How Leaders Lead with David Novak

Today’s guest is Ryan Serhant, star of Bravo’s television series Million Dollar Listing: New York and Sell it Like Serhant. He also runs a wildly successful real estate firm.

We all know that a leader casts a shadow in their organization, meaning the people in the company mirror what they see in their leader. The truth is, some leaders aren’t fully committed. While they may be clocking in everyday, their teams can see them going through the motions, and so what they get in return is a disengaged team that’s mirroring their lack of commitment. But then there are leaders like Ryan who go ALL IN! They are the leaders who are excited to go to work, and their excitement and energy spill over to their teams, and as a result, they have engaged teams who bring their best each and every day.

My guess is that you probably want to be a leader—and have a team—more like Ryan.

How can you make that happen?

Well, what you’re about to learn from Ryan Serhant is what it looks like to go all in and the impact that approach will have on the team you lead.

And boy, does Ryan have some crazy stories! I’ll let him tell the full version, but there was a time he flew to Europe in an attempt to close an $8 million deal for an apartment in New York. Talk about going all in!

Today’s guest is Evan Spiegel, CEO of Snap.

The tech world is driven by innovation. And Snapchat has set the gold standard for getting new ideas to take off, ever since 2011 when Evan Spiegel co-founded the company while he was a student at Stanford.

But there’s a lot more to Snapchat’s success than just having these good ideas. They have created a culture where those ideas can actually develop. They have communicated those ideas to teams and stakeholders. Oh, and most importantly, they have actually turned those ideas into reality.

But it hasn’t always been easy – especially back in 2018 when some of those new ideas triggered an 80% drop in stock price and a very public outcry.

Now, of course, you may not be out to build Silicon’s Valley’s next big thing.

But every leader needs to know how to create a culture where big ideas thrive and become reality. So if you want to understand the secrets of fostering innovation, then you don’t want to miss this episode.

You’ll also learn:

• A fundamental insight about human nature that will change how you think about product development
• The one thing Evan wished he’d fully understood about going public
• The #1 piece of advice Evan got early on – and probably what you need to hear today
• What mistakes to avoid when you’re growing quickly
• His surprising response to competitors ripping off his company’s products
• Practical ways Evan grew – and keeps growing – in his leadership role
• The one common denominator in all Evan’s biggest past mistakes (and how it helps him now)

Welcome to How Leaders Lead where every week, you get to listen in while I interview some of the VERY best leaders in the world. I break down the key learnings so that by the end of the episode, you’ll have something simple you can apply as you develop into a better leader. That’s what this podcast is all about!

Today’s guest is Stanley Druckenmiller, the #1 investor in the world.

I know, that’s a big claim! But get this: during his 30 years managing money for investors, he had an average annual return of 31%. And he NEVER had a down year. So if you’re even a little interested in finance, you’re going to learn a lot from Stan – including some really practical investment advice and his take on the future of our economy.

But more importantly, there’s a huge leadership lesson to learn. Stan isn’t afraid to envision the future differently than other people. He can see trends and patterns others can’t – and then he has the courage to act on them.

That’s a skill EVERY leader needs to develop. Seeing the future differently allows us to spot opportunities and prepare for what’s coming. If we just go with the flow of what’s current, we’ll always just be a part of the trend, not ahead of it.

You’re about to see for yourself how great leaders aren’t afraid to see the future differently.

So here is my conversation with my good friend, and soon to be yours, Stanley Druckenmiller.

Well I couldn’t be more excited, because the new NFL season kicks off this week! Yeah, that’s right ... football is back, baby! And it’s the perfect time to sit down and talk with my friend Roger Goodell, the Commissioner of the National Football League.

He is starting his sixteenth year as NFL Commissioner, and if you follow the news at all, you know Roger has had to make some tough decisions and deal with his fair share of challenges. And of COURSE we’re gonna dig into that during this conversation because there’s a lot we can learn about how he leads. But on the other hand, he’s the chief executive of the most popular pro sports league in the U.S.

That kind of success comes with its OWN challenges. What does great leadership look like when your product is so dang popular? How do you fight against the complacency that often comes when you’re succeeding? Keep listening so you can learn exactly how to keep pushing the status quo, no matter what level of success you’ve achieved.