#235: Dave McKay, President and CEO of RBC – Go public with your big goals

How Leaders Lead with David Novak

David Novak Leadership

Entrepreneurship, Business, Management

4.8 • 596 Ratings

🗓️ 17 April 2025

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Feel like you’ve hit a ceiling in your career? Your boldest ideas might be the thing that breaks through—but only if you say them out loud. In this episode, Dave McKay, President and CEO of RBC, shares why going public with big goals isn’t just bold. It’s strategic. Learn how clarity and ambition can rally your team, attract top talent, and accelerate your growth. Oh and yes, there’s a Taylor Swift tie-in, too. One strategy that can radically change your career trajectory Why hiring people with personal ambition isn’t enough (and what to look for instead) The mentality you need to lead a market How to accomplish big goals without jeopardizing integrity Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources: The How Leaders Lead App: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go Daily Insight Emails: One small (but powerful!) leadership principle to focus on each day Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.

Transcript

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0:00.0	And I see leaders who want to keep, take a risk, but keep it quiet.
0:03.4	I don't want anyone to see.
0:04.3	And if I'm successful, I'll tell you about it the end of the day.
0:07.2	But then it's hard to marshal resource and excitement in an organization if you don't declare yourself.
0:20.3	The fastest way to get stuck in your career, keep your boldest ideas to yourself.
0:26.2	Welcome to How Leaders Lead. I'm David Novak, and every week I have conversations with the very
0:31.2	best leaders in the world to help you become the best leader you can be. My guest today is
0:36.3	Dave McKay, president and CEO of the Royal Bank
0:39.2	of Canada. He spent more than three decades at RBC rising through the ranks with a clear sense
0:45.0	of values and vision. And what I really admire about Dave is how he puts those visionary goals
0:51.7	out into the open. Look, it's scary to go public with your big
0:56.9	goals. Believe me, I know, because in the back of your mind, there's that little voice saying,
1:02.6	Yikes, if I fail, I'm going to fail in front of everybody. But that's why you've got to hear
1:09.4	from Dave today, because you'll see, going public with your big goals is how you build momentum.
1:16.1	It's how you attract performers.
1:18.2	And it's how you turn big ideas into real, measurable progress.
1:22.9	One thing I know for sure, when you go public with something, you can't go back because it means you're all in
1:30.5	to make that happen. And if all that's not enough for you, you'll also hear how RBC leaned into
1:36.2	Taylor Swift fandom to drive results. Trust me, Swifties and strategy fans alike are going to
1:42.6	love this one. So here's my conversation with my good friend
1:45.8	and soon to be yours, Dave McKay.
1:53.7	Dave, you got your first job at RBC in 1983, which means you've worked at RBC longer than Taylor Swift has been alive.
	...

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