What does it take to lead when the plan breaks, the pressure spikes, and failure is part of the mission?

In this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, Peter Winick talks with Colonel (Ret.) Merryl Tengesdal, author of "Shatter the Sky: What going to the stratosphere taught me about self-worth, sacrifice, and discipline" about the ideas that drive her work today: adaptability, resilience, authentic leadership, and the courage to keep moving when the outcome is uncertain. Her message is clear. Success is never a straight line. The leaders who thrive are the ones who learn to adjust in real time.

Merryl brings a powerful framework to the conversation. She treats leadership like flying. You prepare well. You know the mission. But you also stay alert, read the conditions, and make smart adjustments when reality changes. That perspective makes her thought leadership practical for executives, team leaders, and organizations facing constant pressure to perform.

She also makes a compelling case for rethinking failure. Not as a verdict. Not as an identity. But as part of the process of building something meaningful. Merryl challenges the idea that top performers avoid setbacks. Instead, she shows that real growth comes from how leaders respond when things do not go according to plan.

What makes this conversation stand out is Merryl's ability to turn high-stakes experience into usable insight. She does not rely on polished theory. She speaks with clarity, candor, and conviction about what it means to lead under pressure, recover from disappointment, and stay focused on the larger mission. That is what gives her message relevance far beyond aviation or the military.

Peter and Merryl also explore the role of story in leadership. Merryl explains why great speaking is not performance for its own sake. It is an act of connection. It is how leaders help people see themselves differently, think more clearly, and take the next step forward. Her approach to keynote speaking is grounded in authenticity, not persona, and that is exactly why it resonates.

This episode is a strong listen for anyone building a thought leadership platform around leadership, culture, resilience, or performance. Merryl's work reminds us that strong leaders do not promise perfect conditions. They help people navigate uncertainty with discipline, perspective, and purpose.


Three Key Takeaways:
• Adaptability matters more than perfect plans. Strong leaders prepare well, but they also adjust in real time when conditions change.

• Failure is part of growth, not proof of defeat. Setbacks are inevitable. What matters is how you respond, stay persistent, and keep moving forward.

• Great leadership connects through authentic storytelling. The most effective messages are grounded in real experience and help people see challenges, decisions, and opportunities differently.

If this episode resonated with you, listen to Deborah Gilboa's next. Both conversations center on resilience, adaptability, and what it takes to lead when the path is uncertain. Merryl's episode shows why flexibility, failure, and real-time decision-making matter. Deborah's builds on that by showing leaders how resilience can be developed, how to manage change more effectively, and how to help teams move through resistance instead of getting stuck in it. You'll come away with practical insight on leading through change with more confidence, clarity, and competence.

What does it really take to turn a book into a business asset instead of a vanity project?

In this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, Peter Winick sits down with Kevin Anderson, CEO of Kevin Anderson & Associates to unpack what authors get wrong about publishing, platform, and the real role a book plays in growing authority. Kevin makes the case that a strong book is not just about writing well. It is about aligning the message, the market, and the outcome from the very beginning.

Kevin brings a practical lens to the publishing world. He explains why authors should bring in expert guidance earlier, not later. He breaks down how the right support can sharpen the concept, avoid wasted effort, and increase the odds that a book actually achieves its business goal. This is not about writing for writing's sake. It is about building a book that works.

The conversation also goes deep on platform and promotion. Kevin is clear that publishers are not looking for passengers. They want authors who can reach an audience, activate a network, and contribute to demand. Whether the path is traditional, hybrid, or self-publishing, the core issue stays the same. Authors need a strategy for visibility and buyers.

Peter and Kevin also tackle one of the biggest misconceptions in thought leadership publishing: the idea that book sales alone define success. Kevin reframes the ROI. For most nonfiction authors, the real return comes from credibility, client growth, speaking opportunities, market differentiation, and the authority that a well-positioned book creates.

They also explore how authors should think about publishing models, ghostwriting, and AI. Kevin offers a smart, grounded view of where AI can help, where it can hurt, and why authentic voice still matters. He also shares why the best nonfiction books do more than tell a story. They deliver lessons readers can apply, which is what turns expertise into lasting thought leadership.

