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:

3 More Questions (Bob Jordan) with David Novak and Koula Callahan Jun 30, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of 3 More Questions, you'll hear David Novak's answers to:

How do you handle criticism when you make a public statement and then change your mind?
What are your thoughts on the perspective that someone should try and avoid making an impact on day one of their new role?
What’s the best advice you’d give a leader on how to handle high stress?

———

GO DEEPER

Scale up your leadership skills in 2 minutes a day with the How Leaders Lead app — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Get coaching from David by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠signing up to receive his Weekly Leadership Plan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. It builds on each podcast episode by offering actionable steps you can take each week to incorporate the learnings from the episode into your leadership style. It only takes about 5 minutes and is a great way to start off your week!
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the How Leaders Lead podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to ensure you never miss an episode!

#245: Bob Jordan, CEO of Southwest Airlines – Be both an optimist and a realist Jun 26, 2025

Show notes

If you’re leading through a tough season, you know how easy it can be to either sugarcoat the truth or get overwhelmed by it.

Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan has faced a lot of challenges since he took over in 2022—from operational setbacks to major policy shifts. In this episode, he shares how important it is to be honest about the reality you’re facing while also staying optimistic about what’s next.

Listen to this episode and you’ll have a powerful framework for leading through whatever challenges you’re up against right now.
You’ll also learn:

The #1 thing to do if you want to develop more leaders
A better mindset for handling pressure without burning out
Advice for changing your stance on an issue
What most leaders get wrong in crisis communication

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.

3 More Questions (Sanjit Biswas) with David Novak and Koula Callahan Jun 23, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of 3 More Questions, you'll hear David Novak's answers to:

How do you make space for new ideas?
What do you think about team discipline to create more long term business sustainability?
What can other leaders learn from the "big eyes and big ears" approach to meeting with customers?

———

GO DEEPER

Scale up your leadership skills in 2 minutes a day with the How Leaders Lead app — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Get coaching from David by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠signing up to receive his Weekly Leadership Plan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. It builds on each podcast episode by offering actionable steps you can take each week to incorporate the learnings from the episode into your leadership style. It only takes about 5 minutes and is a great way to start off your week!
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the How Leaders Lead podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to ensure you never miss an episode!

#244: Sanjit Biswas, Cofounder and CEO of Samsara – Big eyes, big ears Jun 19, 2025

Show notes

If you want to build smarter solutions and truly serve your customers, you’ve got to get closer to what they’re struggling with. In this episode, Samsara CEO Sanjit Biswas shares how his “big eyes, big ears” mindset helps uncover those opportunities.

You’ll also learn:

How to make your engineers love sales (no, really)
The one thing you’re missing about curiosity
Practical ideas to put your core values into action
A helpful formula to prioritize your R&D budget

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.

3 More Questions (Steve Case) with David Novak and Koula Callahan Jun 16, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of 3 More Questions, you'll hear David Novak's answers to:

How does a leader know if their idea is good enough to power through the slog?
What does it mean for revolution to happen through evolutionary ways?
Why is it important to change the scenery in order to go "hunt" for new business ideas?

———

GO DEEPER

Scale up your leadership skills in 2 minutes a day with the How Leaders Lead app — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Get coaching from David by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠signing up to receive his Weekly Leadership Plan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. It builds on each podcast episode by offering actionable steps you can take each week to incorporate the learnings from the episode into your leadership style. It only takes about 5 minutes and is a great way to start off your week!
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the How Leaders Lead podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to ensure you never miss an episode!

#243: Steve Case, Cofounder of AOL – Success takes time Jun 12, 2025

Show notes

When you’re building something new, it’s easy to get discouraged by how long it takes to gain traction. But if anyone knows how to stay in the game, it’s Steve Case.

In this episode, the AOL cofounder and Revolution CEO opens up about the grit, patience, and strategy it took to pioneer the internet—and why most success stories take a lot longer than people think. You’ll hear how he built AOL through years of slow progress, what he looks for in entrepreneurs today, and how that iconic line, “You’ve Got Mail,” came to be.

If you’re feeling stuck or off track, this episode will help you refocus and recharge!
You’ll also learn:

Three qualities of successful entrepreneurs
The #1 mindset you need if your business is in growth mode
A powerful leadership lesson from the disappointing AOL-Time Warner merger
Why a one-size-fits-all leadership style might let you down

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.

3 More Questions (Gui Loureiro) with David Novak and Koula Callahan Jun 09, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of 3 More Questions, you'll hear David Novak's answers to:

What does it mean to perform in order to transform?
Why is it important to discuss what is not going to be done when a company is strategizing?
Why is the power of positivity so important as a leader?

———

GO DEEPER

Scale up your leadership skills in 2 minutes a day with the How Leaders Lead app — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Get coaching from David by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠signing up to receive his Weekly Leadership Plan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. It builds on each podcast episode by offering actionable steps you can take each week to incorporate the learnings from the episode into your leadership style. It only takes about 5 minutes and is a great way to start off your week!
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the How Leaders Lead podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to ensure you never miss an episode!

#242: Gui Loureiro, CEO of Walmart in Canada, Chile, Mexico & Central America – To transform your business, transform yourself first Jun 05, 2025

Show notes

If you’re wanting to see big change in your company, here’s a question: are you willing to change, too?

Gui Loureiro, regional CEO of Walmart for Canada, Chile, Mexico, and Central America, shares what it took to lead a digital and cultural overhaul at Walmart Mexico—and why he had to evolve as a leader to make it happen.

This episode is a powerful reminder that the big transformations you want for your team and company will also mean some transformation for you personally.

You’ll also learn:

A powerful question to ask in meetings that’ll keep your work customer focused
Specific strategies that help your team feel valued
How to shift to a more agile process for implementing ideas
An insight you need to hear before your next career talk with your boss

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.

3 More Questions (Greg Johnson) with David Novak and Koula Callahan Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of 3 More Questions, you'll hear David Novak's answers to:

How can leaders empower their people to own decisions while still ensuring they deliver on what matters most?
How can leaders avoid over-indexing on data and still keep people at the heart of decision making?
What are the most important ways a leader can set the right tone?

———

GO DEEPER

Scale up your leadership skills in 2 minutes a day with the How Leaders Lead app — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Get coaching from David by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠signing up to receive his Weekly Leadership Plan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. It builds on each podcast episode by offering actionable steps you can take each week to incorporate the learnings from the episode into your leadership style. It only takes about 5 minutes and is a great way to start off your week!
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the How Leaders Lead podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to ensure you never miss an episode!

#241: Greg Johnson, Owner of the San Francisco Giants – Let people take ownership May 29, 2025

Show notes

If your smartest people aren’t stepping up, maybe it’s time to look in the mirror.

In this episode, David sits down with Greg Johnson, the Chairman of Franklin Templeton and principal owner of the San Francisco Giants. Greg shares why ownership—not control—is the key to building high-performing teams and retaining top talent.

Whether you lead in finance, sports, or anywhere in between, you’ll walk away with practical strategies to give your people more agency and unlock their full potential.

You’ll also learn:

Why you really shouldn’t wait to fix that personnel issue
One danger to watch out for when you expand
The two elements to focus on if you want to develop more leaders
What really drives employee retention

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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