actionable insights you can use to elevate your own leadership game. Whether you’re just starting your leadership journey or already leading teams, this show helps you build the confidence you need to lead well.

Latest Episodes:

#17: Mory Fontanez, 822 Group Founder & CEO—Tame the Chaos With a Higher Purpose Oct 15, 2020

Show notes

In any organization, there’s always some kind of chaos. It’s just the way of the world.

But leaders don’t just face chaos. They’re defined by how they handle it.

And that’s why we’re thrilled to have today’s guest, Mory Fontanez.

She's the founder of 822 Group, a consultancy which is helping companies and leaders reconnect with their higher purpose to grow their businesses.

Now, if you’re the type who hears that and thinks it sounds a little woo-woo … well … just hang on.

Mory actually shares a lot of hard evidence showing that companies and leaders without a higher sense of purpose experience lower productivity, higher turnover, and burnout.

But here’s the good news: leaders and companies who actually dig in and connect with a bigger set of values and purpose have a huge advantage.

They’re more confident, more clear, and more satisfied at work. And no matter what kind of chaos or crisis they face, they’re ready.

So listen in and discover for yourself how you can tame the chaos with a higher purpose.

You’ll also learn:

Two incredible benefits to creating a clear company purpose (one is pretty surprising)
The #1 mistake companies make when they try to create a list of values
How to let go of your need for self-validation, and why it’s crucial for leaders
Two practical steps you can use this week to handle conflict at work

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.

#16: Tim Ryan, PricewaterhouseCoopers US Chair & Senior Partner—Listen to Different Perspectives Oct 08, 2020

Show notes

Today’s guest is Tim Ryan, US Chair and Senior Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the top accounting and consulting firms in the world.

You don’t get elected to this kind of position if you’re not absolutely at the top of your game. And Tim sure is. He is one of the smartest guys around.

But that does not mean he has all the answers. In fact, in his words, he “drives himself crazy with listening.” He’s always seeking out more data points and drawing out differing perspectives.

It’s really at the heart of how they serve their clients and formulate strategy.

And that willingness to listen has also empowered him to make some really bold decisions.

Right after he was elected to his role in 2016, there was a tragic, racially charged shooting in Dallas. Tim listened to his employees’ rousing response.

And it motivated him to drastically shift his entire leadership strategy to focus on racial injustice.

That’s the big leadership lesson waiting for you today. When you know how to listen to different perspectives, you can make even the toughest decisions from a place that’s informed and empathetic. And that’s definitely the mark of a great leader.

You’ll also learn:

A practical blueprint for making diversity a real priority at your company
The #1 thing to focus on when things feel scary or chaotic at work
The 3 big trends every business needs to be dialed into right now
What to do when you make a mistake (yes, this is the hard-won wisdom after the infamous Oscars blunder)

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.

#15: Part 2: Jamie Dimon, JP Morgan Chase Chairman & CEO—Always Have a Plan to Deal With Problems Oct 01, 2020

Show notes

Today’s guest is Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase.

If you haven’t already heard part one of this conversation, check the feed and start there instead. It’s a masterclass in dealing with problems by preparing for them ahead of time.

But some problems aren’t possibilities waaaaaay off in the future. They’re right here, right now! And in part two, we get into how Jamie deals with those day-to-day issues.

And there’s a real humility in how he does it. He’s always listening and learning. He genuinely wants to know the issues on the ground in his organization. But he doesn’t stop there. He actually follows through so the problems he uncovers get solved.

It’s rare to find a leader who is willing to listen to issues. But a leader who follows up and actually fixes those issues? That’s the stuff of legend.

But it doesn’t have to be! You just need a plan. And that’s the big takeaway in this conversation with Jamie: always have a plan to deal with problems.

You’ll also learn:

Specifics idea for recognizing your team members’ accomplishments
Four things young leaders can do if they want to make their mark
Why listening to your front lines is half the job – and what you have to do in addition in order to earn your team’s respect
One brilliant idea to help you tackle tough conflicts we often tend to avoid
Jamie’s unique approach to strategic planning – and why he’s careful about how his company uses it

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.

#14: Part 1: Jamie Dimon, JP Morgan Chase Chairman & CEO—Always Have a Plan to Deal With Problems Sep 29, 2020

Show notes

Today’s guest is Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase.

