Leveraging Thought Leadership
Peter Winick and Bill Sherman
Welcome to the Leveraging Thought Leadership podcast, a beacon illuminating the paths and possibilities of thought leadership. With your guides, Peter Winick and Bill Sherman, we will embark on a journey into a captivating world where ideas converge with strategy and insight.
Where will thought leadership take you?
In each episode, we engage with thought leaders from diverse backgrounds. Whether it's professional keynote speaking, writing your own thought leadership book, investigating the niche expertise of specialized consultants, or crossing mental swords with distinguished academics, our guests collectively paint a vivid mosaic of thought leadership's multifaceted potential.
Through nuanced perspectives and rich experience, our talented co-hosts aim to offer you views of the ways independent thought leaders navigate success, elevate talent, and change company culture – while simultaneously examining how organizations harness the power of thought leadership to catalyze innovation and nurture sustainable growth.
Peter Winick is your guide through the realm of independent thought leadership. For the past two decades, he has helped individuals and organizations build and grow revenue streams through designing and growing their thought leadership platforms as well as acting as a guide and advisor for increasing business to business sales of thought leadership products. Peter is the Founder and CEO of Thought Leadership Leverage. His clients come from a diverse set of backgrounds and specialties. They include New York Times bestselling business book authors, members of the Speakers' Hall of Fame, recipients of the Thinkers50 award, CEOs of public and privately held companies, and academics at prestigious institutions such as Yale, Wharton, Dartmouth, and London School of Business.
With a keen eye for detail, he delves into the intricacies of crafting personal brands, fostering genuine engagement with audiences, and expertly monetizing one's expertise. From the artistry of crafting keynote speeches that resonate with audiences to the strategic deployment of bestselling books as conduits for inspiration and insight, Peter's guests offer a treasure trove of strategies for creating value and impact and driving revenue through thought leadership.
Bill Sherman specializes in the exploration of organizational thought leadership. He examines how companies conceive, curate, and deploy thought leadership initiatives, and how those initiatives benefit the orgs and the people who work within them. Bill listens to the stories and advice of industry leaders and their triumphs within the competitive business landscape. Whether through the dissemination of white papers that shape industry discourse, webinars that educate and engage, or insightful executive blogs that offer thought leadership at the highest echelons of corporate governance, Bill's guests provide illuminating perspectives on the evolution of organizational thought leadership and its pivotal role in shaping industry paradigms and perceptions.
Bill concentrates on organizational consulting and business expertise, investigating organizational thought leadership and its effects, from instructional design and learning product development to marketing strategy and execution, to organizational development and transformational consulting. He enjoys working with business leaders, speakers, authors, academics, and other consultants, connecting their ideas organizational platforms and enterprise-ready product development.
As the series unfolds, Peter and Bill will lead us through a nuanced exploration of the latest trends and advancements in thought leadership. From the transformative impact of technology on communication and collaboration to the evolving preferences of consumers in an increasingly digital marketplace, they will dissect the shifting landscape with precision and insight. Moreover, they will shine a spotlight on emerging modalities that are reshaping the contours of thought leadership, from the ascendance of virtual events as a cornerstone of engagement to the growing influence of social media platforms as conduits for thought dissemination and audience interaction. Through their discerning analysis, they will reveal how thought leaders can adeptly harness these trends to amplify their reach, captivate new audiences, and maximize their influence in an ever-evolving business environment.
Whether you find yourself at the height of your career as a seasoned thought leader, or whether you stand at the threshold of possibility as an aspiring entrepreneur, the Leveraging Thought Leadership podcast offers an enriching voyage of discovery.
Join us as we unravel the enigmatic secrets to success in the vibrant realm of thought leadership, where ideas have the power to shape perceptions, drive change, and inspire action. Together, let us explore how you, too, can engineer value, evoke impact, and cultivate revenue through the sheer power of your ideas and expertise.
Welcome aboard.
Where will thought leadership take you?
In each episode, we engage with thought leaders from diverse backgrounds. Whether it's professional keynote speaking, writing your own thought leadership book, investigating the niche expertise of specialized consultants, or crossing mental swords with distinguished academics, our guests collectively paint a vivid mosaic of thought leadership's multifaceted potential.
