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How Leaders Lead with David Novak

David Novak
Leadership
Entrepreneurship
Customer Experience
Leadership Development
Innovation
Company Culture
Yum! Brands
Teamwork
NFL
Liquid Death
Accountability
Team Dynamics
Chevron
Decision Making
Crisis Management
Motivation
Rory Mcilroy
Taco Bell
Artificial Intelligence
Super Bowl

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, Jami... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes459Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EntrepreneurshipManagementBusiness

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Artwork for How Leaders Lead

Latest Episodes

If you lead a business, you know providing great service is vital.

But what does that actually mean?

For David Lafitte, CEO of the popular Western retailer Tecovas, it means radical hospitality. Stuff like offering shoppers free drinks, personaliza... more

Today, she is the CEO of Ulta Beauty, leading over 1500 stores worldwide, striking partnerships with Chanel and Beyonce, and creating record growth since she took over in early 2025.

That kind of career momentum doesn’t happen by accident. And in th... more

What’s the soul of your brand? And why might it be the secret to unlocking a new chapter of growth for your company?

Today, David sits down with Mark Smucker. He’s the CEO and Chair of The J.M. Smucker Company, which is home to iconic brands like Sm... more

Minted Founder Mariam Naficy was ready to shut it all down. She’d spent nearly all the capital from her angel round, but nothing was selling.

Then, she experimented with crowdsourcing stationery and card designs from independent artists, and everyth... more

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Recent Guests

David Lafitte
CEO of Tecovas
Tecovas
Episode: #293: David Lafitte – CEO, Tecovas – Serve others with radical hospitality
Kecia Steelman
CEO of Ulta Beauty
Ulta Beauty
Episode: #292: Kecia Steelman, CEO, Ulta Beauty – Progress over perfection
Mark Smucker
CEO and Chair of The J.M. Smucker Company
The J.M. Smucker Company
Episode: #291: Mark Smucker, Chair and CEO, The J.M. Smucker Company – Understand the soul of your brand
Mariam Naficy
Founder and Chairman of Minted
Minted
Episode: #290: Mariam Naficy, Founder and Chairman, Minted – See the possibilities in people
Kurt Kane
CEO of TruGreen
TruGreen
Episode: #289: Kurt Kane, CEO, TruGreen – Fall in love with customer retention
JC Curleigh
CEO of Pelican Products
Pelican Products
Episode: #288: James “JC” Curleigh, CEO, Pelican Products – How to reframe what you sell
Julie Hansen
CEO, Babbel in the US; Chief Revenue Officer for Babbel globally
Babbel
Episode: #287: Julie Hansen, CEO, Babbel – Don’t fear change
John Donahoe
Former CEO of Nike, eBay, ServiceNow; Athletic Director at Stanford
Stanford University (Athletic Director)
Episode: #286: John Donahoe, Former CEO of Nike, Director of Athletics at Stanford – Create strategy from the outside in
Ted Scott
PGA Tour caddy, world number one Scottie Scheffler's bag
PGA Tour
Episode: #285: Ted Scott, Caddie for Scottie Scheffler, PGA Tour – Great questions demand great answers

Host

David Novak
Host of How Leaders Lead

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 850 ratings
  • Real Big CEOs

    There is no other podcast that has:

    1. Host has former chairman and CEO of >$1B valuation company.

    2. Guests as real CEOs consistently of >$1B valuation companies.

    All other podcasts have super junior hosts, super junior guests, and super theoretical leadership lessons.

    Thank you David Novak!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    H.H.H.HHH.H.H.H
    Canada4 months ago
  • Great Leadership Podcast!

