"David Novak—one of today’s most engaging, unconventional, and successful business leaders—lived in thirty-two trailer parks in twenty-three states by the time he reached the seventh grade. He sold encyclopedias door to door, worked as a hotel night clerk, and took a job as a $7,200-a-year advertising copywriter with the hopes of maybe one day becoming a creative director. Instead, he became head of the world’s largest restaurant company at the ripe old age of forty-seven. While David never went to business school, he did learn from the greatest of teachers—experience—and plenty of other very smart people as well: Magic Johnson on the secret to teamwork, Warren Buffett on what he looks for in the companies he buys, John Wooden on ego, and Jack Welch on one thing he’d do over. Now he wants to share with you what he discovered about getting ahead and getting noticed; motivating people and turning businesses around; building winning teams and running a global company of
David Novak is Founder and CEO of David Novak Leadership, the parent organization to five nonprofits dedicated to developing leaders at every stage of life, from ages 5 to 65. David is also the host of the top-ranked business podcast, How Leaders Lead with David Novak.
A renowned expert on leadership and recognition culture, Novak is a New York Times bestselling author and the Co-Founder, retired Chairman and CEO of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM), one of the world's largest restaurant companies. Under his 17 year leadership, Yum! Brands grew from a $4b to a $32 Billion market cap.
John Boswell is a literary agent, a book packager, and the author or coauthor of seventeen books, including the #1 New York Times bestseller
What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School. He lives in New York City.