Through nuanced perspectives and rich experience, our talented co-hosts aim to offer you views of the ways independent thought leaders navigate success, elevate talent, and change company culture – while simultaneously examining how organizations harness the power of thought leadership to catalyze innovation and nurture sustainable growth.
Peter Winick is your guide through the realm of independent thought leadership. For the past two decades, he has helped individuals and organizations build and grow revenue streams through designing and growing their thought leadership platforms as well as acting as a guide and advisor for increasing business to business sales of thought leadership products. Peter is the Founder and CEO of Thought Leadership Leverage. His clients come from a diverse set of backgrounds and specialties. They include New York Times bestselling business book authors, members of the Speakers' Hall of Fame, recipients of the Thinkers50 award, CEOs of public and privately held companies, and academics at prestigious institutions such as Yale, Wharton, Dartmouth, and London School of Business.
With a keen eye for detail, he delves into the intricacies of crafting personal brands, fostering genuine engagement with audiences, and expertly monetizing one's expertise. From the artistry of crafting keynote speeches that resonate with audiences to the strategic deployment of bestselling books as conduits for inspiration and insight, Peter's guests offer a treasure trove of strategies for creating value and impact and driving revenue through thought leadership.
Bill Sherman specializes in the exploration of organizational thought leadership. He examines how companies conceive, curate, and deploy thought leadership initiatives, and how those initiatives benefit the orgs and the people who work within them. Bill listens to the stories and advice of industry leaders and their triumphs within the competitive business landscape. Whether through the dissemination of white papers that shape industry discourse, webinars that educate and engage, or insightful executive blogs that offer thought leadership at the highest echelons of corporate governance, Bill's guests provide illuminating perspectives on the evolution of organizational thought leadership and its pivotal role in shaping industry paradigms and perceptions.
Bill concentrates on organizational consulting and business expertise, investigating organizational thought leadership and its effects, from instructional design and learning product development to marketing strategy and execution, to organizational development and transformational consulting. He enjoys working with business leaders, speakers, authors, academics, and other consultants, connecting their ideas organizational platforms and enterprise-ready product development.
As the series unfolds, Peter and Bill will lead us through a nuanced exploration of the latest trends and advancements in thought leadership. From the transformative impact of technology on communication and collaboration to the evolving preferences of consumers in an increasingly digital marketplace, they will dissect the shifting landscape with precision and insight. Moreover, they will shine a spotlight on emerging modalities that are reshaping the contours of thought leadership, from the ascendance of virtual events as a cornerstone of engagement to the growing influence of social media platforms as conduits for thought dissemination and audience interaction. Through their discerning analysis, they will reveal how thought leaders can adeptly harness these trends to amplify their reach, captivate new audiences, and maximize their influence in an ever-evolving business environment.
Whether you find yourself at the height of your career as a seasoned thought leader, or whether you stand at the threshold of possibility as an aspiring entrepreneur, the Leveraging Thought Leadership podcast offers an enriching voyage of discovery.
Join us as we unravel the enigmatic secrets to success in the vibrant realm of thought leadership, where ideas have the power to shape perceptions, drive change, and inspire action. Together, let us explore how you, too, can engineer value, evoke impact, and cultivate revenue through the sheer power of your ideas and expertise.
Welcome aboard.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 27, 2020 • 36min
Leveraging Thought Leadership | Nora Super | 260
Today's guest is Nora Super, the Executive Director at Milken Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank that helps people build meaningful lives. She is also the Executive Director of the Alliance to Improve Dementia Care at the Milken Institute. Nora explains the power of Convening Authority and how it helps in thought leadership to make high-level changes to global problems. We chat about the need to get the right people in the room and how to get others to understand the importance of your issue. We also discuss the creation of the Alliance to Improve Dementia Care, the white paper that started it, and the types of members that are included to create a community through a shared passion to find clarity around the mission and purpose. Three Key Takeaways: Thought leaders need to get the right people in the room to find the right solutions. A topic might be important to you, but unless your thought leadership makes it important to others it will fall on deaf ears. If your thought leadership duplicates work that is already being done it might be best to join forces with them to elevate the conversation.
