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
Aug 23, 2020 • 25min
Leveraging Thought Leadership | Tom Peters | 250
Wow— It's been 2 and a half years of doing the podcast and I'm honored to have had the privilege of interviewing so many world-renowned thought leaders. I'm proud to present to you our 250th episode today featuring none other than Tom Peters. Thanks to all of my guests and listeners for making the podcast a success. I hope that many thought leaders, authors, academics speakers, and organizational thought leaders continue to achieve the impact and leverage they wish from their work. - Peter Winick Tom Peters is the co-author of In Search of Excellence—the book that changed the way the world does business, in addition to seventeen other books that have sold more than 10 million copies combined and recipient of the Thinkers50 Lifetime Achievement Award. Tom shares candid stories of his time writing In Search of Excellence, and how it found success amongst an audience that no one was targeting at the time, despite many expecting the book to be a failure. We discuss his article The Brand Called You, how it changed the way people market themselves, and how many who've read it have actually missed the true meaning. Don't miss this fascinating conversation with one of the most prolific business authors and speakers in the world. Three Key Takeaways: · How timing can play a big part in the success of your thought leadership. · Why you can't be mad at others when they misinterpret your thought leadership. · What you need to do to make your thought leadership invaluable to your organization.
Aug 20, 2020 • 21min
Leveraging Thought Leadership | Brian Smith | 249
Today's guest is Brian Smith, the Founder of UGG a company started on shores of Southern California that would become a globally recognized brand. He is the author of The Birth of a Brand, and one of the most sought after speakers and business leaders in the country. Brian tells the tale of starting UGG and eventually selling it in the late 90s, writing The Birth of a Brand during the recession from years of notes on building UGG, and how he became a keynote speaker using many of the themes from the book. We discuss the speaking business as it existed prior to the global pandemic and how speakers are continuing to work without being able to travel. If you are a speaker concerned about the future of your industry this episode has great insights into speaking during COVID-19, what the future of speaking might look like, and why being social will always be a key to successful speaking. Three Key Takeaways: How thought leaders can take one modality and use it in different formats. What stages a thought leader can expect their business go to through and how they compare to stages of life. What keynote speaking for thought leaders looks like now and might look like in the future.
Aug 16, 2020 • 26min
Leveraging Thought Leadership | Steve Markman | 248
Today's guest is Steve Markman, who has headed the conference divisions for Comdex and The Conference Board before launching his own firm Markman Speaker Management in 1994 where he provides executive visibility and speaker bureau services. Steve gives us some insight into the free-speaking circuit and how executives and organizations can get raise visibility, gain credibility, and get their thought leadership message out to large audiences. We discuss what conference organizers look for when speakers submit proposals, who you want your audience to be, and why COVID-19 isn't the end of the speaking industry. If you are a speaker waiting for COVID-19 to pass, you need to hear this episode and learn how you can get speaking from the comfort of your home. Three Key Takeaways: Why thought leaders should consider speaking for free. What thought leaders should absolutely avoid doing when pitching to conferences for speaking gigs. What thought leader speaks should be doing to be prosperous in a COVID-19 workplace.
Aug 13, 2020 • 20min
Leveraging Thought Leadership | Jessica Rhodes | 247
Today's guest is Jessica Rhodes the leading expert on how to leverage podcast guesting for increased brand awareness, generation of more leads, and how to gain higher profits. She created the podcast booking industry in 2013 when she founded Interview Connections, the first and leading agency of its kind. Plus she is the host of Rock the Podcast, a podcast where you will learn all about podcast guesting and how to leverage podcast interviews to grow your brand awareness. Jessica shares the benefits of committing long term to be a podcast guest and why trying it short term will not have the desired effect. We discuss finding the podcasts that are right for you, narrowing your audience, and perhaps most importantly having systems in place to leverage your episodes after they go live. This is an incredible episode packed with a ton of great advice for anyone looking to increase their positioning by being a guest on podcasts. Three Key Takeaways: · The length of time thought leaders need to commit to being involved in the podcast guest circuit. · Why thought leaders need to be specific about the type of podcast they appear on. · How being a guest as a thought leader can be more than an interview and why you need to take the opportunity to build a relationship.
Aug 9, 2020 • 24min
Leveraging Thought Leadership | Scott Ambler | 246
Today's guest is Scott Ambler, Project Management Institute Vice President and Chief Scientist of Disciplined Agile. Scott is the co-creator of the Disciplined Agile Toolkit, author of Introduction to Disciplined Agile Delivery, and Choose Your WoW. Scott talks with us about the creation and evolution of the Disciplined Agile Toolkit and how businesses can use it to create agile teams capable of responding to various situations properly regardless of their skillset, then adjust in the future as they learn and grow. We discuss the position of Disciplined Agile at PMI and how the two work and learn together to be a stronger single organization and how PMI has allowed stronger creation of communities that include chapters all over the world helping people learn and expand their knowledge. Three Key Takeaways: · How thought leaders can use Agile Discipline to better adjust to any situation. · Why thought leaders should not get stuck in a "best practice" might not be for the best. · Why thought leaders need to focus on creating communities and what can be gained from them.