He took this job back in 2006 – and it has not been an easy road. He faced the global financial crisis in ‘08, the COVID-19 pandemic, and all its aftermath. It’s just been one thing after another.

But I love the no-nonsense way Jamie approaches leadership in these tough moments. He isn’t surprised by problems. He’s prepared for them. As he puts it, “you don’t have a war and then decide to have an army. You better have the army first.”

As leaders, we have to be real and say that problems are going to come up.

They might be big or small, short-term or long-term. But one thing’s for sure: they’re going to be there. And we’ve got to be prepared.

There’s just so much we can learn from Jamie so we always have a plan to deal with problems.

You’ll also learn:

Jamie’s source of motivation in tough times – and why it’s critical for team-building
How to listen to both the data and your gut when you’re making big decisions
How Jamie’s readjusted his life and work after a major health scare
Specific ways corporations can be more socially responsible
The surprising trait you need more of the higher up you get in an organization

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.

#13: Mark Messier, NHL Hall of Famer—Stay Attuned to Your People Sep 24, 2020

Show notes

Today’s guest is NHL Hall of Famer Mark Messier. The man hardly needs an introduction! He’s won the Stanley Cup a whopping six times and is one of the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorers.

He’s a legend of the game. But he’s also widely regarded as one of the best leaders in the game – not just in hockey, but in all of sport.

In this conversation, you’ll get a glimpse into his leadership style and the incredible awareness he has of the people around him.

You don’t have to be a hockey coach to know: you can’t win all those Stanley Cups alone. And Mark’s teams succeeded so often because he was always tuned into his teammates. He knew how they were feeling. What would motivate them. What they needed to hear in a big moment.

He calls it a spidey sense. But it’s the kind of superpower we can actually get better at. And this conversation with Mark is the best way to learn that great leaders stay attuned to their people.

You’ll also learn:

How to navigate the loss of a top talent (from someone who went through Wayne Gretzy getting traded away from his team)
Three specific elements that comprise a winning team
The #1 reason teams fail – and how you can prevent it
What to say (and what not to say) when you step into a new leadership role

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.

#12: Larry Merlo, CVS Health CEO—Craft a Simple and Compelling Vision Sep 17, 2020

Show notes

Today’s guest is Larry Merlo, CEO of CVS Health.

When Larry took the helm at CVS in 2011, they were doing about 100 billion dollars in revenue. That’s a lot of money. But guess what? Now they’re doing almost 250 billion in revenue. It’s a remarkable amount of growth.

But it’s not the most remarkable thing Larry has done. He also made the bold decision to remove tobacco products from CVS stores – even though they accounted for two billion dollars of revenue.

The story is incredible. But what’s even more incredible is why Larry and his team made that decision in the first place.

It came from a very simple statement of their purpose as a company. Literally eight words. And it changed everything for them.

As leaders, we all need to remember that the best vision in the world isn’t worth a thing if it doesn’t stick with people. This conversation with Larry shows us how to communicate our big ideas in simple, compelling terms.

That way, our team members can actually connect with it and apply it when they’re making their decisions each day.

You’ll also learn:

One thing Larry did early in his career that prepared him for the C-suite later on
How to know when it’s time to re-evaluate your organization’s vision
Why you may want to make it easy for your team members to fail – no, really
What to look for in customer feedback to help you identify consumer needs (and it’s probably not what 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.

#11: Part 2: Tom Brady, 6-time World Champion—Back Up Your Goals with Disciplined Action Sep 11, 2020

Show notes

Listen to the second part of our conversation with Tom Brady, quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

If you haven’t heard the first part yet, find it on the podcast feed – you’re going to want to start there.

In the second half of our conversation, we talk about Tom’s upbringing, which is where his incredible discipline really starts.

Tom also talks in depth about the specific mentality shifts that helped him break through the ranks in college – and this was despite being a pretty dispensable sixth round pick in the draft.

Oh, and apologies to Atlanta fans, but yes, he talks about what was going through his head in that epic Super Bowl game against the Falcons when he and the Patriots were down 28-3 and came back to win it all.

In every story, in every answer, Tom is teaching us a huge leadership lesson: if we want to lead well, we have to back up our goals with disciplined action.

It’s not enough to just set a goal or want to succeed. We’ve got to show up and make the choices that will actually result in hitting those goals.

That’s the kind of walk-the-walk leadership that people actually follow.

