Turn Ideas Into Influence—and Influence Into Capital | Nick Cooney | 655
Release Date: 07/10/2025
Why Pressure—not Power—Breaks Leaders: | Sabina Nawaz | 680
Leveraging Thought Leadership
What happens when pressure—not power—shapes the way leaders show up? That’s the question at the heart of this conversation with executive advisor, keynote speaker, and bestselling author . Sabina’s thought leadership centers on a bold idea: pressure can squeeze the humanity out of even the best leaders. And in today’s high-velocity business environment, every manager—from first-line supervisors to CEOs—is at risk. Her work helps leaders reclaim that humanity, especially when the stakes are highest. In this episode, Sabina shares the research behind her book " " , built on 12,000...
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The Playbook for Scaling Thought Leadership | Daniel Harkavy | 679
Leveraging Thought Leadership
What does it take to transform leadership into a calling — and build a business that transforms others? Today, Peter Winick sits down with , founder and CEO of , a pioneer in executive coaching and leadership development. Daniel shares how he turned the lessons from his early career in mortgage banking into a structured, scalable system for growing leaders — and why his success is rooted in helping others unlock their potential. Daniel’s approach to thought leadership isn’t about pedigree or credentials — it’s about proof. He took what worked in one high-performance environment...
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How Rituals (Not Routines) Transform Leadership and Life | Erin Coupe | 678
Leveraging Thought Leadership
What if you could stop running on empty—and still perform at your best? That’s the question , author of "" (and host of a by the same name), invites leaders to ask. She challenges the old “time management” mindset that rewards burnout and box-checking, replacing it with a human-centered strategy of presence, choice, and renewal. Her message? Productivity doesn’t come from cramming more into your day—it comes from creating rituals that restore you. Erin works with executives and teams to help them shift from survival mode to sustainable performance. Through keynotes, workshops,...
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The Power of the Pause: Why Slowing Down Fuels Stronger Leadership | Melissa Gonzalez | 677
Leveraging Thought Leadership
What happens when life forces you to stop—and that pause changes everything? , Principal at and author of "", knows firsthand. A medical crisis made her rethink what success truly means. Once a Wall Street professional turned retail design expert and author of "", Melissa built a thriving business helping brands tell their stories through physical spaces. But when her own defining moment arrived, she found a new story to tell—one about purpose, well-being, and the strength found in vulnerability. In this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, Melissa joins Bill Sherman to explore how...
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The DPD Framework: How to Decide Faster and Lead Smarter | Dr. Geoffrey Mount Varner | 676
Leveraging Thought Leadership
What happens when life-and-death decision-making meets the boardroom? Today our guest is —a physician, author of "", and leadership expert—shares how his experience in emergency medicine led him to develop a powerful framework for decision-making under pressure. As the former head of Washington D.C.’s emergency Ebola response, Dr. Varner learned that hesitation can be deadly. Today, he brings that same clarity and urgency to the world of business leadership. Dr. Varner explains how most leaders waste valuable “decision energy” by treating every choice as equally important. His...
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The Power of Women’s Stories in Tech | Miri Rodriguez | 675
Leveraging Thought Leadership
What happens when a storyteller from Microsoft turns her lens on the women shaping technology’s past, present, and future? Today on Leveraging Thought Leadership, Peter Winick sits down with , CEO of , best-selling author, storyteller at , and co-author of "" (). Miri reveals how a simple Teams message from a colleague in Poland sparked a global collaboration — uniting 50 women from across cultures, career levels, and disciplines to tell their stories of innovation, resilience, and purpose. Miri’s thought leadership centers on mission-driven storytelling — using narrative as a...
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How Thought Leaders Win the Publishing Game | Ken Lizotte | 674
Leveraging Thought Leadership
What’s the real ROI of a book? That’s the question Peter Winick poses to Chief Imaginative Officer of , author of "" and publishing expert , in this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership. Ken has helped more than 350 thought leaders turn their ideas into published works—books, blogs, and articles that position them as authorities in their fields. He’s seen it all: the excitement of a new book idea, the confusion around agents and publishers, and the reality that the book itself isn’t the profit center—it’s the door opener. Ken breaks down the evolving world of...
