LinkedIn Content Strategy for CEO and Executive Team Coaches | Netwarm
LinkedIn playbook · Case study
LinkedIn content strategy for CEO coaches: how a Los Angeles executive team advisor reached 111 executives in one month
We read every reaction on 28 posts from a Los Angeles CEO coach and bestselling leadership author. 883 people, 111 executives. Here is what brings buyers, what brings peers, and the 5 posts we'd publish next.
Max Sawyer · Netwarm··12 min read
The creator in this case studyA Los Angeles CEO coach and bestselling leadership author
Followers27,160
PostsAlmost daily, ~6 a week
SellsExecutive coaching for CEOs and senior leaders, top team alignment, purpose and culture work, and leadership keynotes
PeriodOct 3 – Nov 3
Ideal client: CEOs and C-suite leaders across industries who want to drive growth through change and AI, and the executive teams around them.The challenge: The coach posts almost every day, to 27,000 followers, mostly practical lists on energy, focus and leading people. Coaches, consultants and speakers read along in large numbers. Which posts reach the CEOs and executives who hire a coach?
Key takeaways
These numbers are from 5 November. Your audience has already moved.
New executives turn Hot every week and others go quiet. Run your free scan to see today’s version, with the names.
1 in 8 readers is an executive.111 CEOs, C-level leaders, VPs, directors and founders reacted in one month: 12.6% of everyone. 411 coaches, consultants, speakers and authors reacted too: 46.5%.
Posts from the CEO room bring nearly 2x more executives.CEO and executive team posts: 14.9% executives. Energy and mindset lists: 8.4%.
11 executives are Hot right now.They reacted to 5 posts or more. One of them reacted to 17 of the 28.
01
Who actually reads you, and what the LinkedIn algorithm changed
The coach posts almost every morning: practical lists on energy, focus and leading people, and some posts drawn straight from years of work with CEOs and executive teams. 28 posts between 3 October and 3 November, all published early in the morning, Pacific time.
The LinkedIn algorithm shows a post to the people who reacted to the last ones, then to people like them. Leadership lists travel far among other coaches and creators, and that reach is real. But reach can't tell a CEO from a fellow coach. Who reacted can. We looked at every person who reacted and sorted them by role.
28posts in a month
883people reacted
111executives
13came back 3+ times
Audience by roleThe 883 people who reacted, by roleFree
Peers are the largest group by far: 411 coaches, consultants, speakers, authors and LinkedIn creators, close to half of everyone who reacted. They push reach, and they rarely hire a CEO coach.
The 111 executives are the people the coach works with: CEOs, presidents, C-level leaders, VPs and directors, from software and finance to healthcare and industry. Some are founders of small firms rather than large companies; a Netwarm scan matches people to your own ideal client.
SeniorityAll people who reactedFree
Founder, owner, C-level21.2%
Director, VP5.5%
Manager11.4%
Independent11.6%
Other50.3%
IndustriesExecutives onlyNetwarm
AI, software and tech27%
Hidden in preview00%
Hidden in preview00%
Hidden in preview00%
See all industries and company sizes in your free scan.
Most coaches judge a post by its reactions. A coach who sells to CEOs should judge it by who reacted.
We tagged each of the 28 posts by topic, then measured the share of executives among the people who reacted.
Your topicsWhat your 28 posts were aboutFree
28posts
Energy & mindset lists11
Leading people lists7
CEO & exec team insights6
Stories2
Shared from others2
Topics that attract executivesShare of each topic’s reactions from executivesNetwarm
CEO & exec team insights14.9%
Leading people lists10.3%
Stories9.9%
Energy & mindset lists8.4%
Shared from others7.2%
One topic brings 1.8x more executives than another. See which.See which topics
Posts from inside the CEO room bring 1.8x more executives per reaction than energy and mindset lists: 14.9% against 8.4%. Yet the lists are the largest share of the feed: 11 of 28 posts.
Posts that brought the most executivesShare of executives in each post’s reactions1 of 5 open
#1The quiet signs of leadership, from years with CEOs31%
#283 years would feel... longer14.3%
#3Lead with edge, and still lead with heart13.3%
#4Every CEO will make a wrong call12.2%
#5Leadership is what you awaken in others12.1%
For comparison, the Sunday list on 5 mental models for busy leaders drew 280 reactions, the third-largest reach, and only 8% executives.
These rules come from what worked on the coach's own profile, and from the best-performing posts by CEO coaches and leadership advisors on LinkedIn over the last 3 months.
1
Write from inside the CEO room. The posts that bring executives describe what happens at the top: the wrong call, the executive hire, the transformation that changes course. General self-help lists bring other coaches.On this profile: CEO and executive team posts brought 14.9% executives, against 8.4% for energy and mindset lists.
