What does it take to turn crisis into a leadership framework others can actually use?

In this episode, Bill Sherman talks with John Lentini, President of Culture, Strategy, Learning & Development at Crestcom International, about how defining moments can become disciplined thinking, practical models, and a mission that is bigger than one person's story.

John's path to thought leadership did not begin in theory. It began in high-stakes moments. He reflects on surviving 9/11, leading through the Fukushima crisis, and learning firsthand that character is not an abstract idea. It is revealed under pressure. More importantly, he argues it can be built with intention.

At the center of the conversation is John's six-dial framework for what he calls engineering character, which can be found in his upcoming book Engineering Character: Six Dials to Build Better Leaders releasing March 2027. He explains how discipline, mindset, and resilience help leaders lead themselves first. Then integrity, empathy, and influence help them lead others in ways that build trust. The result is a model designed to make character practical, teachable, and repeatable.

This episode also goes deeper than framework talk. Bill and John explore the personal cost of leadership, the difference between good leadership and bad leadership, and the tension leaders feel when corporate expectations collide with personal values. John is candid about where he got it right, where he got it wrong, and why those lessons now shape his work as a speaker, facilitator, and leadership thinker.

There is also a powerful thread on authenticity. John shares why he ultimately chose to step outside corporate life and use thought leadership to express ideas more fully and more honestly. For him, this work is not about visibility for its own sake. It is about impact. It is about getting a message into the world that helps people lead with more courage, more empathy, and more character.

Listeners will also hear John talk about the writing journey behind his forthcoming book on engineering character, the emotional work of putting real life on the page, and why he chose a hybrid publishing path. No previously published book by John is named in the transcript, but this episode clearly positions his upcoming book as the foundation of his thought leadership platform and future speaking work.

If you care about leadership under pressure, values in action, and the challenge of turning lived experience into a message that scales, this conversation delivers. It is honest. It is practical. And it shows how thought leadership is often built not from abstract ideas, but from moments that test who we are.

Three Key Takeaways:
• Character can be built on purpose. The episode centers on the idea that leadership character is not just innate. It can be developed through intentional habits like discipline, mindset, resilience, integrity, empathy, and influence.
• Crisis reveals what leadership really looks like. High-pressure moments expose whether leaders act with preparation, courage, empathy, and trust. The conversation shows how extreme events can shape a lasting leadership philosophy.
• Authenticity matters more as leadership grows. A major theme is the tension between corporate expectations and personal values, and how thought leadership can become a way to express ideas more honestly and create broader impact.

If John Lentini's episode made you think about how character is tested in moments of crisis, then "Thought Leadership for Crisis Management | Helio Fred Gracia" is the perfect next listen. Where John explores leadership through resilience, integrity, empathy, and trust under pressure, Helio extends that conversation by showing how leaders can prepare for crises before they happen, protect trust when things go wrong, and respond with clarity instead of emotion. Together, the two episodes create a powerful one-two combination on crisis, character, and the disciplined leadership choices that matter most when the stakes are high.

What if your book was never meant to make money on the shelf, but to make money in the business?

In this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, Peter Winick talks with Lucy McCarraher, co-founder of Rethink Press, founder of the Business Book Awards, and author of 17 books, about what business books are really for. Lucy makes a clear case that for entrepreneurs, consultants, and experts, a book is not just a product. It is a growth tool. It builds authority. It attracts ideal clients. And it opens doors that traditional marketing cannot.

Lucy breaks down the core shift in publishing. In the old model, publishers decided which books made it to market and success was measured in copies sold. In today's environment, that model no longer serves every expert. Lucy explains why the smartest business authors are not writing to win shelf space. They are writing to win trust, create demand, and move prospects toward deeper engagement.

The conversation goes deep into Lucy's practical framework for business authors: person, pain, and promise. She explains why strong thought leadership begins with knowing exactly who the book is for, what problem that reader is trying to solve, and what promise the book delivers. That clarity shapes everything, from the title and subtitle to the structure, stories, and case studies inside the book.

