SPEAK LIKE A CEO
Speak Like a CEO is a podcast for ambitious leaders who want to become top 1% communicators. Hosted by Oliver Aust, a leading voice on leadership communication and bestselling author, the show reveals how the world's most effective communicators think, speak, and lead. It aims to help listeners scale themselves and their businesses by mastering communication as the ultimate leadership skill.
Episodes
The Secret Forces That Make People Listen to You
Some leaders speak and the room leans in. For others, the audience tunes them out in seconds.
In this episode, Oliver joins Mo Bunnell on his podcast Real Relationships Real Value to break down the seven psychological forces that decide whether people listen to you. You’ll hear how to build trust faster than most leaders think possible, why clarity beats complexity in every conversation, and th
How to Talk So Clearly People Assume You’re a Genius
It's not how good your idea is. It's how clear it is.
This episode breaks down the Clarity Code — Oliver Aust's system that's helped 300+ CEOs communicate even the most complex ideas. You'll hear the three clarity killers most leaders unknowingly commit, the five techniques that make any idea 10x clearer, and the three tests that will instantly tell you whether your message will actually land.
20 World-Class Communications Experts Share Their #1 Advice
Twenty experts. Twenty answers. One question: what's your single best piece of communications advice?
In this special episode, you'll hear from twenty of the world's top communicators — including Adam Galinsky, Nancy Duarte, Bill McGowan, Will Storr, Mark Victor Hansen, and Stephen M.R. Covey. Their advice will help you become someone people trust, follow, and never stop listening to.
⏰Timestamps
The Status Game Running Your Work Life with Will Storr
What really motivates people? Most leaders think money or ambition, but it's something far more powerful: story and status.
In this episode, bestselling author Will Storr (The Status Game, The Science of Storytelling) unpacks how stories quietly shape who we follow, what we buy, and who we trust. He shares why the most effective messages in history are only a few words long, the three-act structur
How Leaders Get People to Want to Follow Them
Leadership isn't management. Management tells people what to do; leadership gets them to want to follow. Mark Victor Hansen, co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul, says the difference is a great story.
In this episode, he shares the one thing every leader has to sell, how to fight the negativity bias that pulls most leaders under, and why the biggest goals are often the easiest to reach.
You
How Leaders Get What They Want Without Winning Arguments
The science of persuasion has nothing to do with logic. Most people try to "win" with better arguments — and Joshua Bandoch, author of How to Get What You Want, says that's exactly why they fail.
In this episode, he shares a three-step framework for moving people to action. He breaks down how to find the real barrier blocking any "yes," craft a story that persuades your audience, and the surpri
The 1% Framework for Clear, Memorable Communication
If your presentation goes well, your audience will forget 90% of what you said. So, the question is: what's the 1% you want them to remember?
Andrea Pacini, author of Timeless Presenter, joins Oliver to ensure you become a confident presenter whose message isn’t forgotten by tomorrow.
They unpack why you don't want to start with an agenda or title slide, how to find your 1%, how to work wit
The Secret to Selling Without Trying So Hard
What if the way you've been going after bigger opportunities is exactly what's making them harder to land? There are two approaches most leaders take, and they both leave opportunities on the table.
Mo Bunnell, one of the world’s leading experts on business development and author of Give to Grow, teaches a third strategy that actually wins the work with less effort.
This episode breaks down
Speak Memorably: Why Being “On Message” Isn’t Enough
You’ve been trained to stay on message. The problem? “On message” is forgettable.
Bill McGowan, author of Speak, Memorably and founder of Clarity Media Group, has spent 25 years coaching executives on how to be memorable, even working with clients like Kim Kardashian and Cookie Monster.
In this episode, he breaks down the difference between speakers people remember and speakers people tune o
How to Make Your Ideas Undeniable
Most leaders think their idea will win on merit. It won't.
Even NASA could not get funding for a $100 million mission to measure air pollution from space. Not because of the science, but because not enough people believed in it.
