How Leaders Lead with David Novak
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 StarbucksCEO of TargetCo-founder of Home Depotand 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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 24, 2026 • 56min
#310: Demond Martin, Cofounder and CEO, WellWithAll – Recognize how others shape you
Demond Martin, cofounder and CEO of WellWithAll, has shaped a remarkable career from hardship to the White House, Harvard Business School, and investment management. He explores community-built leadership, mentors who challenge and champion us, friendships beyond transactions, and building a wellness company committed to health equity. He also shares how humility, character, and curiosity shape teams and meaningful work.
Sep 17, 2026 • 1h 8min
#309: Ben Zobrist, 2x World Series Champion – Prepare for pressure
Ben Zobrist, a two-time World Series champion and 2016 MVP, knows pressure firsthand. He recalls Game 7 glory, preparing in the shadows, and bouncing back from failure. Zobrist also opens up about the hidden strain of success, emotional warning signs, self-care, and helping young athletes build emotional skills. A thoughtful conversation on adaptability, preparation, and leadership beyond baseball.
4 snips
Sep 10, 2026 • 51min
#308: Zac Taylor, Head Coach, Cincinnati Bengals – Consistency creates results
Zac Taylor, head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, took the team from 0–11 to Super Bowl LVI. He discusses building culture through consistency, empowering trusted staff, understanding players’ stories, and leading stars with fairness and high standards. He also reflects on adversity, the Super Bowl loss, team chemistry, family priorities, and the habits behind his leadership.
Sep 3, 2026 • 1h 15min
#307: Clark Lea, Head Football Coach, Vanderbilt – Belief is a practice
Clark Lea, Vanderbilt’s head football coach and former Commodore player, shares the story behind the program’s remarkable turnaround. He discusses rebuilding a losing culture, replacing victimhood with accountability, and making belief visible through daily practice. Along the way, he explores authenticity, family, shared ownership, setbacks, player-led standards, and the habits that keep him growing.
22 snips
Aug 27, 2026 • 1h 4min
#306: Tony Spring, Chairman & CEO, Macy’s, Inc. – Hit the ground listening
Tony Spring, Macy’s Chairman and CEO with 35 years in retail leadership, believes in listening first. He shares stories about customer conversations, hospitality-driven service, pilot testing ideas, balancing reality with possibility, and using data and meetings to drive change. Tony also covers mentoring, talent development, and how small acts of graciousness move the business.
Aug 20, 2026 • 1h 9min
#305: Harry Arnett, Cofounder & CEO, MUNICIPAL – Bet on yourself
Harry Arnett, Cofounder and CEO of MUNICIPAL and former Callaway marketing leader, shares why he left comfort to bet on himself. He talks about building a sports-utility brand, designing a gym-as-brand space, and selling identity before products. He explains startup agility vs. big competitors, shifting from marketer to CEO, and creating culture that shows up under stress.
20 snips
Aug 13, 2026 • 1h 11min
#304: Ron Johnson, Creator of the Apple Store – A great customer experience is an act of love
Ron Johnson, retail executive who built the Apple Store and revitalized Target, shares stories from designing iconic retail experiences. He discusses working closely with Steve Jobs, the belief that great customer experience is an act of love, lessons from his JCPenney turnaround, and how kindness, design focus, and delegation shape lasting culture.
5 snips
Aug 6, 2026 • 55min
#303: Ben Goodwin, Cofounder, CEO & Formulator, OLIPOP – The power of emotional intelligence
Ben Goodwin, cofounder, CEO and formulator of OLIPOP, built a prebiotic functional soda and a culture people scramble to join. He talks product formulation and hands-on lab work. He explores balancing intuition with data, creating a third wave of soda, and scaling from formulator to systems leader. He also covers hiring, mission-driven culture, resilience, and daily fuel for creativity.
Jul 30, 2026 • 1h 13min
#302: Varun Krishna, CEO, Rocket Companies – Culture is rooted in behavior, not words
Varun Krishna, CEO of Rocket Companies and former leader at Microsoft, PayPal and Intuit, transformed Rocket by rooting culture in behavior. He discusses shared experiences that build teams, morning routines that set intention, why culture must be lived not posted, strategic acquisitions to unite the homeownership journey, observing customers firsthand, and using AI and small wins to scale culture.
Jul 23, 2026 • 1h 14min
#301: Julie Bornstein – Founder & CEO, Daydream – People skills matter most
Julie Bornstein, founder and CEO of Daydream and former leader at Sephora, Nordstrom, and Stitch Fix, reflects on retail, AI, and leadership. She talks about building e-commerce and loyalty systems, creating an AI fashion search that understands natural language and images, and leading teams through startup uncertainty. People skills and pattern recognition are central themes.
