Month: May 2018

Ed Stack, Chairman & CEO, Dick’s Sporting Goods

Post author By David Novak
Post date 05/31/2018

Ed Stack is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DICK’s Sporting Goods since 1984. He leads the largest, full-service sporting goods retailer in the country. Ed Stack has led this Fortune 500 Corporation through a remarkable period of growth from just two stores in upstate New York to 713 DICK’s Sporting Good’s stores, 98 Golf Galaxy stores and 35 Field & Stream stores.

Do absolutely the best job you can do. Go that extra mile and even if you’re not recognized right away, continue to go that extra mile…because great leaders and great performers will stick out.”

From Podcast PowerNotes

Ed likes to include his team members in the decision-making process. They are closer to the customers and know them best, which gives them better insight about what people want. For instance, at one point customers were asking for a brand called Under Armor. Ed listened to the store manager who suggested they stock the brand. The product ended up driving a lot of business.
If you don’t let people be a part of the decision process, you’ll miss out on good feedback. If Ed hadn’t gone out to the store and listened to the team there, they would’ve missed a big opportunity.
(19:27-21:18)

Does your organization include all of its team members in decision making?
Are you good at listening to your team members, or could you do better?

Ed says that to be a good leader you need to be a great listener. Listen to what’s going on in your organization. Make sure your team members have a voice. Of course, leaders should be visible and heard, but most importantly, they should listen.
(34:09-35:10)

What happens in an organization when team members don’t have a voice?
Do you consider yourself a good listener?

Get all the details by downloading this episodes Podcast Notes:

Podcast

Chef Edward Lee – Food, Culture and a Recipe for Leadership

Post author By David Novak
Post date 05/17/2018

Today’s guest is Chef Edward Lee. Edward is a Brooklyn-born chef and restaurateur currently based in Louisville KY and Washington D.C. He has made numerous television appearances on shows including The Mind of a Chef on PBS and as a contestant on the ninth season of Top Chef. He is a seven-time James Beard Award nominee and currently owns five restaurants in both Louisville and Washington, DC. In his latest book, Buttermilk Graffiti Edward Lee dives into the intersection of food and culture on a trip across America where he finds exceptional food in unconventional places. Now here is our host David Novak and special guest Edward Lee.

[bctt tweet=”“Every single day is an opportunity to learn and to get better.””]

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This great resource will help you along the way, during or after you listen to the podcast. Not only will you get to know our guest, you will be asked tough questions to really spearhead your journey to becoming a better leader! And look below for more insights and clips!!

From Podcast Action Journal

Edward spent a lot of time with his grandmother. She was always cooking, and Edward was fascinated by what she did in the kitchen. She’d make tea and miso soup from scratch and haggle at the local ethnic market.
Edward remembers how he would try to spend time with her in the kitchen, but she would make him leave. In Korean culture, cooking was considered a woman’s work. Edward had to fight his way in. He told his grandma, “I live here, too, and you can’t kick me out.” She relented and gave him little jobs to do. He used that time to learn everything he could. That was the beginning of his culinary career.
(5:18-7:39)

Have you ever felt so passionate about something, you couldn’t be told no?
What are some ways you have you fought to be where you are today?

Edward believes in leading by example. He is never above doing any job. He has washed dishes and cleaned toilets. If he sees a problem, he deals with it. “This is not just a business, it’s about taking care of people,” he says. Edward wants everyone to feel like they are coming into his home. He cares about his people and thinks of his team as more than employees; they are family.
(17:35-19:05)

When a leader leads by example, how does it affect the organization?
How do you show your team that you care about them?

Podcast True Self

Jonathan Blum, Co-Founder, Bad Martha Beer

Post author By David Novak
Post date 05/03/2018

Today’s guest is Jonathan Blum. Jonathan is a self professed workaholic and entrepreneur, whose accomplished career reflects his tremendous energy, creativity and tactical leadership. He served in the Carter White House, working directly for the president. He spent time in Asia working for Ogilvy and Mather public affairs as the Asia Pacific regional director. He finally landed at YUM brands and served as the Senior Vice President, Chief Public Affairs & Global Nutrition Officer, and took the restaurant company’s profile to new height’s over a 23 year career. He is the creator of the largest April fools joke in Public Affairs history and even started his own brewery called Bad Martha Beer.
[bctt tweet=”“Im learning every day, I love it.””]

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Shareable Insights

From Podcast Action Journal

After his time working in the White House, Jonathan went to law school. He also worked for two law firms during that time, but two years in he realized he didn’t want to practice law.
Jonathan didn’t know what to do. He turned to his mentor because he felt stuck. His mentor had been in a similar situation; he left law to go into public affairs. After their conversation, Jonathan decided that was what he wanted to do, too.
(6:46-8:11)

Jonathan was fortunate to have a great mentor. Have you had a mentor who’s been influential in your career?

Jonathan gives the following tips to leading others:
• Catch people doing things right.
• Build up instead of tear down.
• Give people ownership.
(25:55-27:17)

Which of these could you do more of when leading your team?

Blog Lead Others Lead Yourself

How to Handle Unexpected Surprises in Your Career

Post author By David Novak Leadership
Post date 05/01/2018

Have you ever started a job with high hopes only to be surprised by the reality of your responsibilities? Maybe your current job is taking you in a direction you hadn’t planned for yourself, or perhaps you feel stuck and aren’t sure if the organization you work for is a good fit.

How you navigate these unexpected surprises matters. And getting advice from others who walked this road before you can help.

First, keep in mind that the path to success isn’t always straight forward, and more than likely you’ll end up taking a few pit-stops before you reach your destination.

In the early days of his career, David Novak never imagined he would become the CEO of a multinational company. Like many, he started at the bottom and worked his way up. Whenever he was presented with a new opportunity, he jumped at it.

If you’re like David and want to reach the next level, it’s important to keep getting better at what you do. Read up on the latest trends. Discover better methods. Know what works well and hone in on that. This is called being an avid learner. Choosing to be an avid learner will not only help you grow in your knowledge and skills, but it will also help you grow as a person and a leader.

Everyone worries about their future at some point; however, it’s important to stay focused. Throughout your career, you will probably deal with obstacles and anxieties, but trust that time and experience will take care of everything.

When faced with unexpected twists and turns on your career path, keep pressing on because you never know what you’ll be capable of. Always aim to be the best you can be, and maybe one day you’ll find yourself in a position beyond anything you’ve dreamed of. Then it will be your turn to share your wisdom and advice with others so they can learn navigate the unexpected surprises too.