Frank Blake: Leading From the Bottom of the Pyramid

FranklinCovey On Leadership

FranklinCovey

Business, Management

4.9 • 851 Ratings

🗓️ 4 November 2025

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Former Home Depot CEO Frank Blake shares how an “inverted pyramid” mindset reshaped one of America’s largest retailers. In this candid conversation, Blake explains why true leadership begins by serving those closest to the customer—and how listening deeply, celebrating frontline excellence, and simplifying communication drive lasting results. He reflects on lessons from Ronald Reagan and Jack Welch, explores the balance between humility and accountability, and offers practical guidance for managers stepping into leadership for the first time. From navigating crises to shaping culture through recognition, Blake reveals how leaders can align purpose, people, and performance. Watch or listen to this conversation to learn how to build teams that thrive from the ground up.

Transcript

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0:00.0	A lot of times when people hear about the inverted pyramid, their reaction is, oh, you know, servant
0:04.4	leadership, humble CEOs at the bottom, that's maybe an element to it, but not in my mind the
0:11.9	most important. To me, the most important thing is that it is the accurate way of thinking
0:18.2	about how organizations work. Any organization, larger than 25 people,
0:24.1	I always tell the leader of that organization,
0:26.9	just be aware that the rest of the organization
0:32.2	doesn't really want to hear from you.
0:39.0	Hello and welcome to Franklin Covey on leadership.
0:41.6	I'm your host, Will Hodling, Franklin Covey's head of product.
0:44.8	Today's conversation is with Frank Blank, the previous chairman and CEO of the Home Depot,
0:49.5	where he led an incredibly successful run from 2007-2014.
0:54.5	Prior to leading the Home Depot, Frank Blake had senior roles in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush
1:00.4	administrations, as well as working at GE under Jack Welsh. After leaving the Home Depot,
1:06.4	Frank has served on the board of many of America's most iconic companies like Procter & Gamble,
1:11.5	Hertz, Delta, and others. Frank is a student of leadership. Having worked with, for, and led
1:18.2	many iconic leaders, he has really internalized the lessons learned along the way.
1:23.6	Today's conversation touches on his leadership approach and philosophy with important stories across his business experiences.
1:30.8	Frank Blake, welcome to Franklin Covey on leadership.
1:33.1	It's great to be on with you.
1:34.8	Thank you.
1:35.4	Wonderful.
1:35.8	We're very excited for today's conversation.
	...

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