Three Key Takeaways:
• A book should be built as a business asset, not judged only by book sales. The real ROI comes from authority, credibility, client growth, speaking opportunities, and stronger market positioning.

• Platform and promotion matter as much as the manuscript. Publishers want authors who can already reach an audience and help drive demand, not authors who expect the publisher to create the market for them.

• Publishing strategy has to match the author's goals. Timing, control, speed to market, and desired outcomes should shape whether traditional, hybrid, or self-publishing makes the most sense.

If this episode on Kevin Anderson got you thinking about what it really takes to turn a book into a true thought leadership asset, Bronwyn Fryer's episode is a perfect next listen. Both conversations dig into what strong business books have in common: clear positioning, sharp audience focus, and the right support to turn expertise into a message that actually lands. Bronwyn adds another valuable layer by exploring the role of collaboration, editorial shaping, and what it takes to create a book publishers and readers will both respond to. Listen in to go deeper on how great thought leadership books are built to create credibility, impact, and opportunity far beyond the page.

What makes thought leadership actually travel? Not a bigger platform. Not louder marketing. A sharper idea that solves a real problem.

In this episode, Peter talks with Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg, coauthor of Innovation as Usual: How to Help Your People Bring Great Ideas to Life and author of What's Your Problem?: To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve. Thomas's work sits at the intersection of innovation, problem framing, and practical execution inside real organizations.

The conversation focuses on a core truth behind strong thought leadership: the best ideas win because they are useful. Thomas explains that both of his books grew from underserved problems in the market. Innovation as Usual challenged the idea that innovation belongs only to CEOs or startups. It made the case that innovation has to work for managers operating inside the constraints of large organizations.

Peter and Thomas also unpack why What's Your Problem? has such broad appeal. Its core idea is simple and powerful: most leaders are not bad at solving problems. They are bad at identifying the right problem to solve. That framing gives Thomas thought leadership that works across industries, roles, and even age groups because the problem is universal and the method is practical.

This episode is also a masterclass in how thought leadership grows after a book is published. Thomas is candid about the anticlimax of launch day and the longer work that follows. A book is not the end goal. It is the platform. The real job is pushing the idea into the world, finding the people it helps, and building traction over time.

Another standout theme is precision. Thomas argues that you do not start by chasing the audience. You start by naming the problem clearly. That is what helps the right audience find you. It is also why his ideas resonate with leaders, product managers, conference audiences, and executive education clients alike. Clear problem definition becomes clear market positioning.

Peter also explores the discipline behind work that lasts. Thomas shares how testing ideas, getting blunt feedback, and refining the material made the second book stronger. For leaders building their own platforms, that is the takeaway: thought leadership becomes more powerful when it is pressure-tested, practical, and easy for others to pass along.

This is a rich conversation about building thought leadership that does more than sound smart. It solves meaningful problems. It earns relevance in the market. And it creates lasting value long after the book hits the shelf.

Three Key Takeaways:

• Great thought leadership starts with a real problem, not a broad audience. Thomas makes the case that the breakthrough came from finding a novel angle on a useful issue. Instead of chasing visibility, he focused on problems that were important but underserved—first innovation inside large organizations, then problem framing itself.

• A book is not the end product. It is the platform. One of the clearest lessons in the episode is that publishing is often anticlimactic. The real work begins after launch, when the author has to push the idea into the world, find the people it helps, and build traction over time.

• The strongest ideas spread because they are practical and shareable. Thomas talks about testing his work with others and watching for the moment when readers said, "Can I share this with a buddy?" That is the signal that the idea is useful enough to travel. His work on solving the right problems has range because it is clear, practical, and easy for people to apply in very different settings.

Enjoyed this episode? Queue up our conversation with Thomas Koulopoulos next. Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg focuses on solving the right problem. Thomas Koulopoulos explores how thought leaders tackle problems that never stand still. Put them together and you get a smart, practical masterclass on innovation, relevance, and how great thought leadership becomes real market value.