Can you please explain that to me as if I were a 7 year old?
In this short solo talk, Peter Winick, founder and CEO of Thought Leadership Leverage, describes a recurring problem he observes when working with highly accomplished authors, speakers, academics, and consultants. Because these experts operate at a very high level of expertise, their explanations of their frameworks, models, or methodologies become overly complex and lose clarity—a condition he metaphorically calls the “coal miner’s lung of thought leadership.” To counter this, Winick asks them to explain what they do “as if I were a 7‑year‑old.” He notes that many can instantly simplify their ideas, delivering concise, clear explanations, while others struggle, revealing gaps in their own understanding. This exercise often sparks deeper conversations that help the expert reframe and articulate their work more tightly for their intended audience. Winick ends by challenging listeners to try the 7‑year‑old test on their own work.
