

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 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.
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 9, 2023 • 10min
3 More Questions (Dude Perfect) with David Novak and Koula Callahan
Welcome back to 3 More Questions, an episode series where we continue the conversation that we started last week with our featured guest. On this episode, we're talking about our interview with Tyler Toney and Coby Cotton, two of the Co-founders of Dude Perfect, in order to learn even more about how to prioritize quality over quantity.If you want a simple plan to improve as a leader, you can get one here for free — https://howleaderslead.com/plan

Jan 5, 2023 • 53min
#116: Dude Perfect Cofounders Ty and Coby – Quality over quantity
Today I’m talking with Tyler Toney and Coby Cotton, two of the five “dudes” who created Dude Perfect. They have racked up over 15 billion views on YouTube – yup, that’s billions, with a b – and have built an incredible business with live shows, merchandise, and more. And I gotta tell ya, my wife Wendy and I have been watching a ton of their videos to prep for this interview and I don’t think we’ve ever laughed so hard! But behind all the trick shots and stereotype videos, Dude Perfect is a serious brand and a fast-growing company. These five friends have been partners for thirteen years – and in a space where attention tends to be pretty fleeting, that’s some serious longevity. What I love is how they prioritize quality above quantity. They’re really selective whenever they vet content ideas and sponsorship opportunities. And that’s helped them build a brand that people truly trust and keep coming back to. If you want to build something that lasts, then keep listening, because boy, you are going to learn a ton.So here is my conversation with my good friends – and soon to be yours – Ty and Coby from Dude Perfect!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.

Dec 29, 2022 • 57min
#115: The Best of 2022
With this being the last episode of 2022, we’re going to have some fun listening to and reflecting on some of the best insights from the podcast this year. And I’ve gotta tell you, picking clips was as difficult for me as trying to pick my favorite day of the week to play golf! These episodes are all like my children — I love every one of them and they’ve all got great insights on business and leadership. But we had to choose, so let’s dig into some of the best insights of the year.

Dec 26, 2022 • 11min
3 More Questions (Eric Wood) with David Novak and Koula Callahan
Welcome back to 3 More Questions, an episode series where we continue the conversation that we started last week with our featured guest. On this episode, we're talking about our interview with Eric Wood, the former NFL center for the Buffalo Bills and author of the great new book, Tackle What's Next, to learn even more about how to develop positive habits.If you want a simple plan to improve as a leader, you can get one here for free — https://howleaderslead.com/plan

Dec 22, 2022 • 58min
#114: Eric Wood, Former NFL center, Buffalo Bills – Develop Positive Habits
Well, my guest today is Eric Wood, who is a former NFL center for the Buffalo Bills. Eric was in the prime of his career in 2017 when he was forced to retire due to a neck injury. Now, for a lot of people, that would have been an absolutely crushing blow. But as you’ll hear today, Eric has navigated this big life and career transition with an incredible positive mindset. Now, let’s be honest, sometimes you talk to optimistic people and it’s all just puppies and rainbows. But Eric doesn’t ignore the tough stuff. He just has a different perspective on it. For him, things don’t happen to us, they happen for us. We can develop that mindset, too – by creating positive habits of gratitude, learning, and generosity. You’re gonna be so encouraged by this conversation, especially if you’re going through any kind of transition right now. So here is my conversation with my good friend – and soon to be yours – Eric Wood.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.

Dec 19, 2022 • 10min
3 More Questions (Lindsay Tjepkema) with David Novak and Koula Callahan
Welcome back to 3 More Questions, an episode series where we continue the conversation that we started last week with our featured guest. On this episode, we're talking about our interview with Lindsay Tjepkema, the Co-founder and CEO of Casted, to learn even more about how to focus on making a human connection in a data-driven world.If you want a simple plan to improve as a leader, you can get one here for free — https://howleaderslead.com/plan

Dec 15, 2022 • 40min
#113: Lindsay Tjepkema, Co-founder and CEO of Casted – Focus on connection
Well, my guest today is Lindsay Tjepkema, and she is the CEO and Co-founder of a company called Casted. Their whole mission is to help businesses understand the return they’re getting from podcasts and other amplified marketing channels.Now, clearly you and I both love podcasts. And so does Lindsay. For her, they forge a connection like nothing else can. Every marketer needs to find ways to connect with customers on that human level.And so does every leader. When you focus on connection – both in your marketing and in your leadership – you’re gonna unlock a whole new level of trust and growth in your business. Lindsay is proof positive that it works. Plus, she’s got a ton of practical advice if you want to up your podcasting game! So without further ado, here is my conversation with my good friend – and soon to be yours – Lindsay Tjepkema.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.

Dec 12, 2022 • 11min
3 More Questions (Steve Holmes) with David Novak and Koula Callahan
Welcome back to 3 More Questions, an episode series where we continue the conversation that we started last week with our featured guest. On this episode, we're talking about our interview with Steve Holmes, the Non-Executive Chairman of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and Travel + Leisure Co., to learn even more about how to create consistency through your core values.If you want a simple plan to improve as a leader, you can get one here for free — https://howleaderslead.com/plan

Dec 8, 2022 • 44min
#112: Steve Holmes, Non-Executive Chairman of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and Travel + Leisure Co. – Be consistent with core values
Today’s guest is Steve Holmes, the Non-Executive Chairman of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and Travel + Leisure Co. When I think about Steve’s career, the word that comes to mind for me is consistency.With Steve, you know what you’re going to get. He has a set of core values that he brings to any role. He has lived by them in every company he’s ever worked at, whether he’s crunching numbers in finance as the CFO or growing Wyndham as its Chief Executive Officer.Steve reminds me that the truly great leaders I know aren’t just great for a while, or in one place, or only in good times. They consistently deliver excellence no matter what circumstances they’re in, and they do so in a way that’s consistent with the values they have. If you want to bring that same stability to your leadership, keep listening. Steve will show you how to be more consistent by defining your core values and then living them out.So here is my conversation with my good friend – and soon to be yours – Steve Holmes.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.

Dec 5, 2022 • 15min
3 More Questions (David Gibbs) with David Novak and Koula Callahan
Welcome back to 3 More Questions, an episode series where we continue the conversation that we started last week with our featured guest. On this episode, we're talking about our interview with David Gibbs, the CEO of Yum! Brands, to learn even more about how to flip the script and move forward in tough situations.If you want a simple plan to improve as a leader, you can get one here for free — https://howleaderslead.com/plan