Lucy also challenges one of the biggest mistakes experts make. Too many authors write the book they want to write instead of the book their market needs to read. She argues that the most effective business books are built around a proven methodology, real client outcomes, and stories that help the reader see themselves in the work. The goal is not to impress. The goal is to create relevance, credibility, and action.

The episode also tackles the hardest part of authorship: marketing. Lucy shares why authors need to stop obsessing over book sales and start thinking strategically about distribution. A business book, in her view, is an "undercover sales agent." Given to the right people, at the right time, in the right way, it becomes far more valuable than a brochure, a business card, or a one-off pitch.

This is a smart conversation for any leader using thought leadership to grow a business. Lucy brings clarity to what makes a business book work, why authority comes from usefulness, and how the right book can become one of the most effective assets in your commercial strategy.


Three Key Takeaways:
• A business book should do more than sell copies. It should build authority, attract ideal clients, and support the author's broader business goals.

• Strong books are built around a clear audience, a specific problem, and a compelling promise. That clarity makes the content more useful and more marketable.

• The real value of a book often comes from how it is used. Given to the right prospects and partners, it can be a powerful marketing and sales tool.

If this conversation got you thinking about how a book can do more than sell copies, don't miss our episode with Erika Andersen. It takes the next step by exploring how thought leadership builds credibility, sharpens your value, and creates real business impact. Tune in to hear how strong ideas become trusted authority.

What happens when success no longer feels like enough?

In this episode, Peter Winick sits down with Greg Larkin, author of "This Might Get Me Fired" and founder of Punks and Pinstripes, to explore what it really takes to reinvent yourself when the old rules of work, loyalty, and leadership no longer apply.

Greg's thought leadership is centered on a challenge many high achievers face but rarely talk about openly: what happens when you have already climbed one mountain in your career and realize you are being called to climb another. His work focuses less on career management and more on transformation. He makes the case that in a post-loyalty economy, leaders must stop waiting for institutions to define their future and start building their own path with intention, courage, and community.

Through Punks and Pinstripes, Greg has created a community for entrepreneurs, innovators, and executives who are navigating that next chapter. The idea is powerful and practical. Reinvention is hard. It is often lonely. And it requires more than tactics. It requires a trusted circle, honest conversations, and the willingness to build something more authentic than the traditional career script ever allowed.

Peter and Greg also dig into the deeper substance behind Greg's thought leadership. This is not abstract theory. It is rooted in lived experience. Greg challenges the flood of polished business advice that skips over the real obstacles leaders face inside organizations: politics, resistance, fear, obstruction, and the personal cost of trying to create change in systems designed to resist it.

That is where This Might Get Me Fired becomes especially relevant. Greg's work speaks directly to leaders who are trying to do bold, meaningful work in environments that do not always reward honesty or transformation. His message is sharp: real innovation is not clean, safe, or linear. It is messy. It is human. And it demands a level of authenticity that many organizations say they want but few truly support.

This episode is a strong listen for executives, founders, and thought leaders who want to move beyond conventional success and into more transformative work. It is a conversation about reinvention, community, and the kind of thought leadership that matters because it comes from scars, not slogans.


Three Key Takeaways:
• Career reinvention is now a leadership necessity, not a luxury. The episode argues that in a post-loyalty economy, people have to build their own next chapter instead of relying on institutions to define it.

• Community matters more than credentials. Real loyalty is created through authentic relationships, mutual support, and showing up for others beyond transactional gain.

• Strong thought leadership comes from lived experience, not polished theory. The conversation emphasizes honesty about resistance, politics, and the hard realities of innovation inside organizations.

If this conversation on reinvention, authenticity, and building a more meaningful next chapter resonated with you, queue up Andy Craig's episode next. It extends the conversation into what it means to feel stuck, redefine purpose, and build a career that creates more fulfillment, more freedom, and a better fit for the life you actually want.