In this episode, NASA's former Chief Story Architect Paul Propster shares the persuasive framework NASA now uses to win funding for their missions. You'll learn the
$500,000 Newsletter Side Hustle by $30M CEO! The Storytelling Strategy Powering Beehiiv
Every platform eventually turns on the brands that built on it. The leaders winning now aren't begging algorithms for reach – they're owning their audience directly.
Tyler Denk is doing exactly that. As CEO of beehiiv, he's built a $500K newsletter in five hours a week while running a $30M business with 110 employees across 15 countries. Before that, he was employee number two at famed newslett
320: AI Can Make You MORE Authentic… Or Instantly Destroy Trust
Most leaders avoid AI entirely or let it do all their work. Both are destroying their credibility.
In this episode, Oliver sits down with Allison Shapira, Harvard lecturer and author of AI for the Authentic Leader, to discuss why AI is actually making so many leaders worse communicators and leaders. She shares her frameworks and insights on how to write with AI without losing your voice, let it h
319: How to Nail the First Minute of Any Conversation
Meetings, emails, conversations – the reason they all break down is the same: we get the first minute wrong.
Chris Fenning, author of The First Minute, literally wrote the book on how to get that first minute right. His frameworks are simple, but they fix the problems most leaders deal with every single day.
In this episode, you'll learn how to lead better meetings, write emails that actually
318: How the World’s #1 Executive Coach Builds Elite Leaders
Boards are now asking one question about every CEO candidate: are they coachable?
Scott Osman and Jacquelyn Lane, leaders of 100 Coaches, pull back the curtain on how elite coaching actually works: what makes someone coachable, what questions to ask, why coaching (almost) always justifies the price tag, and how long it takes to see results.
In this episode, they share why the best leaders are co
How to Present to Audiences & Become a Top 1% Presenter
Get the Presentation Planner: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/presentation-planner
Most leaders spend hours preparing presentations that get mediocre results. They stare at PowerPoint, fill slides with bullet points, and still struggle to connect with their audience.
This comprehensive course reveals the exact system Oliver uses with CEOs and founders to cut preparation time in half while doubling
316: Why Leaders Feel Surrounded by Idiots (The 4 Personality Types)
Here's a hard truth: the people you think are idiots think the exact same thing about you.
In this episode, Thomas Erikson, bestselling author of Surrounded by Idiots, helps us answer the question: are we really surrounded by idiots or are we simply failing to communicate? He breaks down the four personality types that shape how every person around you behaves and explains exactly how each one th
315: Why You Stop Short of the Top 1% (Even When You’re Motivated)
Beliefs can limit us – or liberate us. And most of us are still carrying a few that stop us short of reaching our goals.
Our guest Nir Eyal helps us identify and overcome the limiting beliefs that hold us back.
Nir is the bestselling author of Hooked and Indistractable. He spent the last six years researching the science of motivation for his brand new book Beyond Belief – and what he found ex
314: How ADHD Leaders Develop a Communication Edge
The communication “rules” most workplaces follow weren’t built for every brain.
In this episode, Andy J. Pizza explores how ADHD and other forms of neurodivergence shape the way people think, speak and lead. You’ll hear why entrepreneurship attracts so many neurodivergent thinkers, how to turn these traits into a storytelling advantage, and what leaders can do to support neurodivergent teams so e
313: You Have 30 Seconds to Prove You’re a Leader
30 seconds. That’s all you have to win the room – or lose your audience.
Oliver Aust is joined by Nancy Duarte. Calling Nancy a guru wouldn’t do her justice. As a persuasion expert, she cracked the code for effectively incorporating story patterns into business communications.
She has written six bestselling books including Resonate and DataStory, and has advised some of the highest-performing b
312: The Body Language Expert: You’re Losing Authority in the First 10 Seconds
Same sentence. Different gestures. Totally different message.
Your body and the subconscious signals it sends decide whether people find you credible – and it happens in just 10 seconds.
In this episode, Mark Bowden, ranked the World’s #1 Communication Keynote Speaker and Body Language Professional, explains the body language rules that shape how the world sees you. You'll learn how to use your
311: The Leadership Trap: Escaping Control and Chaos
Micromanager or “easy” boss. Most leaders I meet feel stuck in the middle – they are trying not to be controlling, but also don’t want to be that nice boss people don’t respect.
