

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 18, 2024 • 40min
Leading with Soul: The Power of Spiritual Intelligence | Yosi Amram | 589
In this episode of Thought Leadership Leverage, host Bill Sherman sits down with Yosi Amram, a political psychologist, CEO, leadership coach, and the award-winning author of Spiritually Intelligent Leadership: How to Inspire by Being Inspired. Yosi delves into the concept of Spiritually Intelligent Leadership, a fresh take on leadership that integrates spiritual qualities like passionate purpose, compassionate service, trust, gratitude, integrity, and humility into daily life and work. Yosi's journey began in Israel, where he was drafted into the military at 18, despite his pacifist leanings. The rigid military structure fueled his desire to create a leadership model built on humane values that support individual growth. This desire led him to the U.S., where he studied at MIT, launched companies, and ultimately burned out from trying to maintain control and inspire simultaneously. His burnout sparked a deep interest in psychology and leadership, which introduced him to the idea of spiritual intelligence through Dana Zohar's book "SQ: Connecting With Our Spiritual Intelligence" which was about rewiring the corporate brain. Determined to explore this concept, Yosi interviewed 71 spiritual leaders from various traditions to uncover universal themes of spiritual intelligence. He developed the first academically validated measure of spiritual intelligence and discovered that it accounts for 46% of leadership effectiveness. Now, Yosi's mission is to elevate Spiritual Intelligence to the same level of recognition and understanding as Emotional Intelligence. Looking forward, Yosi is exploring the intersection of spirituality and science, faith and reason, and the evolving role of historical religious traditions in our modern world. His quest is personal as much as it is professional, as he navigates his own Jewish heritage and its relevance in contemporary leadership. Three Key Takeaways: • Spiritually Intelligent Leadership: Yosi Amram introduces Spiritually Intelligent Leadership as a new leadership model that integrates spiritual qualities such as purpose, compassion, trust, and integrity into everyday decision-making and leadership practices. • Universal Spiritual Themes: Through extensive research with spiritual leaders across various traditions, Yosi found that spiritual intelligence is a universal concept, with common virtues that transcend individual beliefs and contribute significantly to effective leadership. • Validated Impact: Yosi's studies show that spiritual intelligence accounts for 46% of leadership effectiveness, highlighting its critical role in both leadership success and overall quality of life, much like the established concept of Emotional Intelligence. Yosi has found a section of thought leadership that is both interesting and impactful. Is your thought leadership hitting the same mark? If you are unsure this article by Peter Winick might help answer that question.

Aug 15, 2024 • 19min
Unlocking Team Potential Through Leadership Alignment | Julie Williamson | 588
In the latest episode of Thought Leadership Leverage, Peter Winick chats with Julie Williamson, CEO of The Karrikins Group. Julie is a trailblazer in connecting communication, design, strategy, sales, marketing, and service to drive sustainable growth. Julie shares her unconventional journey into thought leadership. Despite her passion for writing and English, she opted for a degree in Information Systems during the 80s, a time when women in tech were rare. This path gave her a unique vantage point, blending technical, business, and social insights, which she now leverages to help organizations grow and innovate. Julie describes her ideal client as a "frustrated leader." She excels in enhancing team performance, combining business acumen, tech background, and social science to foster organizational communication and cohesion. Her focus is on "Leadership Alignment," ensuring teams outperform individually. Julie's approach involves both publications and hands-on consulting, emphasizing that true transformation requires sustained engagement, not just quick fixes. Her team typically works with clients for 3 to 12 months to catalyze real change. To develop and deploy thought leadership, Julie regularly creates short-form content on platforms like LinkedIn and Forbes Expert Panels. She believes in the discipline of consistent content creation to hone her voice and impact. Addressing the challenges of linking thought leadership to business results, Julie acknowledges the difficulty in measuring the direct impact of her work. Her strategy focuses on continuous contribution to leadership effectiveness, ensuring her insights make a tangible difference. Three Key Takeaways: • Leadership Alignment: Julie Williamson emphasizes the importance of aligning leadership to enhance team performance. By fostering strong organizational communication and cohesion, aligned teams can achieve greater results than individuals working alone. • Sustained Engagement for Transformation: True change within organizations requires sustained effort. Julie's approach involves long-term engagements (3 to 12 months) rather than one-off workshops, ensuring lasting transformation and meaningful impact. • Consistent Content Creation: To develop and deploy effective thought leadership, Julie advocates for regular content creation. She underscores the necessity of disciplined, consistent efforts in writing and sharing insights, which helps in refining one's voice and maximizing impact. Julie understands what it takes to bring teams into alignment for better success. When it comes to Thought Leadership Peter Winick knows how to bring Strategy, Tactics and Goals into alignment. To supercharge your thought leadership check out this video!

