The Power of Women’s Stories in Tech | Miri Rodriguez | 675
Release Date: 10/30/2025
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_outlineWhat 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 Miri Rodriguez, CEO of Empressa AI, best-selling author, storyteller at Microsoft, and co-author of "The Women of Microsoft" (Wiley). 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 strategic tool for inclusion and brand love. She shares how metrics like “brand love” go beyond data to measure emotional impact, connection, and loyalty. Her goal isn’t just to celebrate women at Microsoft, but to ensure their contributions are recorded in the technological history being written right now.
She challenges leaders to think beyond traditional boundaries of thought leadership inside corporations. For Miri, there’s no dividing line between personal purpose and professional platform — every story she tells aligns with her mission to empower women’s voices. Her journey demonstrates how clarity of purpose can attract the right opportunities and how a clear mission can transform your work into a force multiplier.
This conversation is a masterclass in how to use storytelling as strategy — to inspire action, build communities, and leave a lasting mark on the narrative of innovation.
Three Key Takeaways:
• Mission-driven storytelling creates lasting impact — when your message aligns with a clear purpose, it naturally attracts opportunities and amplifies your influence.
• Emotional connection is a powerful metric — concepts like “brand love” show that loyalty and inspiration can be measured through human connection, not just numbers.
• Authentic voices shape the future — sharing real stories, especially from underrepresented groups, ensures that innovation and progress include every perspective.
If you were struck by the power of storytelling, emotional connection, and mission-driven leadership in this episode, the conversation with Jenna Fisher will take you deeper into those same themes in a corporate leadership setting. In her interview, you’ll hear how she interviewed dozens of women leaders to uncover the real barriers and strategies for rising to the top, even when the rules seem stacked against you. Listen next to discover how to merge narrative, metrics, and career strategy into a playbook for women (and all leaders) to advance influence, voice, and impact.
Listen now: “Women in Corporate Leadership"