Rephonic
Artwork for How Leaders Lead

How Leaders Lead with David Novak

David Novak
Leadership
Entrepreneurship
Customer Experience
Innovation
Artificial Intelligence
Yum! Brands
Leadership Development
Company Culture
Liquid Death
NFL
Crisis Management
Chevron
Rory Mcilroy
Taco Bell
Culture
Motivation
Kentucky Derby
How Leaders Learn
Teamwork
Decision Making

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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes479Founded10 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ManagementBusinessEntrepreneurship

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for How Leaders Lead

Latest Episodes

How did New Balance go from a modest “dad shoe” brand to a $10 billion global company?

You might assume they just copied the playbook of their big-name competitors.

But New Balance President & CEO Joe Preston knows better. In this conversation, he ... more

How does a 24-year-old with no construction experience turn a remediated coal mine in rural Nova Scotia into one of the world’s top golf destinations?

That’s the story of Ben Cowan-Dewar, Cofounder and CEO of Cabot. Twenty years later, he’s built on... more

Back in 2007, Mark Pincus had a gut feeling that adults would play games on their phones if they were just woven into their daily lives.

On that instinct, he founded Zynga and built the biggest games of the early social internet — including FarmVill... more

A lot of leaders brag that they’re “self made.”

Demond Martin says he’s “community built.”

He recognizes all the people who helped him move out of a violent environment as a preteen and go on to work at the White House, graduate from Harvard Busine... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Joe Preston
President and CEO, New Balance
New Balance
Episode: #313: Joe Preston, President & CEO, New Balance – Focus on what you can control
Ben Cowan-Dewar
Cofounder and CEO of Cabot
Cabot
Episode: #312: Ben Cowan-Dewar, Cofounder & CEO, Cabot – Be an idea collector
Mark Pincus
Founder & Former CEO of Zynga
Zynga
Episode: #311: Mark Pincus, Founder & Former CEO, Zynga – Trust your instincts, but vet your ideas
Demond Martin
Co-founder and CEO of WellWithAll
WellWithAll
Episode: #310: Demond Martin, Cofounder and CEO, WellWithAll – Recognize how others shape you
Ben Zobrist
Former Major League Baseball player, World Series Champion and MVP
Chicago Cubs (World Series champion, 2016); Champion Forward
Episode: #309: Ben Zobrist, 2x World Series Champion – Prepare for pressure
Clark Lea
Head Coach Vanderbilt Football
Vanderbilt University
Episode: #307: Clark Lea, Head Football Coach, Vanderbilt – Belief is a practice
Tony Spring
Chairman & CEO of Macy's, Inc.
Macy's, Inc.
Episode: #306: Tony Spring, Chairman & CEO, Macy’s, Inc. – Hit the ground listening
Harry Arnett
Co-founder and CEO of Municipal
Municipal
Episode: #305: Harry Arnett, Cofounder & CEO, MUNICIPAL – Bet on yourself
Ron Johnson
Retail executive known for Target and Apple Stores
Apple Inc. (former executive) and Target (former executive)
Episode: #304: Ron Johnson, Creator of the Apple Store – A great customer experience is an act of love

Host

David Novak
Host of leadership-focused conversations with world-class leaders.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 869 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
    Canada8 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 Statesa year 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 States2 years 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 States2 years 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 States2 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Credible guests and practical takeaways for leaders
Great leadership discussions with real-world impact
Consistently delivers thoughtful questions and authentic storytelling
At times can feel aspirational; some listeners crave more tactical how-tos

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

#312: Ben Cowan-Dewar, Cofounder & CEO, Cabot – Be an idea collector
Q: How did the partnership with Mike Kaiser come about and why was it pivotal?
A deliberate reach-out led to a fateful conversation that shifted from a brush-off to a collaboration; Kaiser's belief, equity investment, and mentorship helped transform a risky rural project into a scalable, world-class golf destination.
#312: Ben Cowan-Dewar, Cofounder & CEO, Cabot – Be an idea collector
Q: What is Golf TI and how did it shape Cabot's standards and branding?
It started as Golf Travel Information and evolved into a tour operator, giving Ben early exposure to marketing, storytelling, and global scouting for exceptional golf experiences, which later informed Cabot's brand and quality standards.
#312: Ben Cowan-Dewar, Cofounder & CEO, Cabot – Be an idea collector
Q: What made you think you could pull off building a world-class golf course at 24?
Ben explains that his belief wasn't just a dream; it was an enduring conviction grounded in the place, the community, and a willingness to learn from accomplished mentors and peers, plus the readiness to back the effort with real land deals and patient capital.
#313: Joe Preston, President & CEO, New Balance – Focus on what you can control
Q: You've spent over 30 years at New Balance. How do you stay grounded and continue sharpening your leadership edge?
Preston attributes grounding to his mother's advice to stay humble, plus active engagement with consumers, ongoing education, and external perspectives like serving on the Federal Reserve Board to understand macro signals. He emphasizes continuous listening and learning as the core, paired with practical routines like sleep and exercise to sustain energy and judgment.
#311: Mark Pincus, Founder & Former CEO, Zynga – Trust your instincts, but vet your ideas
Q: What is the proven-better-new framework and how should founders apply it?
Proven means leveraging what is already proven in an audience; Better means improving value or efficiency; New is the novel element that excites customers. Founders should isolate instincts and test multiple iterations to discover true signal while avoiding failures for the wrong reasons.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About How Leaders Lead

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

This show delivers in-depth conversations with world-class leaders across business, sports, and beyond, focusing on how they think, lead teams, and navigate growth under pressure. Episodes frequently center on authentic leadership, culture, strategic decision-making, and building resilient organizations, often highlighting practical frameworks, hard-wought lessons, and real-world examples from iconic brands and industries. Listeners can expect actionable takeaways on team dynamics, customer focus, innovation, and governance, presented through storytelling, candid reflections, and interviewer-driven exploration that draws out both measurable results and human-centered leadership. A standout thread across episodes is the emphasis on empathy, ... more

Where can I find podcast stats for How Leaders Lead?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for How Leaders Lead. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to How Leaders Lead and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does How Leaders Lead get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for How Leaders Lead, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for How Leaders Lead?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for How Leaders Lead, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does How Leaders Lead have?

To see how many followers or subscribers How Leaders Lead has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to How Leaders Lead?

These podcasts share a similar audience with How Leaders Lead:

1. The Knowledge Project
2. Coaching for Leaders
3. The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk
4. Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy
5. Inside the Strategy Room

How many episodes of How Leaders Lead are there?

How Leaders Lead launched 10 years ago and published 479 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact How Leaders Lead?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for How Leaders Lead?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for How Leaders Lead from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for How Leaders Lead?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of How Leaders Lead. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on How Leaders Lead?

Recent guests on How Leaders Lead include:

1. Joe Preston
2. Ben Cowan-Dewar
3. Mark Pincus
4. Demond Martin
5. Ben Zobrist
6. Clark Lea
7. Tony Spring
8. Harry Arnett

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.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days