Aug 8, 2024 • 13min
Transforming Conversations into Thought Leadership | Netanel Baruch | 587
In this episode of Thought Leadership Leverage, host Peter Winick chats with Netanel Baruch, Founder and CEO of Queue, an AI-driven platform designed to amplify your online presence by transforming everyday conversations into thought leadership content 60% faster. Imagine having a 10-minute conversation and walking away with ready-to-post content. That's Queue. As a marketer, Netanel saw potential in every client conversation but noticed experts struggled to convert these insights into content due to time constraints and writing skills. Queue's AI, "Jessica," conducts natural, engaging interviews, creating tailored content that mirrors the expert's unique voice. Consultants, regardless of their industry, can consistently generate high-quality content, showcasing their expertise and providing value to their audience. The main challenge? Perfecting the tone of voice to ensure the content feels authentically personal. Netanel emphasizes their ongoing commitment to refining this feature, making sure the content truly represents the expert's unique style. Three Key Takeaways: • Efficient Content Creation: Queue's AI, "Jessica," transforms short conversations into ready-to-post content, saving time and making it easier for experts to maintain a consistent online presence. • Authentic Voice Representation: Queue focuses on creating content that mirrors the expert's unique voice, ensuring the material feels personal and genuine, which is crucial for engaging audiences. • Broad Applicability for Consultants: The platform is versatile and benefits consultants across various industries, helping them regularly produce high-quality content that highlights their expertise and provides value to their audience.

Aug 4, 2024 • 28min
Harnessing the Power of Setbacks | Amy Shoenthal | 586
Amy Shoenthal, USA Today bestselling author of "The Setback Cycle: How Defining Moments Can Move Us Forward," joins Bill Sherman on the Thought Leadership Leverage podcast. Amy is a seasoned journalist and marketing executive with 20 years of investigative reporting. Her passion for profiling founders, executives, and leaders who take risks and create something new began at the University of Maryland, where she reported on student entrepreneurs. Amy's book, "The Setback Cycle," explores how setbacks can lead to success. She discovered a pattern: significant achievements often follow major setbacks. In numerous interviews, she noticed that transformative ideas often arose after overcoming significant challenges. She researched extensively, consulting psychologists, neuroscientists, and executive coaches to develop a step-by-step framework for overcoming setbacks. One surprising finding? Many people fail to recognize when they're experiencing a setback, making it harder to recover. Amy's framework helps identify setbacks early and provides tools to rebuild. She emphasizes that acknowledging a setback is the first crucial step towards recovery. Ignoring or denying a setback can make it more difficult to move forward and find new opportunities. Amy was driven to create not just a narrative but a practical guide. She wanted to understand the common threads that enable individuals to rebuild and succeed after setbacks. Her book offers a playbook for anyone facing life's inevitable challenges, providing both inspiration and actionable steps. Her goal? To make the concept of the "Setback Cycle" part of our cultural lexicon. Amy hopes people will see setbacks through the lens of her framework, allowing them to emerge stronger and more resilient. She envisions a world where setbacks are viewed as opportunities for growth and innovation, and where everyone has the tools and resources to navigate adversity. Three Key Takeaways: • Setbacks as Catalysts for Success: Amy Shoenthal's research reveals that significant achievements often follow major setbacks. Her book, "The Setback Cycle," emphasizes how overcoming challenges can lead to transformative ideas and innovations. • Recognizing and Addressing Setbacks: One of the critical insights from Amy's work is the importance of recognizing when you're experiencing a setback. Identifying and acknowledging a setback is the first step in the recovery process, allowing for a proactive approach to rebuilding and finding new opportunities. • Framework for Resilience: Amy has developed a step-by-step framework, backed by extensive research and consultations with psychologists, neuroscientists, and executive coaches. This framework provides practical tools and strategies for individuals to navigate setbacks, emerge stronger, and turn adversity into opportunity. If you feel like your Thought Leadership is having a Setback, make sure to check out Amy's framework for overcoming it as well as this Four Part Framework for Thought Leadership.