Sep 24, 2020 • 25min
Leveraging Thought Leadership | Terry Jones | 259
Today's guest is Terry Jones, founder of Kayak and Travelocity, author of Disruption Off and Innovation On. Terry is a digital disruptor, and venture capitalist with a deep knowledge of what it takes to change and thrive in a changing industry. We discuss with Terry what thought leaders and keynote speakers who have been disrupted by COVID-19 should be thinking about. We explore methods to continue delivering content, examine why price should be protected even when delivering digital content, and what types of speakers might be hardest hit. If you are a speaker and thought leader wondering how to continue working, worrying about the future of large scale meetings, and the communities that host them this is a conversation you won't want to miss. Three Key Takeaways: Thought leaders need to find a way to deliver quality digital productions from home. If the content of your thought leadership has not changed then the price should not be deeply slashed, even while delivering it remotely. Corporations will still want thought leadership, but you'll have to be clear about the value you offer.
Sep 20, 2020 • 29min
Leveraging Thought Leadership | Vince Molinaro | 258
Today's guest is Vince Molinaro, founder, and CEO of Leadership Contract Inc, former Managing Director - Leadership Solutions at Knightsbridge Human Capital Solutions, author of the best-selling book The Leadership Contract and Accountable Leaders. Vince shares his experience working at Knightsbridge helping to establish the brand and creating differentiated intellectual property. We explore how the new knowledge he created was used to help grow the business and expand from Canada into the US market. Vince shares how different selling thought leadership can be from other products and the difficulties sales teams can have with it and the methods he has used to bring the marketing and sales team together to create a more effective pipeline. Three Key Takeaways: Thought leaders can use writing articles and creating other content to help establish their brand. Targeting areas with a similar culture can help thought leaders take their content across borders and into new markets. Thought leaders should have their sales team take the program they are having them sell to ensure they fully understand the product they are selling.
Sep 17, 2020 • 22min
Leveraging Thought Leadership | Todd Cherches | 257
Today's guest is Todd Cherches, the founder of Big Blue Gumball, a consulting firm specializing in leadership development, management training, team building, public speaking, and coaching. Todd is a TEDx speaker and the author of VisuaLeadership! Todd shares his story of the winding road that took him from his dream of working at TV studios to becoming a thought leader. We explore the challenges introverts face and how to grow as a speaker and trainer. Todd explains how his book was born from ten years of notes and 2000 pages of content. He shares valuable advice for getting your idea on the page and hitting a deadline. Three Key Takeaways: When opportunities present themselves, thought leaders need to jump on them even if they feel out of their comfort zone. Introverted thought leaders can be excellent speakers with time and practice. Getting a book written on your thought leadership will require dedicated time to write without distraction.
Sep 13, 2020 • 43min
Leveraging Thought Leadership | Anthony Vade | 256
Today's guest is Anthony Vade, the Experience Architect at FMAV an audiovisual and event technology company that is helping event planners and thought leaders transform how events are produced. Anthony starts by explaining what an experience architect does and how he is helping to transform the events industry to be more than just a box of gear. We discuss the Event Design Collective and the Events Canvas, what the core principles are and how this powerful tool is helping uncover what the needs are and how to get everyone in alignment with what the event should be. Anthony gives some excellent advice for speakers seeking to find a solution in our COVID-19 world where digital presentation is the only available avenue. We get some insight into the technology available and what the future of events might look like using VR, AR, XR, or a mix of these exciting technologies. You can find a sample of the uses of technology Anthony spoke of here. Three Key Takeaways: When planning a digital event thought leaders need to consider timeframe and intimacy. Thought leaders will want to ensure everyone involved in an event and on the same page about what they want the event to accomplish. If thought leaders are going to produce digital content you have to ensure your audio quality is good or risk losing your audience.
Sep 10, 2020 • 24min
Leveraging Thought Leadership | Scott Miller | 255
Today's guest is Scott Miller, Executive Vice President of Thought Leadership at Franklin Covey, the host of On Leadership with Scott Miller and co-author of Everyone Deserves a Great Manager. This conversation focuses on how both Scott and Peter both work to develop and launch new thought leaders, they compare methods and tactics. We explore why defining your audience is the biggest challenge thought leaders face, how social media plays a massive role when looking to publish a book, and why you need to know and understand who your competition is. This episode is chalked full of insight from two people with decades of knowledge on helping thought leaders find success. If you want a jump-start on your thought leadership career this episode is for you. Three Key Takeaways: Thought Leaders need to find and understand their audience. Your content can not be for everyone. Social media has become a very important platform thought leaders need to cultivate if they want to get a book published. Your content doesn't have to be 100% new ideas. It is okay to stand on the shoulders of other thought leaders and expand the conversation.
