
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

Mar 7, 2024 • 41min
#177: Michelle Korsmo, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association — Engage others by drawing them out
How can you get people engaged with your big plans and strategies? It starts with how you engage with them. Michelle Korsmo is the President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association, and she understands the power of drawing people out in order to get them engaged with her big goals. Listen to this episode and see how it’s done! You’ll also learn:
How to turn big strategies into real plans
Two key factors to advancing your agenda
The mindset shift you need to make after getting promoted
Advice for women who want to advance in their careers
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 dayWhichever 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.

Mar 4, 2024 • 8min
3 More Questions (Joe Scarlett) with David Novak and Koula Callahan
On this episode of 3 More Questions, you'll hear David Novak's answers to:
What are some ways leaders can hone in on who their customers really are?
Why do you believe Tractor Supply Company's stock performed as well as it did from 2000-2020?
How do you train your people to do the right thing 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!

Feb 29, 2024 • 47min
#176: Joe Scarlett, former CEO of Tractor Supply Company — Transparency unifies a team
Let’s be honest: just because people work for the same company doesn’t mean they’re on the same team.As a leader, how can you truly get your team unified and working together? This conversation with Joe Scarlett, the former CEO of Tractor Supply Company, is full of practical ideas and insights. You’ll also learn:
One small tweak you might need to make to your bonus structure
A blueprint for conducting a successful site visit
Why it’s important to open up and share company details with your team
How Tractor Supply Company avoided getting squashed by big competitors like The Home Depot and Walmart
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 dayWhichever 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.

Feb 26, 2024 • 14min
3 More Questions (Tim Schurrer) with David Novak and Koula Callahan
On this episode of 3 More Questions, you'll hear David Novak's answers to:
What made you hire Tim in the first place?
What’s your vision for the How Leaders Lead app and why do you believe it will be so powerful for leaders?
What’s a story from your career about a time when someone helped you win, and how did that impact you 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!

Feb 22, 2024 • 40min
#175: Tim Schurrer, Author and CEO of David Novak Leadership – Help others win
Explore the importance of helping others win to achieve personal success. Learn marketing mistakes to avoid, the impact of developing strong leaders in youth programs, and how to refine your definition of success. Discover innovative ways to build a stronger team dynamic and support others in reaching common goals.

Feb 19, 2024 • 12min
3 More Questions (Aylwin Lewis) with David Novak and Koula Callahan
David Novak discusses the importance of hiring to reduce turnover rates and achieve success. He emphasizes patience in the hiring process. The podcast also delves into leadership insights for C-suite roles and strategies for leading in a new industry.

Feb 15, 2024 • 1h 2min
#174: Aylwin Lewis, former CEO of Potbelly and Sears – Results are paramount
Former CEO of Potbelly and Sears, Aylwin Lewis, shares insights on creating happy teams and cultures while achieving results. Topics include strong cultures driving efficient operations, lowering turnover rate, listening to frontline employees, and practical tips for better public speaking.

Feb 12, 2024 • 8min
3 More Questions (Lynn Swann) with David Novak and Koula Callahan
David Novak, leadership expert and author, discusses topics such as preparing fired employees for their next role, making time to listen as a leader, and recognizing and encouraging behind-the-scenes contributors.

Feb 8, 2024 • 49min
#173: Lynn Swann, NFL Hall of Famer — Listen if you want to learn
NFL Hall of Famer Lynn Swann shares his insights on building strong relationships with your team and what it takes to develop more leaders. He also discusses his experience playing in a Super Bowl and the emotions that come with it. Additionally, Swann talks about his decision to run for governor and the challenges of being an athletic director. Don't miss the lightning round of questions and the importance of family support in his career.

Feb 5, 2024 • 12min
3 More Questions (Lisa Lutoff-Perlo) with David Novak and Koula Callahan
David Novak discusses leadership skills and gives advice to leaders on topics like handling rejection, tracking customer needs, mapping the customer journey, and inspiring innovation.