As a result, team communication feels messy and exhausting. Ashley Herd, author of The Manager Method and a former HR boss at McKinsey and Yum Brands, says the solution is cozy joggers leadership – where leaders set cle
310: How to Speak So People Want to Follow You
When you’re a leader, your words don’t stop with the room. Compliment someone in a meeting? Their partner hears about it that night. Express concern about a deadline? It travels through the team as “we’re in trouble.” Get visibly angry? People are still talking about it weeks later.
Adam Galinsky calls this the Leader Amplification Effect, and it helps explain why some leaders inspire while other
309: The Leadership Advantage AI Can’t Replace
Download your copy of the 21 Storytelling Frameworks (https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/21-storytelling-frameworks-with-oliver) guide:
https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/21-storytelling-frameworks-with-oliver
AI isn't going to run your company – but not for the reason you think. Business thrives on innovation and adaptability, which requires more than logic. That's where storytelling comes in.
Angus Fl
308: How to Be Confident on Command
Download your copy of the 21 Storytelling Frameworks guide:https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/21-storytelling-frameworks-with-oliverHave you ever been told to "fake it till you make it" or “just be yourself"? It's no surprise this common advice doesn't work – it focuses on acting confident instead of becoming confident.This episode breaks down Oliver’s three-step method that helps you build true confid
307: The Trust Expert: Why Clear Communication Isn’t Enough with Stephen M. R. Covey
Want to work with Oliver and become a top 1% communicator? Join the Speak Like a CEO Academy and sign up for the FREE webinar! https://www.speaklikeaceo.academy/Communication problems don’t always start with words. From misinterpretation to slow execution, you can say all the right things and still be misunderstood.Trust expert Stephen M. R. Covey has seen great organizations experience this for o
306: The New Rules of Women at Work: How to Be Powerfully Likeable with Kate Mason
Want to work with Oliver and become a top 1% communicator? Join the Speak Like a CEO Academy and sign up for the FREE webinar! https://www.speaklikeaceo.academy/Most women are taught to be nice and agreeable, but that comes at a cost in the workplace.In this episode, Kate Mason, author of Powerfully Likeable: A Woman's Guide to Effective Communication, challenges the idea that women have to choose
305:How to Speak With Clarity and Confidence (Even When You’re Nervous) - Matt Abrahams
If you’ve ever felt your heart race before a presentation, struggled to find the right words in a high-stakes conversation, or worried you’re not being heard at work, this episode is for you.My guest is Matt Abrahams, a world expert in communication, Stanford lecturer, and host of the Think Fast, Talk Smart podcast. In this episode, he shares a powerful, practical approach to overcoming the most c
304: How to Build an Elite Team that Delivers. Dr. Vanessa Druskat
If your team is smart, talented, and experienced – but still isn’t performing as they should – this episode is your wake-up call. Because the problem isn’t your people… it’s the norms driving how they interact.Today, you’re going to learn how to build team emotional intelligence on demand — the kind that unlocks trust, psychological safety, and fast alignment. If you want to lead a top 1% team, th
303 How to Speak as a CEO So People Actually Listen. David Shelley
Many leaders sound inauthentic, robotic or fake.It’s true: As a leader, it’s hard to sound authentic – to be real, relatable, and trusted. Some messages may come across as too corporate, others as too casual. The result is the same: there’s a gap between what you want to say and what your people hear. To close that gap, I’m joined by David Shelley, CEO of Hachette Book Group, one of the biggest na
302: The Behavioral Scientist: Is Everything You Know About Leadership Wrong? Jon Levy
Is everything we know about leadership… wrong?In this eye-opening episode, Jon Levy, behavioral scientist and bestselling author of Team Intelligence, joins Oliver to challenge some of our most deeply held assumptions about what makes a great leader – and what truly drives high-performing teams.Forget charisma and vision. According to Jon, the real reason we follow someone isn’t their MBA or their
301: Stop Wasting Money on Bad Communication – Celeste Headlee
