470 episodes
#304: Ron Johnson, Creator of the Apple Store – A great customer experience is an act of love
2026/08/13 | 1h 10 mins.You’ve probably been inside an Apple Store. And if you have, you know: it’s a totally different kind of retail experience.
That’s because of Ron Johnson. He was Steve Job’s handpicked hire to launch the Apple Store, after Steve saw how Ron revitalized Target with an emphasis on design.
He and Steve Jobs worked closely to launch what has to be one of the greatest retail experiences ever built. In this episode, you’ll see exactly how they did it – and how it all stemmed from Ron’s belief that you should love your customers.
He also talks (with refreshing vulnerability!) about what he learned from his failed turnaround attempt at JCPenney.
This episode is for you if:
You need to improve the customer experience at your company
You’re trying to get buy-in on a big idea
You want to build more excellence into your culture
You admire Steve Jobs and the Apple brand
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 day
Whichever 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.#303: Ben Goodwin, Cofounder, CEO & Formulator, OLIPOP – The power of emotional intelligence
2026/08/06 | 54 mins.It’s statistically harder to get a job at OLIPOP than it is to go pro in the NBA.
And after this conversation with CEO and Cofounder Ben Goodwin, you’ll see why.
OLIPOP is a prebiotic soda Ben formulated and built from the ground up. So how did he go from creating tasty soda products to building a culture that everyone wants to be a part of?
It all comes down to emotional intelligence.
You can have the best product in the world. But if you lack the emotional intelligence to connect with people and create a mission they want to be a part of, your bottom line will suffer.
This episode is for you if:
You’re an entrepreneur (or thinking about becoming one)
You want to attract better talent
You do any kind of product development work
You want a few fun facts about soda to drop at parties
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 day
Whichever 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.#302: Varun Krishna, CEO, Rocket Companies – Culture is rooted in behavior, not words
2026/07/30 | 1h 13 mins.We’ve all heard the famous quote that “culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
But as CEO of Rocket Companies, Varun Krishna knows that a healthy work environment doesn’t just happen. In this episode, he talks about why so many organizations get it wrong. He also shares several key principles he and his team use to forge their culture in real behavior, not just words on a slide deck.
That foundation has allowed Rocket to scale massively—including over $16 billion in acquisitions—without losing who they are.
This episode is for you if:
You are always looking for ways to strengthen your culture
You want to find a noble cause for your business
You develop products or work with customers
You want to be more present at home
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 day
Whichever 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.- The tech landscape is changing faster than ever, as we’re all trying to navigate big shifts in AI, consumer shopping habits, and more.
But it’s nothing new to Julie Bornstein. She’s been at the forefront of retail for decades, leading big brands like Nordstrom and Sephora through the ecommerce revolution.
And now, as the Founder and CEO of the AI-powered fashion search engine Daydream, she’s once again at the bleeding edge of technological change.
But through every shift, the thing she keeps coming back to is this: people skills matter most.
In this conversation, Julie will help you stay on the front edge of technology – without sacrificing the people skills it takes to make them work.
This episode is for you if:
You’re thinking about making the shift from corporate to entrepreneurship
You’re doing any work with customer-facing AI
You want to understand the future of retail and ecommerce
You’re trying to design a strong loyalty program
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 day
Whichever 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. - If you’re a leader, you know how important the skill of listening is. It’s the foundation for every strong relationship in your world. But in the daily hustle, it can be hard to slow down and truly be present in every meeting and conversation.
Take it from Marty Smith, one of ESPN’s most recognizable faces. In his years covering college football, golf, and NASCAR, he’s earned the trust of some of the sports world’s biggest names … simply by listening well.
In this episode, he takes us behind the scenes of those relationships, sharing what he’s learned from legends like Nick Saban, Tiger Woods, Lane Kiffin, and more—plus his own hard-earned wisdom on how to build stronger relationships by listening deeply.
This episode is for you if:
You want to build deeper connections with the people around you
You struggle with complacency (or have a team that does)
You get uncomfortable reflecting on your own failures
You just love sports
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 day
Whichever 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.
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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.
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