Build Influence Before the First Call | Jim Schleckser | 645

What if your next client already feels like they know you—before you’ve ever spoken a word? This week on Leveraging Thought Leadership, Peter talks with Jim Schleckser, founder of The CEO Project, a peer advisory group for high-performing CEOs. Jim shares insights from advising over 125 CEOs across 40 states, leading organizations with revenues from $25 million to over $2 billion. His unique perspective offers a window into how top leaders are using thought leadership as both consumers and creators. We dig into why CEOs crave curated content that helps them grow—and why books and podcasts still dominate their learning habits. Jim explains how the right idea, delivered through the right channel, can build trust and drive decisions long before the first handshake. We explore how CEOs and their teams are becoming more intentional about content creation—not for vanity metrics, but to attract the right clients, partners, and talent. Jim also unpacks the shifting role of AI in content development. As more companies turn to AI for marketing output, he challenges us to think deeper: What’s your human layer of insight that the algorithms can’t replicate? This episode is packed with practical takeaways for CEOs, content creators, and thought leaders who want to build meaningful influence, not just volume. Three Key Takeaways: • Quality Over Quantity in Thought Leadership CEOs aren’t looking for mass appeal—they want relevant insights from trusted sources. Thought leadership that resonates with a niche but high-value audience can drive business results far more effectively than chasing viral reach. • Books and Podcasts Still Matter Despite the flood of digital content, CEOs continue to prioritize books and podcasts as their go-to learning tools. These formats allow for deeper engagement and often serve as catalysts for future business relationships. • AI Is a Tool, Not a Strategy While AI can assist in generating content, it can’t replace the value of human insight. Leaders must use AI thoughtfully—adding expertise and perspective—to ensure their thought leadership remains authentic and impactful. If you found Jim Schleckser’s insights on high-impact, CEO-focused thought leadership valuable, you’ll want to check out Episode 498 with Will Milano. Will shares how organizations can turn their senior leaders and subject-matter experts into trusted voices of authority—without relying solely on the CEO. Together, these episodes explore how to scale thought leadership, deepen trust, and focus on quality over quantity. Don’t miss it!

Om Podcasten

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.