Bad communication costs businesses $37 billion a year, and chances are, it's costing you too. Celeste Headlee is one of the most watched TED speakers ever and a global authority on conversations. And today, she's going to show you how to save money by communicating better. Plus: she exposes the bad advice you’ve been given by so-called experts.Timestamps00:00 The Cost of Poor Communication01:19 Th
300: The Power of Saying “I’m Not That” – The Positioning Strategist . Laura Ries
Have you ever struggled to explain what you do, or find it hard to cut through? And no, it’s not about refining your elevator pitch or polishing your LinkedIn bio. It’s about making one crucial decision: what are you not?Because in a noisy world, people don’t remember nuance. They remember contrast.Global brand and positioning strategist Laura Ries argues that the clearest way to stand out as a le
299: The Science of Influence Every Leader Must Master – Steve Martin
To influence someone, we have to change their minds – or so we have been told. But what if that’s exactly why your message keeps falling flat?In this episode, you'll learn why changing minds is overrated – and how to be influential in today’s world.Our guest is Steve Martin, one of the world’s top minds in behavioral science and longtime business partner of Robert Cialdini, the godfather of persua
298: Why Your Team Is Underperforming - And How to Fix It. Colin M. Fisher
This episode reveals why most teams underperform and how to fix it fast.I sit down with Dr. Colin M. Fisher – Harvard-trained management professor, former jazz musician, and author of the brand new book The Collective Edge – to dismantle the myths most leaders believe about collaboration, trust, and leadership.Forget forced fun, trust falls, and bloated org charts. Fisher explains why most teams a
297: From McDonald’s to McKinsey Killer – Atif Rafiq on Reinventing How We Decide and Communicate
Meet the man who scaled Kindle and turned McDonald’s, Volvo, and MGM into truly digital businesses. Atif Rafiq has helped reshape some of the world’s biggest brands by challenging how organizations make decisions and execute bold ideas. As the first Chief Digital Officer in the Fortune 500 and author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Decision Sprint, Atif believes the true competitive edge lie
296: Stand Out to Get Ahead – How to Supercharge your Professional Presence. Lorraine K. Lee
What makes someone unforgettable in today’s noisy, distracted world? Oliver Aust sits down with Lorraine K. Lee – author of Unforgettable Presence, globally recognized keynote speaker, LinkedIn Learning instructor with over 300,000 followers, and former editor at LinkedIn – to explore the art and science of becoming someone people remember, trust, and want to work with.Lorraine shares her deeply p
295: How to Decode People: What Humans and AI Get Right – and Wrong. Blake Eastman, Founder of Nonverbal Group
What if machines could read us better than people can? Blake Eastman is on a mission to make that a reality – and to ensure it serves humanity, not replaces it.Blake is the founder of The Nonverbal Group, a former poker pro and psychology professor, and now a pioneering builder at the intersection of human behavior and AI. Blake pulls back the curtain on his decades-long obsession with decoding pe
294: Pitch Like a Pro: How to Captivate and Convince Any Audience
Can you win every pitch? No, but The Pitch Guy’s blueprint gets you close. Danny Fontaine aka The Pitch Guy is the author of “Pitch: How to Captivate and Convince Any Audience On The Planet” and host of the Pitch Masters podcast. Danny has redefined what it means to pitch an idea, product or business – not as a PowerPoint deck, but as an emotionally charged, strategically choreographed experience
How to Lead when AI is Smarter than You with Gerrit McGowan (Video Edit)
Oliver’s TEDx talk, “AI-Powered Leadership: Why Supercomputers Need Supercommunicators” just dropped. It sets the stage for a real talk on what AI means for leaders. Oliver and his bestie, serial founder Gerrit McGowan explore how emerging tech is reshaping communication, leadership, and trust, and how leaders can use AI without losing authenticity. From voice cloning to deepfakes, from 3D avatar
293: How to Lead when AI is Smarter than You with Gerrit McGowan
Oliver’s TEDx talk, “AI-Powered Leadership: Why Supercomputers Need Supercommunicators” just dropped. It sets the stage for a real talk on what AI means for leaders. Oliver and his bestie, serial founder Gerrit McGowan explore how emerging tech is reshaping communication, leadership, and trust, and how leaders can use AI without losing authenticity. From voice cloning to deepfakes, from 3D avatar
292: MOMENT with Seth Godin - The World’s Racing to the Bottom. Do This Instead.