Aug 1, 2024 • 19min
The Power of Psychological Safety | Minette Norman | 585
In this episode of the Thought Leadership Leverage podcast, host Peter Winick chats with Minette Norman, an author, keynote speaker, and leadership consultant with decades of experience leading global technical teams in the software industry. Minette shares her journey from a stellar tech career to becoming an influential voice in inclusive leadership, psychological safety, and collaborative teams. Despite her success in tech, she realized many leaders were ill-prepared for their roles. As she advanced, the lack of proper leadership training became evident, and she often found herself and others navigating leadership by trial and error. When faced with a manager who didn't appreciate her contributions, she chose to leave and focus on helping others become better leaders through her books, speaking engagements, and consulting. Minette emphasizes the need for better leadership training and creating pathways for individual contributors to advance without necessarily moving into leadership roles. She discusses the importance of learning from poor leadership examples and using those experiences as lessons on what not to do. Minette's consulting work often begins with addressing issues of inclusivity within companies. She recalls working with a company where women felt they lacked opportunities for advancement and were often relegated to note-taking roles in meetings. By promoting inclusive meeting practices, she helped shift the company culture. Her approach to consulting varies but always centers around inclusion, psychological safety, and creating environments where diverse teams can thrive. She notes that while psychological safety is now a buzzword, understanding its importance isn't enough. There's a need for practical guidance, which led her and Karolin Helbig to write "The Psychological Safety Playbook," providing actionable steps to foster safe spaces at work. Minette's latest book, "The Boldly Inclusive Leader," serves as both a resource and a calling card, drawing new clients who want to bring her expertise into their organizations. Three Key Takeaways: • Inclusive Leadership is Crucial: Minette Norman emphasizes the importance of fostering inclusive leadership and psychological safety in the workplace. Creating an environment where diverse voices are heard and valued is essential for team success and employee well-being. • Practical Guidance for Psychological Safety: While the concept of psychological safety is widely recognized, Minette and her co-author Karolin Helbig identified a gap in practical guidance. Their book, "The Psychological Safety Playbook," provides actionable steps for leaders to create safe spaces where employees can speak up and contribute fully. • Learning from Poor Leadership: Experiences with poor leaders can be valuable lessons. By observing and understanding what ineffective leadership looks like, individuals can avoid those pitfalls and strive to become better leaders themselves.

