How Leaders Lead with David Novak
Episode: 3 More Questions (Rocky Collis)
Date: July 8, 2024
Host: David Novak
Co-Host: Koula Callahan
Brief Overview
This episode of the "3 More Questions" series delves into key leadership lessons inspired by David Novak’s recent conversation with Rocky Collis, CEO of Mustard, a sports coaching app revolutionizing access to world-class sports improvement. Alongside Koula Callahan, David dissects the entrepreneurial mindset, talent evaluation, the value of self-coaching, and how to scale the unique genius of standout leaders or coaches across an organization.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Rocky Collis and the Mission of Mustard (00:15–01:00)
- Mustard’s Vision: Democratizing elite sports coaching through technology, making top-tier coaching accessible for all athletes.
- How It Works: Users upload a video of their athletic performance and receive instant feedback and drills from renowned coaches within 30 seconds.
- Expansion Into Golf: The app now facilitates golfers sending in swings for analysis by acclaimed coaches, including Mark Blackburn (coach to Justin Rose).
- Celebrity Backers: Justin Rose visibly promoted Mustard at the Masters, highlighting athlete support for the company.
2. The Value of “Wins Above Replacement” in Evaluating Talent (02:23–04:49)
- Concept Explained: Adapted from baseball analytics, “wins above replacement” evaluates the measurable impact an individual makes beyond their replacement.
- Rocky’s Perspective: Rocky transitioned out of law because he felt any competent attorney could achieve similar results, seeking instead to make a distinct impact.
- David’s Advice:
- “Every job you have as a cherry – a great opportunity for someone to come in and really make a difference” (03:07, David Novak).
- Leaders must look for hires who fill gaps and bring unique skills that elevate the team.
- Always act as if you’re one great hire away from making your company significantly better.
3. Emphasizing Self-Coaching in Leadership Cultures (04:49–08:05)
- Mustard’s Internal Culture: Employees are expected to coach themselves, their juniors, and even their leaders.
- Novak on Self-Coaching:
- “If you can’t really coach yourself to success… it’s hard for you to coach other people.” (05:35, David Novak)
- Self-coaching starts with personal accountability and self-awareness.
- Gather feedback, assess strengths and weaknesses, and create actionable improvement plans.
- 3x5 Card Exercise: Rocky uses this tool—recommended by Novak—to track personal progress, keeping a digital version for constant reference.
- “I do that every January and then I put it on my refrigerator… that can help everybody.” (07:39, David Novak)
4. Scaling the Genius of One Across an Organization (08:05–12:29)
- Tech-Powered Coaching: Mustard uses technology to multiply the impact of extraordinary coaches like Tom House for thousands of athletes.
- Old School Cascading: David recounts how he scaled culture within KFC by working with Larry Senn, “the father of culture.”
- Key cultural elements—like accountability and positive energy—were made actionable through standardized exercises and cascaded through every organizational layer.
- “You start out with an idea… but then we had exercises that we could cascade throughout our organization.” (10:39, David Novak)
- Shared Experience is Powerful:
- Koula: “There really is nothing like a shared experience with your team to cement an idea and get people to actually execute on it…” (11:54)
- David: “Just because you say it’s old school doesn’t mean it doesn’t work.” (12:20)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “Every job you have as a cherry – a great opportunity for someone to come in and really make a difference.”
— David Novak (03:07) - “What great leaders do is they always feel like they’re just one hire from making their company better.”
— David Novak (03:33) - “If you can’t really coach yourself to success… it’s hard for you to coach other people.”
— David Novak (05:35) - “No coach should be any better than you at developing yourself if you’re really self-aware and you really take the action to get better.”
— David Novak (07:54) - “You start out with an idea… but then we had exercises that we could cascade throughout our organization.”
— David Novak (10:39) - “There really is nothing like a shared experience with your team to cement an idea…”
— Koula Callahan (11:54) - “Just because you say it’s old school doesn’t mean it doesn’t work.”
— David Novak (12:20)
Important Timestamps
- 00:15–01:00 — Intro to Rocky Collis and Mustard’s mission
- 03:02–03:52 — How leaders can use “wins above replacement” to assess talent
- 05:22–06:58 — The critical nature of self-coaching and self-awareness in leadership
- 06:58–07:28 — Significance of the 3x5 card exercise for personal growth
- 08:43–11:54 — Scaling an individual’s genius: from tech-based solutions to cultural exercises
- 11:54–12:29 — The enduring value of shared team experiences
Summary Wrap-up
This episode underscores that great leadership demands not just innovative products or high-profile support, but the daily, practical work of hiring and cultivating talent, practicing self-awareness, and scaling the lessons of extraordinary contributors. Whether using cutting-edge technology, classic cultural “cascading,” or tools like the 3x5 card, leaders are reminded that accountability and self-improvement drive both personal and organizational success.
