Todd Davis: Why Timeless Leadership Principles Still Win at Work

FranklinCovey On Leadership

FranklinCovey

Business, Management

4.6 • 215 Ratings

🗓️ 6 January 2026

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As leaders reset priorities for a new year, Todd Davis argues that progress doesn’t come from chasing trends—it comes from applying timeless principles with discipline. Drawing on three decades at FranklinCovey, Davis explains why Begin with the End in Mind and Put First Things First remain foundational for leaders navigating silos, hybrid work, and rising employee expectations. He challenges the idea that generational differences fundamentally change leadership, making the case that people still want the same things: trust, meaning, growth, and recognition. The conversation also explores why private victory must precede public victory, how weekly planning builds credibility, and why feedback only works when leaders make it safe to tell the truth. Listen now to revisit the leadership fundamentals that still drive results. Level up your leadership and make every message count with proven communication strategies. Download our guide: From Misunderstood to Magnetic: A Leader’s Guide to Clear Communication. https://resources.franklincovey.com/c/tlg-misunderstood-to-magnetic?x=j4G37p&lb-mode=overlay FranklinCovey’s world-class learning solutions—delivered Live-Online, On Demand, or Live In-Person—are designed to build exceptional leadership skills and enrich your culture at every level of your organization. To learn more, email us at info@franklincovey.com, visit franklincovey.com, or call us at: 1-888-868-1776

Transcript

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0:00.0	I think people were always built this way, but more and more, they are less willing to work in an
0:07.3	organization where they don't feel and aren't recognized for the value they're adding. Everybody
0:14.9	wants to contribute. Everybody wants to do some meaningful work. And while that's probably always been the
0:20.3	case, people are in a good way are much more
0:22.6	outspoken about it now.
0:23.6	And so if I'm not a leader that recognizes that, that recognize what we call the whole person
0:28.6	paradigm and value that person as a whole person and the contribution they want to make, then
0:36.6	I'm going to have less than stellar
0:39.4	talent in my organization.
0:45.0	Hello and welcome to Franklin Coveyong Leadership.
0:47.8	I'm your host, Will Hodling.
0:49.9	In this podcast, we meet with many of the world's leadership experts to learn the mistakes,
0:55.1	mindsets, and methods that help them become the people they are today.
0:59.0	We hope that their hard-earned insights will accelerate you on your journey.
1:04.0	Today's episode is a special New Year's Resolution edition of the podcast, where we'll speak
1:08.8	with Franklin Covey thought leader Todd Davis.
1:11.6	Todd Davis has been at Franklin Covey for 30 years and started by leading our innovations
1:16.6	group and more recently served for many years as our chief people officer. In addition, Todd is
1:22.3	also the author of two bestselling books, including the 2017 book, Get Better, about building great relationships
1:28.6	at work.
1:29.7	In today's conversation, we'll discuss the seminal leadership book, The Seven Habits of Highly
1:35.0	Effective People.
	...

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