What's the difference between a leader and a manager? Why should we avoid the industrial age-style race to the bottom? This week we are sharing a brief moment of Oliver’s conversation with Seth Godin, 21-time best-selling author and one of the leading business thinkers in the world.Check out episode 263 for the full conversation.Make sure you’re subscribed to the Speak Like a CEO newsletter to bec
291: How to Get to the Point with Joel Schwartzberg
If you don’t have a point, everything you say is pointless.Oliver speaks with Joel Schwartzberg, communication expert and author of “The Language of Leadership” and “Get to the Point” (updated edition out this month).Let’s face it, there is too much rambling and hot air in business. Joel shares concepts such as the “I Believe That” Test and the “XY Test” that help leaders ensure they have a clearl
290: How to Speak Like a Top 1% Leader
This week Oliver is a guest on the Amplified Leadership podcast hosted by Oliver Degnan. They discuss what it truly means to "Speak like a CEO", how to make your story sticky, how to create a compelling vision, how to communicate better as a team, how to build trust, and much more. This is a value-packed half an hour with lots of actionable advice! Get the 21 Storytelling Structures every leader
289: How to Run Virtual Meetings That Energize, Not Drain with Andrew Brodsky
Drowning in Zoom calls and Slack threads? No energy left at the end of the day? Zoom fatigue is real. So is information overload. To understand science-backed strategies that get better results from your virtual communication while preserving your energy, Oliver speaks to Andrew Brodsky. Andrew is a management professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and the author of "Ping: The Secrets of
288: Inside Personalized Persuasion: How AI Shapes the Future of Influence with Dr. Sandra Matz
What if an algorithm could read your personality better than your best friend? In this eye-opening episode, Oliver sits down with Dr. Sandra Matz – Columbia Business School professor, computational psychologist, and author of Mindmasters – to explore how our digital footprints reveal far more than we think.Sandra unpacks how AI tools can accurately infer our Big Five personality traits, mental hea
287: Funny Means Money - How to Use Humor as a Leadership Advantage. Andrew Tarvin
Leaders who use humor are seen as more confident, competent and get better results – if they do it the right way. Andrew Tarvin is the CEO of Humor That Works and author of the book by the same name. He shares how leaders can use humor as a serious tool for better results. But it’s not about being haha funny or being a slap-on-the-back kinda boss. It’s about bringing lightness to leadership that i
286: Pirates, Hostages & Cyber Attacks: What They Taught Me About Decisions with Top Kidnap-for-Ransom Negotiator Scott Walker
Scott Walker is a world-class kidnap-for-ransom negotiator who deals with hostage takers, pirates and cyber-attacks. Scott has successfully negotiated more than 300 such incidents using the principles he shares in his best-selling book ‘Order Out of Chaos’.The New York Times called it “a masterclass in communication excellence”. Now Scott is back with his follow-up, ‘Eye of The Storm’ – a book th
285: How to Get What You Want From the People in Charge. Melody Wilding
Success isn't just about what you know, but your ability to influence and persuade those in positions of power. On this episode of Speak Like a CEO, Oliver Aust sits down with the brilliant Melody Wilding. Melody is an award-winning executive coach, speaker, and bestselling author.Drawing on her extensive experience and insights from her book, "Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People
284: How to Be Inspiring: Science-Backed Strategies from the World’s #1 Expert. Adam Galinsky
Forget the myth of the "naturally" inspiring leader. Adam Galinsky, author of "Inspire", reveals the science behind inspiration – and how you can cultivate it.Adam is the world’s #1 expert on inspirational leadership. He is a professor at Columbia Business School and has been studying the science of inspiration for over 20 years. His new book “Inspire” is one of the best books on leadership in rec
283: How to Make Your Idea Maximally Contagious with Storytelling Guru John Yorke
Want your idea to spread like wildfire? Do you want to move your audience to action? There is a way to achieve this. This week, Oliver is joined by John Yorke, a world-renowned storytelling expert and former head of BBC Drama, to unravel the secrets of compelling narratives.John wrote the OG of storytelling books: "Into the Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them" and became the storyteller’s