Jul 28, 2024 • 38min
From Classroom to Boardroom: Applying Innovation Principles | Jon Cagan and Peter Boatwright | 584
Welcome to another dynamic episode of the Thought Leadership Leverage podcast with your host, Bill Sherman. Today, we delve into the heart of innovation with two distinguished guests: Peter Boatwright, Professor of Marketing at the Tepper School of Business, and Jonathan Cagan, the Coulter Head and Lab Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. These experts have spent their careers studying and teaching the innovation process and now share their groundbreaking insights with us. Peter and Jon are the co-authors of "Managing the Unmanageable: 13 Tips for Building and Leading a Successful Innovation Team." Their book tackles the often chaotic realm of product and service innovation within organizations. They discuss the essential question: What does it mean to manage the unmanageable? Drawing from extensive research, they reveal how to embrace the chaos of innovation and transform it into productive progress. One captivating study highlighted in the episode involved replacing an engineer with a manager on a design team. The manager, focusing solely on communication and problem-solving processes, led to a fivefold increase in productivity compared to unmanaged teams. This experiment underscores the profound impact of managing the innovation process rather than directly engaging in it. The conversation explores the delicate balance between continuous exploration and decisive action. Peter and Jon stress that while endless discovery is tempting, knowing when to optimize and move forward is crucial. They draw from their classroom experiences and corporate collaborations to illustrate how theoretical principles can be effectively applied in real-world scenarios. As professors, Peter and Jon have the unique advantage of using their classrooms as innovation laboratories, blending academic rigor with practical challenges from corporate partners. This intersection of theory and application equips their students with robust, repeatable frameworks for tackling real-world problems. The discussion then turns to the future. Jon is deeply interested in the role of Artificial Intelligence in enhancing team dynamics. He envisions AI agents that can monitor team conversations in real-time, offering nudges and suggestions to keep teams aligned and productive. Early results suggest that AI could match or even surpass human managers in this role. Peter, on the other hand, is focused on the practical application of their principles. He's keen to see how organizations digest, use, and implement the insights from their book, continually exploring the next big questions in innovation management. Join us for this enlightening episode packed with actionable insights and revolutionary ideas that promise to transform your approach to managing innovation. Three Key Takeaways: • The Power of Process Management: Replacing an engineer with a manager who focused on communication and problem-solving processes led to a fivefold increase in productivity. This highlights the crucial role of managing the innovation process rather than directly engaging in it. • Balancing Exploration and Decision-Making: While continuous discovery in innovation is tempting, knowing when to optimize and make decisions is vital. The balance between exploring new ideas and refining existing ones is key to successful innovation management. • Future of AI in Team Dynamics: Jon Cagan's exploration into AI's role in team management reveals that AI agents can effectively monitor and enhance team interactions. Early results show AI's potential to match or even surpass human managers in keeping teams aligned and productive. There is a delicate balance between integration and innovation in Thought Leadership. Learn more about this dilemma from this article written by Peter Winick.

Jul 21, 2024 • 30min
From Artifacts to Action: A New Leadership Paradigm | Sean Stewart | 583
In this engaging episode of Thought Leadership Leverage, host Bill Sherman converses with Sean Stewart, an executive coach, keynote speaker, and historical leadership expert at Past Forward Talks. Sean's journey from maritime historian and archaeologist to thought leadership is both fascinating and insightful, providing a fresh perspective on how objects can help us gain clarity and insight into our problems and leadership challenges. Sean recounts how his background in maritime history and archaeology led him to realize the profound impact that objects can have on people. He noticed that individuals often become overly focused on their internal struggles, losing perspective. Objects, he found, can help externalize these problems, allowing people to step outside their heads and view their issues more objectively. This shift in perspective is crucial for effective problem-solving and leadership. Delving into the art of interpretation, Sean explains that as a historian or archaeologist, one seeks meaning in objects by placing them within a historical context. He has adapted this skill to the modern world, using objects to help leaders and teams connect with their stories and challenges. For instance, he describes using an ancient sculpture of a small stylized horse to illustrate how simple, straightforward objects can serve as powerful reminders of lessons learned and goals set, helping people avoid getting lost in their thoughts during difficult times. A turning point in Sean's career