How Leaders Lead with David Novak

Today’s guest is Mike White, who served as the Chairman and CEO of DirecTV from 2010 until his retirement in 2015. As you might recall, that’s exactly when streaming services really took off. People were cutting the cord on traditional TV left and right and the whole media landscape got turned upside down.  So what does it take to be a great leader when the world is changing right before your eyes...

On this episode of 3 More Questions, you'll hear David Novak's answers to: For leaders trying to scale their business, what should they be focusing on? What are ways leaders can reward their hard-working team in a time that demands more of their employees? What kind of balance do leaders need to have between instructing people on what to do, then setting them loose to go and do it? ——— ADDITIONAL...

There are few things more frustrating than a leader who sets up a bunch of meetings, presents ideas, and talks strategy… … but then doesn’t know how to motivate everyone to actually get all that stuff done! Fortunately, our guest today is NOT that kind of leader. Liz Elting is the former CEO of TransPerfect, a translation solutions company that she started and built into a billion-dollar business....

On this episode of 3 More Questions, you'll hear David Novak's answers to: Was there a time in your career you resisted the urge to dispense advice and instead, asked more questions to your team to pull out their insights? What practices have you used to celebrate others' ideas? What are some practical ways to shift from “boss” to “coach”? ——— ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Get coaching from David by signin...

Picture this: Someone on your team comes to you with a question about how to approach a problem theyr’e facing.  What do you do?  If you’re like most leaders, your first instinct is to dispense some advice. And that’s understandable! You’re sitting in that leadership role precisely because you’ve got all kinds of great wisdom and insight to share. But according to today’s guest, that approach can...

On this episode of 3 More Questions, you'll hear David Novak's answers to: How can leaders eliminate the layers that build up between them and the people who work on the front lines of their organization? What do you do when you've lost the passion for your job? How can leaders convey the big-picture mission of their company to the employees so they don’t get distracted by temporary challenges? ——...

We all have those days where we hop from meeting to meeting, only to look back on the day and wonder what we really accomplished.  If that sounds familiar, then you’re going to find a lot of value in this conversation with Bill George, the former Chairman & CEO of Medtronic. He’s also an executive fellow at Harvard Business School and, like all of us here at How Leaders Lead, he is passionate abou...

In this episode, we take all the great wisdom from the last three months and highlight the most impactful takeaways for you. The Best Of Q3 features leadership insights from these incredible leaders: Alan Mulally, Former CEO of Ford Brandon Beane, GM of Buffalo Bills Kevin Warsh, Former Member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors Diana Murphy, Former President of the USGA Geoff Colvin, Fortun...

On this episode of 3 More Questions, you'll hear David Novak's answers to: What characteristics would you look for if you were on the search committee for a new CEO? What advice would you give to a leader trying to keep a sales team motivated? How would you suggest people navigate working for a boss they don't like? ALSO... Get coaching from David by signing up to receive his Weekly Leadership Pla...

Today’s guest is Diana Murphy, the former President of the USGA. She also serves on the boards of AIG, Landstar, Synovus, and the Atlanta Braves – and it’s no surprise, because she’s a phenomenal leader who really knows how to get people working together. Everybody talks about collaboration these days, but Diana has always had it in her DNA. Teams who can collaborate well tend to do better work in...

On this episode of 3 More Questions, you'll hear David Novak's answers to: Why is a mindset of "helping others be successful" as a leader so critical to the longevity and growth of an organization? What happens when your team members function like entrepreneurs? How do you keep your own opinion out of the way (and just stick to the facts) as a leader? ALSO... Get coaching from David by signing up...

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that quality matters in your organization.  But a lot of leaders struggle to take that ideal of quality and actually turn it into a day-to-day reality for their team. In other words, how do you operationalize quality?  This conversation with Scott Redler will help you answer that question. Scott is the Cofounder of Freddy’s Frozen Custard and S...

