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.