Leadership Articles

Insights, tips and more from David & the world's top leaders.

3 Ways to Create Speed on Your Career Path

Recently, a reporter described my career as an “unconventional ascent.” Yes, somebody with a degree in journalism, who started out as a copywriter and never got an MBA, is an unusual candidate for CEO of one of the world’s largest corporations. What makes it more unusual, though, is how quickly it happened: I was 46 when I became CEO […]

Thinking About Changing Careers? Self-Coaching is Key, Guest Post by Larry Fitzgerald, Jr.

This month, it’s my great pleasure to share with you the words of my friend Larry Fitzgerald, Jr., a tremendous leader in the world of sports—and in the game of life. Larry is a future Hall of Famer, who spent 17 seasons in the NFL, playing wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals. He’s an 11-time […]

The Key to Repeat Success? Become a Self-Coaching Pro.

When I was in my early 40s, I faced a tough decision. I had been building a career as a leader with PepsiCo, which had 3 divisions—beverages, snack foods (Frito-Lay), and restaurants (Pizza Hut, KFC, and Taco Bell). At the time, I was serving as president of KFC and had led the company through a […]

Celebrating what women bring to the table on International Women’s Day

In honor of International Women’s Day, I’m passing the microphone to my daughter, Ashley Butler, a passionate leader in her own right and a mother of three young children. As many of you know, Ashley is the Executive Director of Lift a Life, the Novak Family Foundation, which provides resources and funding to non-profit organizations […]

Your Must-Have Skill for Coaching Past Doubt and Fear

What we think shapes our experience. If we change what we think, we can change our experience. With that amazing ability comes a pitfall, though. The stories our brains make up are often “threat avoidance” stories. They’re heavily focused on negative “what ifs.” The doubt-ridden, fear-based thinking these stories create gets in the way of […]

The Good News About EPIC Fails? They’re the Most Valuable Kind.

You hear the phrase “epic fail” tossed around pretty casually these days. Especially on the internet. Someone splits their pants seam or walks into a plate glass window with a tray of drinks: it’s an EPIC fail. Most of the time, the things we call epic fails aren’t really failures at all. They’re just accidents. […]

Listen to Your Critics…They Might Be Right

You’re never going to love being criticized. But learning to like it could mean the difference between stellar success and so-so results. I’ve had an evolving relationship with criticism over the years. As a young gun, eager to prove myself, I felt like I had to hold fast against my critics. My instinct was to […]

How an index card can help you finish this year stronger than you start it.

Growth is the hallmark of every great leader. But if you’re not intentional about it, you can grow in directions you don’t intend. That’s why I start each year with a deceptively simple exercise I learned years ago from an image consultant. His name was Jack Byrum, and I met him as a 27-year-old advertising […]

Want to outrun the Great Resignation? Build true change in service of your employees.

Much of the conversation around the Great Resignation has focused around compensation. And while it’s true that compensation must be part of every good employee retention and satisfaction strategy, money alone won’t cut it. When I think back on my own Great Resignation moment, even though I was early in my career, money didn’t really […]