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How Great Thought Leaders Use Podcasts to Scale Influence | Ryan Estes | 673
Leveraging Thought Leadership
What makes a podcast truly powerful — and worth your time? In this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, Peter Winick sits down with , co-founder of and , to unpack what separates a great podcast guest — and host — from the rest. Ryan’s work connects CEOs, founders, and thought leaders to the right audiences through strategic podcast placement. His mission: to turn conversations into meaningful distribution. Ryan explains why founder-led marketing outperforms brand marketing — by as much as 80%. He reveals how showing up authentically on podcasts isn’t just about...
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Why the Best Idea Isn’t Enough | Gavin McMahon | 672
Leveraging Thought Leadership
What if the world didn’t reward the best ideas — but the best-packaged ones? That’s the question at the heart of this conversation between Bill Sherman and , CEO of and author of . Once an engineer designing submarines, Gavin discovered that technical brilliance alone doesn’t move ideas forward — storytelling does. Now, he helps leaders use story as a tool for influence, clarity, and change. In this episode, Bill and Gavin explore why ideas don’t speak for themselves — and how story gives them a voice. They unpack the idea of “storytelling power” versus organizational...
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The Power of Peer-to-Peer Leadership | Ken Banta | 671
Leveraging Thought Leadership
What happens when senior executives step into a room and speak with radical candor? In this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, host Peter Winick sits down with , Founder and CEO of the , to explore how real leaders grow stronger through dialogue—not monologues. Ken doesn’t just advise on leadership—he builds ecosystems where executives learn directly from each other. The Vanguard Network creates peer-to-peer forums where GCs, CEOs, and senior leaders share their toughest challenges and unfiltered lessons. The power comes not from lectures or PowerPoint, but from raw, honest...
info_outlineCan doing good in the world be quantified like ROI?
Peter Winick sits down with Nick Cooney, founder and managing partner of Lever VC, to explore how a venture capitalist measures moral return alongside financial return. Nick’s not your typical VC—he’s also the author of "What We Don't Do: Inaction in the Face of Suffering and the Drive to Do More", a book that fuses analytical thinking with a deep commitment to reducing suffering.
Nick reveals how dictating thoughts during a long car ride led to a full-fledged book deal with Simon & Schuster. But this isn’t just a passion project—it’s a strategic move. Nick shares how writing the book expands his credibility with mission-driven founders and impact-minded investors.
You’ll hear how he uses the “Brady Rule”—a nod to NFL legend Tom Brady—to challenge philanthropists to pursue giving with the same intensity as professional athletes pursue greatness. And how the overlap between financial rigor and moral responsibility creates a powerful (and rare) kind of leader.
Peter and Nick dive into the strategic value of thought leadership for VCs: from deal flow to LP trust, to long-game positioning. Plus, Nick shares what he’s learned from marketing the book, why the publishing timeline misses the mark, and what feedback surprised him most.
This is a conversation for anyone looking to align meaning with metrics—and use content to drive serious business outcomes.
Three Key Takeaways:
• Thought Leadership Can Power Business Strategy
Nick’s book isn’t just a personal project—it’s a tool to build credibility, drive deal flow, and attract like-minded investors and founders. A well-positioned book can serve as your most powerful business card.
• Impact and Analytics Aren’t Mutually Exclusive
Nick bridges the gap between rigorous financial thinking and doing good. He argues that applying ROI-based decision-making to philanthropy and impact can dramatically increase the effectiveness of our efforts to reduce suffering.
• You Can—and Should—Train for Good Like an Athlete
One standout idea from Nick’s book is the “Brady Rule”—a call for people to approach doing good in the world with the same intensity, discipline, and optimization mindset as elite athletes do their sport.
If Nick Cooney’s episode got you thinking about how doing good can be measured, optimized, and scaled—then you’ll want to dive into our conversation with Dr. Moshe Engelberg. Like Nick, Moshe challenges traditional business thinking by bringing purpose and values into the spotlight. In his episode, we explore how love—yes, love—can be a strategic business advantage, driving both culture and performance. Both Nick and Moshe offer bold frameworks for leaders who want to align their success with meaningful impact. If you’re rethinking ROI to include humanity, ethics, and long-term value, this is the perfect next listen:
Love from Thought Leadership with Moshe Engelberg