Sep 6, 2020 • 25min
Leveraging Thought Leadership | Al Shalloway | 254
Today's guest is Al Shalloway, Director of Thought Leadership for Agile at Scale Programs and Founder and former CEO of Netobjectives. Al joins us to talk about how he is using thought leadership at the Project Management Institute to help teams and entire businesses learn to become more agile. We discuss how to scale an idea into a movement, the importance of understanding value stream management, and why leaders need to be in the middle of the pack, not out in front of it. Three Key Takeaways: Thought Leaders need to help teams to become more agile to help create a business that is agile. Sometimes it is better for you thought leadership to focus on the part that the client needs to know and not overwhelm them with trying to take over everything. Thought Leaders need to step back and seek the big picture to see the problem or they might find themselves solving a symptom and not the real problem.
Sep 3, 2020 • 23min
Leveraging Thought Leadership | JD Gershbein | 253
Today we are joined by JD Gershbein, the Founder and CEO of Owlish Communications, a company that helps clients build a strong online presence to achieve a distinctive and competitive edge. JD is a TEDx speaker, LinkedIn expert on personal branding, and at one time a member of the Second City Improv group in Chicago! JD takes us down his unusual path towards becoming the digital branding expert he has become and how his improv skills are still at use every day. We discuss LinkedIn as a platform that has evolved from a job seeker site to possibly the most important document you'll build in all of business. With the evolution of LinkedIn, we have seen video become a prominent source of content, JD shares with us what you need to keep in mind when doing video and why your brand could be on the line. This is an insightful conversation for anyone looking to expand their LinkedIn profile or exploring video as a means of delivering their content. Three Key Takeaways: Thought Leaders can use LinkedIn as a flexible platform that can change and grow with them. Delivering your thought leadership by video requires a certain level of authenticity and production value. Improvisation isn't just a skill for the stage, thought leaders can develop it to have better conversations.
Aug 30, 2020 • 32min
Leveraging Thought Leadership | Mike Mansfield | 252
Today's guest is Mike Mansfield, the Program Director for the Aegon Center for Longevity and Retirement. We talk with Mike about the research that goes into creating thought leadership for retirement planning and how Aegon is helping people think about more than just finances for their later stages of life. Mike shares how Aegon is finding their audience and reaching them by partnering with other organizations, the methods they use to measure success, and how thought leadership is serving both the organization and its clients. Plus we explore how the preparation and deployment of their retirement readiness survey have changed post-COVID-19. Three Key Takeaways: · How the previous experience Thought Leaders have can elevate their message. · Thought Leadership is as much of a people game as it is a knowledge game. · Use short targeted content to reach specific groups with your thought leadership that might not spend the time to read a full survey or report.
Aug 27, 2020 • 20min
Leveraging Thought Leadership | Juliet Funt | 251
Today we have the lovely Juliet Funt joining us! Juliet is a keynote speaker, the CEO of White Space at Work, a business that for the last decade has helped businesses gain back thousands of hours of lost productivity by helping employees find more time to pause and think. In 2021 Juliet's first business book being published by HarperCollins will hit the market. We take a retrospective of Juliet's work starting with her time as a youth and education speaker, how her speaking advanced to helping at the university level, and finally turned into a message that corporations could use. Juliet explains exactly what her platform White Space is, where the idea came from, and how her content has evolved over the years and across modalities. This is a great conversation that shows how thought leadership can go from a single page with three words written on it to advise for Fortune 500 companies. Three Key Takeaways: · Thought Leaders should keep a notepad or voice recorded to jot down ideas as they come to them regardless of when or where inspiration strikes. · Thought leaders need to document stories of client success using their content. It can be useful in many ways in the future. · Locking yourself in a room with other creative types for a long period of time can create more impactful thought leadership than what will come out of several hour-long conversations.
