Speak Like a CEO is the podcast for ambitious leaders who want to become top 1% communicators - and scale themselves and their businesses by mastering the ultimate leadership skill: communication.
Hosted by Oliver Aust - one of the world’s leading voices on leadership communication, bestselling author of Unignorable and Message Machine, and trusted advisor to Fortune 500 leaders, unicorn founders, and government leaders - this show pulls back the curtain on how the world’s most effective communicators think, speak, and lead.
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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 newsletter Morning Brew, which sold for $75 million. He joins Oliver to unpack why storytelling is now your mos...
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 help with your biggest problems, and handle tough conversations. You’ll learn what it really means to...
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 get answered, and communicate your point before people tune out. Topics discussed: Introduction (00:00)...
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 coachable and how you can build that skill yourself – plus, the one question every leader should ask the...
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 impact. You'll learn the three-step framework elite communicators use to plan, practice, and present ...
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 thinks, communicates, and needs to be led. You’ll learn the truth about energy vampires, narcissists, a...
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 explains why even highly motivated leaders limit themselves. He makes a provocative argument: the real lim...
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 everyone can do their best work. Andy is a bestselling author, speaker, and host of the long-running p...
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 brands and executives in the world for over three decades. Nancy breaks down the fastest way leaders lo...
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 hands to build trust, the signals that undermine your message, and why "just be natural" is terrible a...
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 clear expectations, provide support, but let people get on with their work. Her three-step framework, Cozy...
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 others infuriate — often without realizing it. In this episode, he shares how leaders can build the skill ...
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 Fletcher, Professor of Story Science and author of Primal Intelligence , joins host Oliver Aust to expla...
Download your copy of the 21 Storytelling Frameworks guide: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/21-storytelling-frameworks-with-oliver Have 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 confidence so you’re not overthinking or over-preparing for every presentation. You'll learn why you ge...
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 one reason: lack of trust. In this episode, he shares why trust is the foundation of communication ...
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 between being likeable and powerful at work. You'll learn how to define your authentic communica...
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 common challenges in public speaking and everyday communication. We explore how to manage anxiety, s...
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, this is the playbook. In this must-listen episode, Oliver is joined by Dr. Vanessa Druskat, organizat...
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 names in global publishing, with more than 220 million books sold annually. He’s raw, real, and incre...
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 skills checklist – it's the feeling that they offer a better future. But that’s just the beginning...
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. Timestamps 00:00 The Cost of Poor Communication 01:19 The Inefficiency of Emails 04:03 Mastering the Art of Conversation 28:21 Switch vs. Support Respons...
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 leader or a company is to pick the right fight . Not out of anger. Out of clarity. She’s spent decade...
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 persuasion. Steve has spent 20+ years translating psychology into action and is the author of “Messenger...
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 are too big, too unclear, and too focused on individual performance – and what it actually takes to...
Atif Rafiq draws on his experience leading digital transformation at Amazon, McDonald's, and Volvo, stressing the critical role of a problem-solving culture. He details his "Decision Sprint" methodology, a framework for confident and efficient decision-making, which he posits as a core competitive advantage. Rafiq also explores AI's transformative potential in strategic problem-solving through his AI-native workspace, Ritual, positioning it as a tool that can democratize high-quality insights and redefine the consulting industry. The discussion covers leadership communication for change, upskilling, and the importance of relationship building.
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 personal and professional journey from being a high-performing, yet overlooked team member at Linked...
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 people, from micro-reactions and smiles to power dynamics and unspoken expectations. He also previews...
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 that makes people lean in, feel something, and say yes. He shares his TITAN and Storycoaster framewo...
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 avatars to AI writing assistants to humans leading teams of AI agents – this conversation hits on the futur...
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 avatars to AI writing assistants to humans leading teams of AI agents – this conversation hits on the futu...
