How Leaders Learn: Master the Habits of the World’s Most Successful People

The differentiating mindset and habits that help you turn insight into action.

When you put learning at the center of everything you do, you grow your career, your leadership, your relationships, and your joy and fulfillment in life. But even for people who are naturally curious and interested in solving problems, being an effective learner who can turn their learning into action takes insight and practice.

With infectious enthusiasm and optimism, David Novak shows you how to master active learning. A trailer-park kid who lived in twenty-three states before entering high school, Novak rapidly ascended the ranks at PepsiCo to become cofounder and CEO of one of the largest corporations in the world, the global restaurant icon Yum! Brands (KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and the Habit Burger Grill). And he credits active learning with getting him there. This compilation of wisdom and practical habits from Novak’s life and from some of the most successful leaders in the world--CEOs from many industries, military and political leaders, sports greats, experts, and coaches--is your active-learning practice manual. Chapter by chapter, Novak and his all-star roster of leaders share how they’ve climbed to the highest levels in their fields.

Through stories of wins and losses, missteps and miracle saves, challenges tackled, and problems solved, Novak shows you all the ways, big and small, that you can become an active learner. A leadership devotional for the modern age, How Leaders Learn will inspire you to reach new levels of success in your own life and work.

David Novak is the cofounder and former Chairman and CEO of Yum! Brands, one of the world’s largest restaurant companies, with over 45,000 restaurants in more than 135 countries employing 1.5 million people. He is also the founder of David Novak Leadership, a leadership development organization and platform. He has been recognized as CEO of the Year by Chief Executive magazine, one of the world’s 30 Best CEOs by Barron’s, and one of the 100 Best-Performing CEOs in the World by Harvard Business Review. During his tenure as CEO, Yum! Brands doubled in size, grew market capitalization by eight times, and established itself as a global powerhouse.

In addition, Novak hosts the top-ranked podcast, How Leaders Lead, where he interviews some of the most high-profile leaders in business, sports, healthcare, and government. He is the author of four leadership and personal development books, including the New York Times bestseller Taking People with You. He is a popular contributor to media outlets and podcasts, including CNBC, NPR, and Investor’s Business Daily. He has been featured in Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Fortune, Quartz, and many other publications.