    Have listened to a number of “leadership” podcasts…This is the one! It brings great discussion with leaders from varied fields that have a lot of real world experience, and unique perspectives…and host David Novak has been there, done that as well. Great job!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Bloorya
    United States7 months ago
  • This is the premier leadership podcast

    Every single episode will challenge you, inspire you and give you immediate skills and practical steps to improve your leadership. The interviews are top-notch, the guest are brilliant and David is an incredible host. Thank you so much for producing incredible leadership podcast!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jason Raitz
    United Statesa year ago
  • Inspiring Conversations on Leadership

    If you’re passionate about leadership and personal growth, How Leaders Lead with David Novak is a must-listen. David has a knack for making every conversation feel authentic, relatable, and packed with valuable insights. His guests are accomplished, hardworking individuals, and you can tell he genuinely enjoys learning from them—which makes it even more inspiring to tune in. Whether you’re leading a team or just trying to get better at life, this podcast leaves you with ideas you can actually us... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    carolannemichelle
    United Statesa year ago
  • Used to be a fan, until...

    On a recent episode, Koula mentioned visiting an ice cream shop just to take in the smells--not necessarily eat the ice cream. David responded by saying this was "the dumbest thing he had ever heard." He could have made light of this without saying her remarks were dumb in front of thousands of listeners. It sounded condescending...would he have used that language while interviewing one of his world-class guests? I would never tell any of my team members their remarks are "dumb"--even in a light... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Hoops 1021
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

A must-listen for leaders aiming to grow their teams and culture.
Thoughtful, practical leadership insights with real-world guests.
High-caliber guest roster and measured, insightful questions.
Consistently actionable takeaways that listeners can apply at work.
Inspiring stories and authentic conversations from leaders across industries.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

#293: David Lafitte – CEO, Tecovas – Serve others with radical hospitality
Q: What makes radical hospitality work at Tecovas?
Radical hospitality works because it combines genuine service with an immersive customer experience, including in-store bars, personalized branding, and education rather than a hard sell, which builds trust and a lasting emotional connection to the brand.
#292: Kecia Steelman, CEO, Ulta Beauty – Progress over perfection
Q: What is the 80-20 mindset, and how has it shaped decisions at Ulta Beauty?
It's about moving forward with 80% readiness, then quickly learning and filling the gaps as you go, rather than waiting for perfect conditions. This approach enables rapid execution, testing, and adaptation, especially during major initiatives like entering new channels or markets.
#288: James “JC” Curleigh, CEO, Pelican Products – How to reframe what you sell
Q: What role does customer insight play in strategic pivots like Pelican's expansion?
He emphasizes staying in touch with customers, doing landmark research, and using that data to reposition the brand and its products to meet evolving needs.
#288: James “JC” Curleigh, CEO, Pelican Products – How to reframe what you sell
Q: How do you boil down complex brand strategy into something your team can act on daily?
JC describes using a simple, three-part message triangle and the Canadian PowerPoint approach to deliver clear, memorable guidance that keeps the team focused and aligned.
#287: Julie Hansen, CEO, Babbel – Don’t fear change
Q: What advice would you give to women in business to maximize their potential?
Be bolder, raise your hand, ask for responsibility, and don't be afraid to interrupt or share ideas when appropriate.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About How Leaders Lead

What is How Leaders Lead about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show features in-depth conversations with top leaders across business, sports, and culture, offering practical leadership lessons drawn from real-world experiences. Guests range from CEOs and founders to coaches and industry disruptors, with a strong emphasis on authentic storytelling, culture, strategy, and how to lead through change. Episodes highlight brand building, team dynamics, crisis management, and the human side of leadership, often including tactical takeaways you can apply to your own organization. A standout trait is the host's experience as a former CEO, which tends to yield candid, battle-tested insights and actionable frameworks that span industries and roles.

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How many subscribers and views does How Leaders Lead have?

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Which podcasts are similar to How Leaders Lead?

These podcasts share a similar audience with How Leaders Lead:

1. Founders
2. Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy
3. David Senra
4. All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
5. The Tim Ferriss Show

How many episodes of How Leaders Lead are there?

How Leaders Lead launched 9 years ago and published 459 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on How Leaders Lead?

Recent guests on How Leaders Lead include:

1. David Lafitte
2. Kecia Steelman
3. Mark Smucker
4. Mariam Naficy
5. Kurt Kane
6. JC Curleigh
7. Julie Hansen
8. John Donahoe

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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