282: Talk Less, Lead More: The Secret Skill of Elite Communicators. Oscar Trimboli
Are you really listening? Or just waiting to talk?Most leaders overestimate their listening skills. To understand why and how you can become a 10 out of 10 listener, Oliver is joined by Oscar Trimboli.Oscar is a globally-recognized listening expert and the author of How to Listen who will shatter your assumptions about hearing and connection. Discover how deep listening can revolutionize your comm
281: The Burnout Trap: How to Reclaim Your Energy and Lead with Clarity. Dr Oliver Degnan
Oliver Aust speaks with Dr. Oliver Degnan about a critical issue: burnout. It's not just stress, it's much more dangerous. Dr. Degnan challenges common misconceptions about burnout and lays bare the self-inflicted wounds that lead to the brink.He explores the crucial difference between stress and burnout, how a breakdown in trust fuels it, why it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, the power of po
280: How to Disagree Without Falling Out With Harvard’s Julia Minson
Why is it so hard to disagree without falling out? And how can we get better at managing disagreements?To find out, Oliver speaks to Julia Minson, Associate Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. They explore the crucial skill of productive disagreement in life and at work.Discover why smart people struggle with disagreements, the biggest mistakes we make in tough conversations, and
279: How to Become Indistractable in a World of Noise with Nir Eyal
Distractions are everywhere. But how do you regain focus and control in an age of constant interruptions?This week, Oliver speaks with Nir Eyal, the internationally acclaimed behavioral designer, bestselling author of Hooked and Indistractable, and former Stanford Lecturer.He explains that distraction isn't just about external triggers but often stems from a desire to escape discomfort.Discover pr
278: The Ritual Effect: Build Elite Teams and Create Meaning with Harvard’s Michael Norton
What if I told you there's a secret weapon that can transform your leadership, boost team morale, and create a culture of peak performance?In this episode, Oliver Aust sits down with Professor Michael Norton, a renowned psychologist at HBS and author of The Ritual Effect: The Transformative Power of Our Everyday Actions.Professor Norton's research reveals the surprising impact of rituals – those s
277: How to Become a Trusted Leader. Natalie Doyle Oldfield
No success without trust. But how do you build trust when trust in leadership is at an all-time low?Natalie Doyle Oldfield is a globally recognized expert on trust and author of Trusted: The Proven Path to Customer Loyalty and Business Growth. She explains how trust is often formed subconsciously as the first thing in an interaction between humans. People decide whether to trust you based on gut f
276: Atomic Statements, Apes & Ants, and the New Science of Storytelling. Will Storr
What if everything we experience is shaped by the stories we tell ourselves? In this episode, Oliver sits down with one of his intellectual heroes. Will Storr, bestselling author of The Science of Storytelling, The Status Game and now A Story is a Deal to explore how stories define our reality, shape our decisions, and influence human behavior. Will explains why humans live in two worlds, the worl
275: How to Go Viral. Brendan Kane
Is going viral just luck, or is there a science behind it? In this episode, Oliver Aust sits down with Brendan Kane, digital strategist, bestselling author, and the mastermind behind some of the biggest social media success stories. Brendan has helped global brands, top celebrities like Taylor Swift and Rihanna, and countless businesses achieve explosive digital growth.Brendan reveals the secrets
274: How to Write so Busy People Respond. Todd Rogers
Is it possible to write so that even busy CEOs respond? Yes, it is. If you know how.
On this week’s episode of Speak Like a CEO, Oliver sits down with Harvard professor Todd Rogers, co-author of Writing for Busy Readers, to uncover why most messages fail – and how to fix them.
Todd is a behavioral scientist who has spent years studying how people read (or rather, don’t read). His research-backed
273: The Human Side of Leadership: Burnout, Growth, and Purpose. Peter Sorgenfrei
Peter Sorgenfrei is the leadership coach you want to have at your side. As a six-time CEO and founder, he understands the challenges and the overwhelm experienced by anyone who is unapologetically ambitious.
But he also learned the hard way that you have to listen to your body and mind to be successful and, more importantly, to keep your sanity.