You’ll also learn:

Tom’s advice to parents for how to talk to their kids
The inspiring question Tom asks when things don’t go right
The key advice Tom got that helped him move up the ranks even when opportunities were scarce
The #1 ingredient your team needs to navigate day-to-day conflicts as they arise
The mentality you need to muster up when you’re down (and what Tom used in the epic Super Bowl comeback against the Atlanta Falcons)
The time Tom got locked in the stadium at Notre Dame and what he had to do to escape

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.

#10: Part 1: Tom Brady, 6-time World Champion—Back Up Your Goals with Disciplined Action Sep 10, 2020

Show notes

Today’s guest is Tom Brady, the quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

And if you know anything about Tom Brady, you know he’s incredibly disciplined.

His nutrition, his fitness, his training, his prep, his mindset – the guy has an elite level of dedication to being his best.

And that hard work is a huge reason why he is the greatest of all time, the GOAT!

But here’s what a lot of people miss. And I want to make sure you don’t miss it. What we’re really seeing when we see Tom Brady’s hard work is someone who has said: I am willing to back up my goals with disciplined actions.

In the NFL and in business, everybody wants to win. But not everybody is willing to work hard in order to win. Tom is. His actions prove just how committed he is. He walks the walk, day in and day out, both off the field and on it.

It sets him apart as a leader.

And it’s the big takeaway for you today: as a leader, do you back up your goals with disciplined action?

You’ll also learn:

What you can do to change or capitalize on momentum
How you establish yourself as a leader in a new environment
Why Tom performs at a high level in tough situations (you may not like the answer, but it’s so good!)
Tom’s #1 piece of advice for when you don’t feel 100% confident in a situation
All the details of Tiger Wood’s mind-blowing warm-up shots before their charity golf match

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.

#09: Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo Former Chairman & CEO—The Power of Elevating Others Sep 03, 2020

Show notes

Today’s guest is Indra Nooyi, the former Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo.

Indra is an incredibly accomplished leader. In her twelve years in charge at PepsiCo, she navigated all kinds of challenges – a global recession, major restructuring, sweeping changes in consumer habits. And yet, in those same twelve years, PepsiCo sales had risen by 80%.

That kind of leadership is impressive. But what’s even more impressive is how Indra does it – by looking for ways to elevate others and build them up.

She intentionally carves out opportunities for the people she serves.

And this isn’t just pie in the sky stuff. It’s practical. In this episode, Indra goes into detail about PepsiCo’s leadership development and retention strategies.

She talks about increasing diversity and calling out bias. And she shares her own story as a woman of color and immigrant from India.

Great leaders intentionally elevate the people they serve. And that’s the big leadership lesson waiting for you in this episode today.

You’ll also learn:

Creative ways to celebrate your team (including one you HAVE to try)
Specific strategies to boost diversity and inclusion
How to stick to a vision, even when the naysayers are (very!) loud
The one mistake you should never make when communicating during a crisis
How to call out workplace bias
The single biggest thing consultants can do to add value
The six paragraphs Indra reads every week to stay inspired
What it’s like working with Jeff Bezos as a board member for Amazon

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.

#08: Bobbi Brown, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Founder & Beauty Evolution CEO—Surround Yourself With the Right Partners Aug 27, 2020

Show notes

Today’s guest is Bobbi Brown, Founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics & CEO of Beauty Evolution.

She is an absolute creative genius. Not just in makeup. In her whole life! When Bobbi comes up against a problem, she approaches it in the most wonderful and nontraditional ways.

And it works! She basically reinvented makeup in the 80s. She built a billion dollar brand. Today, she’s leading a successful wellness brand called Beauty Evolution. And she’s doing it all by the beat of her own drum.

But she’s not doing it alone. Along the way, she has found some incredible partners – people whose skill sets go hand in hand with her creativity. And they’re accomplishing these big goals together.

As leaders, we all have unique gifts. But we need the right people alongside us to counterbalance those gifts. To fill in the gaps. To see into our blind spots. And help us do more than we ever could alone.

Thanks to Bobbi, you’re about to learn that wonderful things happen when we surround ourselves with the right partners.

You’ll also learn:

The two biggest qualities you need to have as an entrepreneur
Practical advice for connecting with creative people on your team
What traits you need to tap into in order to become a more impactful teacher
How to lean into being yourself and knowing yourself – and why it’s crucial for leaders

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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