Speak Like a CEO by Oliver Aust: Become a Top 1% Communicator
Join 150,000+ leaders receiving weekly tips via email & social.
Share
Free Masterclass: be the leader companies can't find
Published about 2 months ago • 2 min read
This week in the world’s #1 newsletter on leadership communication:
Be the leader companies can’t find
On the Show: LinkedIn for Leaders
New Course: Mastering Communications as a Leader
Be the Leader Companies Can’t Find
Hi Reader,
I've never been more bullish on leadership communications than I am right now.
My prediction: leadership communications – your human edge – will be one of the few skills that survives the AI revolution.
And right now is the single best moment there has ever been to become a top 1% communicator.
Last December, the Wall Street Journal ran a piece titled "Companies Are Desperately Seeking Storytellers."
US job postings mentioning "storyteller" have doubled, and executives name-dropped storytelling on earnings calls 469 times in 2025, up from 359 the previous year.
The money follows the demand: many in-house storyteller roles now pay up to $400,000. Some even reach $1 million. OpenAI, Anthropic and Netflix are among the companies bidding for them, according to Fortune.
Organizations see what I see and they're rewarding these skills more than ever: superior speaking, persuasive storytelling, and leading difficult conversations to positive outcomes.
This is for you if you lead in an organization. Most leaders have built their careers on technical expertise – the exact thing AI is replicating faster and cheaper.
That's why it's now crucial to also master the one thing AI can't replace: your ability to move people. To make them listen, believe, and act.
Here's what we'll cover in the 60-minute masterclass:
How to tell stories that make people remember you and act on what you say.
The speaking habits that separate the top 1% from everyone else (and how to build them fast).
A simple way to turn your hardest conversations into positive outcomes.
Why communication is your strongest hedge against AI – and where to start today.
Plus a live Q&A with me, where I'll take anything you've got on communications.
How do you become a top 1% leader on LinkedIn? All it takes is one hour a week.
I take LinkedIn very seriously (I am a LinkedIn Top Voice and LinkedIn Learning instructor with an audience that’s bigger than that of the CEOs of Ikea, Caterpillar, and Toyota combined.)
In my new video, I share the exact system I've used to coach 100+ leaders into the top 1% of profiles on the platform.
It's called PACE: Profile, Audience, Content, Engagement. Four moves that turn your presence into a magnet for the right opportunities without spending hours a day, without posting cringe, and without AI slop.
Inside the video, I break down:
The three categories people instantly sort you into.
The headline mistake that makes people assume you'll sell to them.
The simple math to add 2,500 relevant contacts a year.
Why one post a week is enough to hit the top 1%.
You can do it too: Fix your profile in an hour, then spend one hour per week to enter the top 1% among one billion LinkedIn users.
I went to California in June to record courses on leadership communications with LinkedIn Learning.
The good news: they are free (as long as you have a paid LinkedIn subscription). More than 2500 people have already taken the advanced course for leaders.
It covers the core skills leaders need to connect and lead with impact: crafting compelling messages, building executive presence, and navigating high-stakes conversations.
You’ll learn to apply structured storytelling frameworks, listen actively, and respond with composure under pressure.
I also cover how AI tools can support your communication process – refining tone and message clarity – without replacing the authenticity and judgment that define strong leadership.
This week in the world’s #1 newsletter on leadership communication: Your audience ignores 99.99955% of what you say On the Show: The Best Speech Ever Think Fast, Talk Smart Your Audience Ignores 99.99955% of What You Say Hi Reader, This very second, your brain is taking in 11 million bits of information. That's like reading three books. Consciously, though? You process about 50 bits. Fifty, out of eleven million. So you're aware of roughly 0.00045% of everything reaching you. The figures come...
This week in the world’s #1 newsletter on leadership communication: Your 10 Most Pressing Questions, Answered On the Show: Steal the Guide I've Given 300+ CEOs Your 10 Most Pressing Questions, Answered Hi Reader, Thanks so much for sending me your most pressing questions following last week’s email. Please keep them coming! Let me answer ten that I know many of you have: 1/ What do you think about the 10,000 hour rule when it comes to speaking? How can I create moments or environments to hit...
This week in the world’s #1 newsletter on leadership communication: How to Communicate Up, Down and Across On the Show: How Top CEOs Get 10x More Done Book Recommendation: Why We Talk Funny How to Communicate Up, Down and Across Hi Reader, “Do certain techniques work better in various situations, e.g., managing up, managing down, working with new contacts, etc?” Jack D sent me this question, and it's a great one. (thanks for sending me so many questions after Tuesday’s email – please keep...