In this episode, he takes us inside his journey as
272: Mastering the Science of Conversations. Dr. Alison Wood Brooks
You build your life and career one conversation at a time. But how can we be authentic and impactful while connecting with others?
To find out, Oliver sits down with Dr. Alison Wood Brooks, celebrated behavioral scientist, Harvard professor, and author of Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves.
Together, they unpack the science behind effective communication and how unde
271: Stories Sell: Storytelling Secrets for Leaders. Matthew Dicks
Matthew Dicks, bestselling author of Storyworthy and Stories Sell reveals how stories captivate, connect, and inspire.
The key isn’t a list of events but a moment of transformation – without change, it’s just a report.
Matthew’s journey to globally-recognized expert began with a surprise win at The Moth storytelling competition, but it wasn’t luck.
His years as a writer, teacher, and even weddi
270: Moment – How to Negotiate with Pirates. Scott Walker
Scott Walker is one of the world’s foremost experts on negotiation.
When hostage situations, kidnappings, or cyber attacks put lives and livelihoods at stake, Scott is the crisis negotiator called in to resolve the chaos.
Having successfully negotiated over 300 high-stakes incidents, Scott shares the field-proven principles from his best-selling book "Order Out of Chaos" - hailed as "A Masterclass
269: The Art and Science of Speaking Like a Leader
What are the critical skills that define leadership today? With over 20 years of experience advising top global executives, Oliver explains why communication is the #1 skill for success, how to build an irresistible personal brand, and strategies for overcoming communication challenges in a world increasingly shaped by remote work and AI.
Discover why Richard Branson’s personal brand outshines his
268: 10 Steps to Build a Thriving Community. Daisy Morris
Want to build a thriving community but not sure where to start? Daisy Morris, founder of The Selfhood and author of Community Is Your Currency developed the framework for you.
Oliver and Daisy dive into the essential difference between an audience and a community, and what both individuals and companies often get wrong about community building.
Daisy shares her 10 powerful steps to creating a t
267: John Strelecky on Leadership, “Soft Skills”, and the Big 5 for Life
With more than 10m books sold, John Strelecky is one of the most successful and inspirational authors of our time.
His first book, "The Café on the Edge of the World," gained international acclaim and has been translated into over 40 languages, selling millions of copies.
John has written extensively about leadership and is the creator of the "Big Five for Life" concept that inspires leaders and
266: Throw Out The Rulebook. Gigi Danzinger
What if we challenged traditional notions of success and leadership?
In this episode, Oliver Aust sits down with Gigi Danzinger, a philanthropist and social entrepreneur who, at 60, changed her name to reflect a bold new chapter.
Gigi shares her unique approach to social impact, focusing on empowering communities through initiatives in Hudson, New York.
From a basic income pilot, her investments
265: The Culture Expert: Crafting a Culture of Transparency, Innovation, and Empowerment. Chris Dyer
Culture is destiny. How we treat each other at work has a huge impact on business success and personal fulfillment.
But how can leaders navigate the complexities of remote and hybrid work while cultivating an environment that attracts top talent and drives innovation?
Oliver Aust sits down with company culture expert Chris Dyer, author of "The Power of Company Culture" and "Remote Work", to unpa
264: Stop Drowning in Work and Get Your Hours Back. Nick Sonnenberg
Do you ever feel like you're drowning in work? Constantly battling a never-ending swarm of emails, Slack messages, and meeting invites? Wondering how you can use automation and new tools to make your life easier?
We all know the feeling all too well. In this week's episode, Oliver Aust speaks with Nick Sonnenberg. Nick is a serial entrepreneur, a guest lecturer at Columbia University, and the auth
263: Seth Godin: All Leadership Is, Is Communication
This week’s guest is none other than Seth Godin – the world’s most famous marketer, a highly successful entrepreneur, and the author of 21 best-selling books.
Seth just released his brand-new book This is Strategy, a groundbreaking guide to creating meaningful change in a complex world.