Aug 6, 2020 • 23min
Leveraging Thought Leadership | Bea Wray | 245
Today's guest is Bea Wray! Bea has been a speaker for 20 years on the topics of entrepreneurship, leadership, and women in business. She is the co-founder of the Millennial Women Network and author of the upcoming book What an MBA Taught Me…: But My Kids Made Me Learn which is available for pre-order! Bea and Peter dig deep to explore the questions many business authors never ask themselves and why 1/3 of authors writing business books never actually finish them. Bea tells us the Who, What, and Why questions you need to ask before you put pen to paper. Plus we examine not only the financial cost of publishing a book but the opportunity cost which many overlook. Don't miss this incredibly insightful conversation for anyone looking to publish a business book from two people with a ton of real-life experience on the topics. Three Key Takeaways: What questions thought leaders should be asking themselves before starting a book. How can thought leaders figure out the real cost of a book and what can you expect as a return on that investment? What thought leaders can expect from publishers and how to ensure the long term success of your book.
Aug 2, 2020 • 28min
Leveraging Thought Leadership | William Leahy and Morten Fløe Knudsen | 244
Today we have two guests from FLSmidth, a company that provides global cement and mining industries with factories, machinery, and knowhow. William Leahy is a Senior Marketing/Communications Manager & Strategist for the mining industry. Morten Fløe Knudsen leads Thought Leadership Communication for the cement industry. Together William and Morten explain how they use thought leadership to carry on conversations with customers and make their brand known as the go-to people for an industry with a long buying cycle. They share how FLSmidth is focused on sustainability and how digitization plays a big role in making scarce resources go further than ever before. In this episode, William and Morten give invaluable advice for any thought leader who works in an industry with a sales cycle that measures in years, not months or weeks. Three Key Takeaways: · How thought leadership can be used to influence long sales cycles and keep you relevant. · Why digitization is playing a big part of their thought leadership. · What audience and issues thought leaders need to keep in mind when dealing with long sales cycles.
Jul 30, 2020 • 21min
Leveraging Thought Leadership | Lindy Greer | 243
Today's guest is Lindy Greer, an associate professor of management and organization at the University of Michigan and Faculty Director of the Sanger Leadership Center. She focuses on how to design and lead effective organizational teams, with specific interests in intra-group hierarchy, conflict, diversity, leadership, and emotion. Lindy introduces us to what is being taught to leaders and how science and data are playing a bigger role in the instruction than ever before. We explore what companies are looking for in leadership both from the perspective of older audiences and in the digital world. Lindy spends some time sharing her experience publishing her content beyond the world of academia, how to gain credibility and tips for co-authoring! We wrap the episode up discussing distance working and learning, as well as the best practices being used to create a more efficient and productive workforce for remote working Three Key Takeaways: What traits thought leaders need to consider for good leadership. How thought leaders can gain credibility and get published in various mediums. What thought leaders can do to create a strong team working remotely.
Jul 26, 2020 • 27min
Leveraging Thought Leadership | Surya Kolluri | 242
Today's guest is Surya Kolluri, the managing director at Bank of America leading Thought Leadership efforts for retirement and personal wealth business services with a deep strategy background. Surya chats with Bill about how Bank of America is forming partnerships with groups you might not typically associate with banking to create valuable thought leadership to help their clients through various life stages. Surya shares how he is leading the team to act as a bridge between their researchers and the clients looking for solutions to complicated problems. Plus we discuss best practices for delivering your thought leadership so that is not only remembered but used. Three Key Takeaways: · Why organizational thought leaders should seek to form partnerships with other groups to leverage leading thinkers outside of their own company. · How thought leaders can create deeper and emotional connections to their clients. · What methods thought leaders should consider for the delivery of their message to colleagues, associates, and the outside world.
Jul 23, 2020 • 20min
Leveraging Thought Leadership | Merit Kahn | 241
Today's guest is Merit Kahn, the founder of Merit-based Business, co-host of The Smarter Sales Show podcast, author of Myth Shift: Challenging The Truths That Sabotage Success, Certified Professional Speaker, entrepreneur, educator, and even stand-up comedian! Merit explains how she started her sales training business after leaving a radio station as an ad salesperson. She used free speaking as a marketing tool for her sales program but loved speaking so much she started to explore how to make that the business. Merit and Peter discuss the tools used for training and which fall into the professional or personal development bucket and why many methods that were once considered personal are a hard part of the business world now. We wrap up talking about the need to have systems in place to ensure every speaking engagement has the highest possibility of a follow-up conversation and why you can't leave that responsibility to the audience. Three Key Takeaways: How doing thought leaders speaking for free can lead to higher-paying paid gigs. Why thought leaders need to have emotional intelligence and why it is now a business skill. What steps thought leaders can take to follow up with their audience after a speaking engagement.