On this episode of 3 More Questions, you'll hear David Novak's answers to: How do you handle letting people go even when they are talented or really good team players? How have you bounced back from a loss you've experienced in your life? When leaders face traumatic situations with their teams, how do they take care of them in the midst of it? ALSO... Get coaching from David by signing up to recei...

The 2023-2024 NFL season kicks off tonight! And behind all the big plays and personalities, there are a LOT of leadership lessons to learn. Starting with today’s guest, Brandon Beane, who’s the General Manager of the Buffalo Bills. His job is to head up all the operations, including trades, drafts, contract negotiation, salary cap management, and – of course – collaborating with the coaches on the...

On this episode of 3 More Questions, you'll hear David Novak's answers to: What have you learned on the golf course that translates into the business and leadership space? What are some tactics you use to quickly get back on track and regain confidence and self-belief after a setback? When you’re preparing for an important performance on a big stage, what are some of the things you do to get your...

“Grit” is one of those buzzwords people throw around a lot.  And it can be hard to define! But you know it when you see it – and you can certainly see it in Mike McCoy.  This upcoming weekend, Mike has the honor of captaining the U.S. team at the Walker Cup as our top amateurs compete against Great Britain and Ireland at St. Andrews’ legendary Old Course. Mike is one of the world’s top amateur gol...

On this episode of 3 More Questions, you'll hear David Novak's answers to: Are leaders born with natural, God-given talent or can anyone get good at anything with deliberate practice? Will humans be replaced by tech and AI? How would you advise a leader to enhance human capital within their organization? ALSO... Get coaching from David by signing up to receive his Weekly Leadership Plan. It builds...

Have you ever wondered what it really takes to be excellent at something?   If so, you’re going to love this episode with Geoff Colvin. He’s the Senior Editor-at-Large for Fortune magazine and one of the most curious and articulate people I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know over the years. Geoff is also fascinated by excellence in human performance, especially as it pertains to business leade...

On this episode of 3 More Questions, you'll hear David Novak's answers to: What’s a story from your upbringing that shaped the way you lead today? What would you say to people that argue compensation is the most important retention factor? When a company is doing well and growing, how can a leader create that sense of urgency that continues to drive performance? ALSO... Get coaching from David by...

Okay, imagine this… Your alarm goes off at 1 a.m.  In an hour, it’s your job to be on the back of a trash pickup truck.  Oh, and by the way? You’re one of the top leaders of the company. Believe it or not, that’s exactly what today’s guest did … every week, for seven and a half years! Jim Fish, the CEO of Waste Management, is just that kind of leader – one who spends time on the front lines to be...

On this episode of 3 More Questions, you'll hear David Novak's answers to: How do you sniff out conflict as a leader (and why should you do it)? Which is more important — talent or teamwork? How do you avoid a crash as a leader? ALSO... 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...

Today’s guest is Patrick Lencioni, the founder of The Table Group. His books on teams and leadership have sold more than eight million copies around the world! Patrick’s ideas are just that good – and today’s podcast is no exception. Now, it’s no secret that leaders need to show vulnerability and humanity with the people they lead. But what does being vulnerable actually look like? How can it chan...

On this episode of 3 More Questions, you'll hear David Novak's answers to: What are the first steps to transforming a command and control culture? How can leaders create a customer-centric product development focus? How can transparency from a leader bring a team together? ALSO... Get coaching from David by signing up to receive his Weekly Leadership Plan. It builds on each podcast episode by offe...

Today’s guest is Alan Mulally, who served as the CEO of Ford during their incredible turnaround. And when we say served as the CEO, we mean it!  That’s because, in Alan’s words, to serve is to live.  And it’s not just a warm-fuzzy philosophy. His service-centered style of leadership really gets results. It’s how he motivates people to actually work together. And it’s how he led Ford through one mo...

On this episode of 3 More Questions, you'll hear David Novak's answers to: If a business is experiencing explosive growth, what can leaders do to navigate that successfully? What’s your advice to leaders who are assessing whether or not to partner with other companies? How do you know when to “give up” and go a different direction and when to stay the course and grind it out in a new business? ......