was a visit to a 5th-century Byzantine church, where he encountered a broken mosaic of a laurel wreath—a symbol of victory. This experience led him to question what true victory means in the context of conflicts and disagreements. He realized that many battles are fought for the sake of fighting, rather than for meaningful outcomes. This insight became the foundation of his coaching method, which encourages leaders to focus on their overarching goals rather than petty disputes. To get his message out, Sean emphasizes the importance of starting small and simple. He suggests giving brief presentations to large audiences, using a single object to illustrate his points. This approach not only captures attention but also makes complex ideas more accessible and relatable. Sean is currently working on a book that explores leadership through objects, showing the merits and opportunities of this approach. The book begins by laying a foundation of ethics and morality, which Sean believes are essential for effective leadership. It then moves on to practical techniques for using objects to tell stories and reinforce lessons. For those interested in incorporating objects into their work, Sean offers practical advice: start by selecting four random, unconnected objects and creating a story about life in the early 2000s. This exercise trains the mind to see connections between objects and the people who interact with them, developing a keen sense of interpretation and storytelling. By repeating this exercise with different objects and themes, one can quickly master this technique. Join us for this episode of Thought Leadership Leverage to gain actionable insights and innovative approaches to leadership from Sean Stewart. Three Key Takeaways: • Externalizing Problems through Objects: Sean Stewart emphasizes the power of using objects to help individuals externalize their problems. By focusing on an object, people can gain a fresh perspective, allowing them to step outside their heads and view their issues more objectively. • Historical Interpretation for Modern Leadership: Drawing from his background as a historian and archaeologist, Sean demonstrates how interpreting objects within their historical context can offer valuable insights for modern leadership. This method helps leaders connect with their stories and challenges, providing clarity and direction. • Practical Techniques for Leadership Development: Sean's innovative approach includes practical exercises, such as creating stories with random objects to develop interpretation and storytelling skills. His upcoming book will further explore leadership through objects, emphasizing the importance of ethics and morality, and providing techniques for using objects to reinforce leadership lessons. Sean presents a unique and interesting approach to leadership, if you are wondering if your leadership is as interesting take a moment to read this article by Peter Winick.

Jul 18, 2024 • 19min
Revolutionizing Corporate Training | Jason Lavender | 582
In this episode of Thought Leadership Leverage, host Peter Winick sits down with Jason Lavender, the co-founder and CEO of Electives. Jason's career journey is anything but linear. He started as an actuary, transitioned into strategy consulting, and eventually found his entrepreneurial spirit while working closely with innovators. A serendipitous six-week improv class, gifted by his wife, fueled his passion for creativity and human connection, shaping his unique career path. Jason founded Electives to revolutionize corporate training. Frustrated by ineffective, impersonal training videos, he envisioned a platform offering live, virtual, and interactive learning. Electives aims to make high-quality, engaging training accessible and redefine who can teach in the corporate world. By recruiting experts from diverse fields—FBI agents, astronauts, professors, and executives—they provide a rich library of curated content, solving real problems without the need for months of searching. Electives offers two training models: Private classes tailored to a company's culture and Electives Membership, allowing employees to choose live classes from a broad selection. This dual approach addresses both team-wide issues and individual development needs. Electives also simplifies the procurement process, handling all logistics and payments, thus eliminating administrative headaches for both clients and instructors. Looking ahead, Jason is excited about integrating AI to match business objectives with the necessary skills and corresponding courses, further enhancing the impact and efficiency of Electives. Three Key Takeaways: • Interactive Learning Over Pre-recorded Content: Electives aims to replace ineffective training videos with live, virtual, interactive learning experiences, featuring experts from diverse fields such as FBI agents, astronauts, and executives. • Simplified Procurement and Payment Processes: Electives streamlines the process of finding, vetting, hiring, and paying trainers, offering a single point of contact for clients and ensuring instructors are paid promptly. • Future Integration of AI: Electives is developing AI technology to align business objectives with the necessary skills and corresponding courses, enhancing training effectiveness and efficiency. Do you have training videos that you are not sure what to do with? Be sure to check out this short video where Peter Winick gives tips for creating and monetizing training videos.

