meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
How Leaders Lead with David Novak

#281: Tom Wilson, Chair, President and CEO, Allstate – Be brutal with your time

How Leaders Lead with David Novak

David Novak Leadership

Entrepreneurship, Business, Management

4.8596 Ratings

🗓️ 5 March 2026

⏱️ 69 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

“You have to be brutal with your time.” As the Chair, President and CEO of Allstate, Tom Wilson knows that time is the one resource you can’t get more of. And he is the master of every hour on his calendar. But Tom’s discipline with time isn’t about shutting people out. It’s about being present for what matters – and knowing exactly what that is. In this episode, Tom shares how to be ruthlessly disciplined with your time while staying deeply connected to your team and purpose, why clarity is the ultimate form of empowerment, and why he’s OK being “relentlessly boring.” You’ll also learn: Why silence is one of your most powerful leadership tools The difference between being “in the business” versus “over the business” How to decide what problems deserve your attention What it was like to film an Allstate commercial with the iconic “Mayhem” guy 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

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of How Leaders Lead with David Novak.

0:05.0

Today we've got Tom Wilson on the show.

0:07.3

Tom's the chairman and CEO of Allstate Insurance, which is arguably one of the most

0:12.0

recognizable insurance brands in the world.

0:15.6

Now, in his role as chairman and CEO, of course, Tom knows that time is the one resource

0:20.7

that leaders cannot get more of.

0:22.9

And you'll hear many times in the episode why he believes every leader ought to be brutal with their

0:28.0

time. Now, this discipline with time, though, isn't about shutting people out. It's about being

0:32.9

present for what really matters and staying deeply connected to your people and to your purpose.

0:38.7

You're going to love this conversation between David and Tom, and be sure to stay tuned to the very

0:42.9

end of the episode so you don't miss the debrief. Enjoy.

0:51.9

I got to ask you, you know, was there ever a time in your life that you wished you had insurance, but you didn't have it?

0:58.8

Yes. I was on a trip with some friends in Wyoming. We were using ATVs. The guy wanted to charge some huge amount of money for us for the two hours.

1:12.4

I said to my friends, don't do it.

1:14.5

It's a rip off.

1:16.1

I crashed my ATV and it cost me $500.

1:21.2

Well, that'll teach you.

1:23.6

Yeah, it's like, I'm like, see?

1:26.7

You know, Allstate, everybody knows,

1:28.9

Allstate's big time into college football

1:30.9

and all the teams have mascots.

1:34.6

There was a mascot that represented you as a leader, Tom.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from David Novak Leadership, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of David Novak Leadership and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.