In addition to strategy – which is a compass and not a map – we discuss leadership, storytelling and communicat
262: Radical Candor CEO: Don’t Avoid The Tough Conversations. Jason Rosoff
Positive feedback is easy. But if you are like most, you have probably struggled with having tough conversations at work.
To find out how to give honest feedback without destroying relationships, Oliver Aust is joined by Jason Rosoff, CEO of Radical Candor, the company he co-founded with Kim Scott, the author of the bestselling book with the same name.
Radical candor allows us to care personally
261: The Transformation Expert: Change Your Team Can Believe In. Tamsen Webster
Change is inevitable, yet 70% of change processes fail. This has become a major issue for many organizations, whose very survival depends on adapting to changing times.
To find a way forward for both leaders and teams, Oliver Aust is joined by Tamsen Webster, a world-renowned expert in change communication and author of the brand-new book Say What They Can't Unhear.
Tamsen, who also wrote the ex
260: The 5 Principles of Presentations That Create Change. Kris Flegg
Most presentations are instantly forgotten. Or worse, people don’t even pay attention in the first place.
What makes a presentation stand out? To find out, Oliver Aust talks with Kris Flegg, founder of Presentation Design Co. and author of The Presentation Playbook about the art of capturing audience attention.
Kris, who transitioned from a “below-average” presenter to working with global giants
259: Master Nonverbal Leadership with Insights from the Poker Table. Blake Eastman
Do you realize how much your body language influences the way others perceive you as a leader?
In this week’s episode of Speak Like a CEO, Oliver Aust sits down with Blake Eastman, founder of The Nonverbal Group and School of Cards. As a former professional poker player, Blake mastered reading body language and high-stakes decision-making at the poker table.
He now applies these skills to help t
258: Obama’s Speechwriter: Working in the West Wing, Speeches that Make History, and Becoming a Confident Speaker. Terry Szuplat
In today’s episode, one of Barack Obama’s longest-serving speechwriters reveals the public speaking lessons that will help you become a more confident and compelling communicator and leader.
For 8 years, Terry Szuplat worked on hundreds of speeches for President Obama. He served as a special assistant to the president, and from 2013 to 2017 he was the deputy director of the White House Speechwriti
257: The Laws of Connection That Will Transform Your Life. David Robson
Have you ever left a conversation doubting whether the other person liked you?
You’re not alone—it’s called the Liking Gap.
This week on Speak Like a CEO, Oliver Aust is joined by David Robson, author of the global bestsellers The Laws of Connection, The Expectation Effect, and The Intelligence Trap, and journalist and science writer for the BBC.
David reveals laws of human connection and the p
256: From Resistance to Results: The Secret Ingredient to Win Over Your Team. Frank Wolf
When you manage change within a company, the pressure is on. The future of the business may be at stake.
So what do you do when your company’s change programs fall flat?
This week, Oliver Aust is joined by Frank Wolf to discuss the best approaches to leading organizational change and building a strong narrative.
Frank Wolf is the co-founder of Staffbase, a leading employee communication platform
255: How to Become a Creative Leader. Josef Brunner
Our world is changing fast. So how do we create something unique that will stand the test of time?
This week, Oliver Aust is joined by Josef Brunner on Speak Like a CEO to discuss what it takes to lead creatively.
As the founder and CEO of NutriUnited and a seasoned entrepreneur with two nine-figure exits, Josef shares why authenticity is so important for businesses. We also discussed how buildin
254: How to 10X Your Story. Michael Margolis
Why is it so hard for disruptive technologies to be accepted?
This week, Oliver is joined by Michael Margolis, author of “Story 10X”, a leading advisor to many of the world’s largest tech companies and one of the world’s preeminent experts in storytelling, to discuss the science of change and the power of narrative.
Change can often feel like an assault on identity, triggering defensive reactions
253: Moment - The Four Foundations of Powerful Speaking. Julian Treasure
Julian Treasure’s TED Talk “How to speak so that people want to listen” has been viewed over 100 million times and is the 6th most popular TED talk of all time.
He shares the four foundations of powerful speaking – easy to memorize thanks to the acronym HAIL – as well as The 7 Deadly Sins of Speaking.
This short clip gives you the do’s and don’t of speaking on steroids by someone who knows how t