Jul 11, 2024 • 18min
Strategies for Thriving in Leadership and Consulting | Sohee Jun | 581
In this episode of the Thought Leadership Leverage podcast, host Peter Winick welcomes Sohee Jun, a premier leadership coach, mindset expert, corporate leadership facilitator, speaker, and best-selling author of "Mommytracked: How to Take Authentic Risks and Find Success On Your Terms" and her latest release, "The Aligned Mindset: Secrets of High-Achieving Women for Navigating Work and Life." Sohee shares insights from her journey, highlighting the importance of following one's energy to make a significant impact. Moving from a six-year-old immigrant integrating into a new culture to a leader in organizational psychology, she has always prioritized connection and people. Her extensive career includes working with leaders on strategy, culture, and employee engagement. After 15 years in corporate roles, Sohee ventured into independent consulting. The transition was challenging, requiring her to juggle multiple roles and iterate constantly. She emphasizes the need to discover one's strengths and delegate other tasks to maintain focus and impact. Initially, she said yes to everything, leading to burnout. Over time, she learned to prioritize quality over quantity, becoming intentional with her time and efforts. Sohee also discusses the importance of expanding beyond one's initial network and maintaining consistent marketing efforts. She stresses the need to be courageous in saying no to misaligned opportunities to prevent falling into a cycle of overwork and dissatisfaction. On pricing, Sohee advocates for openness and transparency, leveraging her insider knowledge to stay competitive and fair in the market. Three Key Takeaways: • Follow Your Energy for Impact: Sohee emphasizes the importance of following where you have the most energy and impact. This approach has guided her journey from a young immigrant to a successful leader in organizational psychology, and later, to an independent consultant. • Quality Over Quantity: Initially overwhelmed by saying yes to everything, Sohee learned to prioritize quality. She now focuses on intentional time management and selecting projects that align with her values and strengths, highlighting the importance of saying no to maintain balance and prevent burnout. • Consistent Marketing and Networking: Sohee underscores the necessity of reaching beyond one's initial network and maintaining consistent marketing efforts. She advises that expanding your reach and staying engaged with your audience is crucial for sustainable business growth. If you're a new consultant or thinking about breaking out on your own, take a few minutes to watch this video from Peter Winick on How to Use Thought Leadership to Grow Your Business.

Jul 7, 2024 • 38min
A Journey of Redemption and Global Impact | Cobe Williams | 580
Bill Sherman hosts Cobe Williams, a pioneer in violence prevention. Cobe shares his journey from personal redemption to global impact. As Director of US Programs for Cure Violence Global, he uses epidemic control methods to halt violence in communities. His story is a powerful testament to transformation and hope. Cobe's defining moment came in court, in restraints, when he embraced his son after a year and a half. This emotional reunion catalyzed his resolve to change his life and be there for his family. Today, Cobe leads violence prevention programs worldwide, from Chicago to Africa, transforming communities and inspiring change. With almost two decades in the field, Cobe began as a "Violence Interrupter," mediating conflicts in his neighborhood. His approach is deeply relational, meeting people where they are, and spreading the message that disagreements don't have to escalate to violence. His work involves intense listening, strategic mediation, and leveraging community relationships to prevent retaliation and promote peace. Cobe also discusses his upcoming book, "Interrupting Violence: One Man's Journey to Heal the Streets and Redeem Himself," co-authored with Josh Gryniewicz. The book aims to inspire others by sharing Cobe's personal journey and the lessons he's learned in violence prevention. Cure Violence Global's success attracts mayors, health departments, and private funders seeking proven methods to reduce violence. Cobe emphasizes the importance of community credibility and relationship-building in their programs, ensuring local leaders are respected and effective. Through his story, Cobe hopes to show that it's never too late to change, and redemption is possible for everyone. His work and message aim to foster understanding, reduce judgment, and inspire others to share their stories and seek help. Three Key Takeaways: • Transformative Power of Personal Redemption: Cobe Williams' journey from a courtroom revelation to leading global violence prevention efforts illustrates how personal transformation can drive impactful change. His story emphasizes that it's never too late to change and that redemption is possible for everyone. • Community-Centric Violence Prevention: Cure Violence Global's approach leverages deep community relationships and epidemic control methods to interrupt and prevent violence. By training and supporting local leaders who are respected and credible within their communities, the program effectively reduces shootings and killings. • Inspiring Others Through Storytelling: Cobe's upcoming book, "Interrupting Violence: One Man's Journey to Heal the Streets and Redeem Himself," aims to motivate and inspire others. By sharing his personal experiences and the challenges he faced, he hopes to encourage people to understand the roots of violence, reduce judgment, and inspire others to seek help and share their stories.