Put your years with CEOs in the first line. “After years of working with CEOs and executive teams” tells an executive the post is about their job, before they decide to keep reading.On this profile: the post that opened on exactly that line had the highest share of the month, 31% executives.
Lead with one figure about the CEO job. A research figure on CEO transitions, boards or top teams stops the people it describes. One figure, its source, then what you see in your own work.Across the niche: the post opening on new CEOs losing their board's confidence drew 276 comments on 306 likes.
Tell one moment, not twelve tips. A single reflection or a single client moment, told plainly, reads like a conversation with a peer at the top. It also shows how the coach thinks.On this profile: the reflection on 83 years brought 14.3% executives, the second-highest share, with no list at all.
End on a question about their own team. A question an executive can answer from last week (“Which of these have you seen in your top team?”) brings them into the comments, where they become visible.On this profile: the post ending on “Which of these resonate most with you?” drew 623 reactions and 31% executives.
Keep the energy lists for the weekend. The lists bring reach and new followers. Let them carry the weekend, and give the weekday mornings to the posts that sell the work.On this profile: Tuesday posts brought 16.1% executives, Sunday posts 8.3%.
When executives read: the best time to post on LinkedIn for CEO coaches
We compared the share of executives by the day each post was published. Every post went out early in the morning, Pacific time, so there is no hour to compare.
Share of executives by posting dayAmong the people who reacted to each postFree
11.0%
Mon
16.1%
Tue
8.2%
Wed
8.7%
Thu
10.7%
Fri
9.5%
Sat
8.3%
Sun
Tuesday stands out: 16.1% executives and 57 executive reactions across 4 posts, the most of any day. Monday and Friday follow at about 11%. Wednesday and Sunday bring the lowest share, about 8%.
Keep the early-morning Pacific slot: it reaches the East Coast before the first meeting. Put the CEO room posts on Monday and Tuesday, and keep the energy lists for Saturday and Sunday.
05
5 posts ready to publish to target executives
Each post follows the rules above, in the coach's voice. Swap in your own details before posting: the real client moment is what makes it land.
1Ready to postResearch figure
What the first year does to new CEOsRule 3: one figure about the CEO job, then what you see in your own work. Modelled on Andrea Petrone's post on new CEOs and their boards.
Hook
Nearly 40% of new CEOs lose their board's confidence by the middle of their second year.That's from Spencer Stuart's 2026 analysis of CEO transitions.It rarely happens because of one bad call.In my work with CEOs, it usually starts with something quieter:The habits that earned the job stop fitting the job.The operator keeps operating.
The fixer keeps fixing.
The expert keeps having the answer.And the board starts to wonder who is leading the company.Here are 4 questions I ask new CEOs in their first year:1️⃣ What did you stop doing when you took the role?
→ If the answer is “nothing”, your calendar still belongs to the old job.2️⃣ Which decisions can only you make?
→ Everything else belongs to your team.3️⃣ When did the board last hear bad news from you first?
→ Trust is built before the hard quarter, not during it.4️⃣ Who on your team tells you the truth?
→ If you can't name them, the room has gone quiet.The first year isn't about proving you were the right choice.It's about becoming the leader this chapter needs.If you lead a company, which of these is hardest to answer right now?
Visual · Text onlyNo image. The 40% figure carries the post.Check before postingCheck the Spencer Stuart figure against the source before posting, and use the questions you really ask new CEOs.
6 quiet signs a top team is driftingRules 1, 2 and 5: from inside the CEO room, your years with executive teams in line one, a question about their own team at the end. Modelled on your quiet signs of leadership post (31% executives).
Hook
After years of working with CEOs and executive teams, I've learned that drift rarely announces itself.It shows up quietly.Long before the numbers move.Here are 6 quiet signs a top team is starting to drift:1️⃣ Decisions get made twice.
↳ Once in the meeting. Again in the hallway after it.2️⃣ The agenda fills with updates.
↳ Reports go around the table. Nobody asks for help.3️⃣ Disagreement moves offline.
↳ The room stays polite. The real debate happens in side conversations.4️⃣ The CEO becomes the switchboard.
↳ Issues between two leaders travel through the CEO instead of between them.5️⃣ Priorities multiply.
↳ Every function has a top 3. The team doesn't share one.6️⃣ New ideas wait for permission.
↳ Good people stop bringing them, because they've learned what happens.None of these show up in a quarterly review.But together, they decide how fast a company can move.The good news: a team can fix every one of them itself, starting at the next meeting.Which of these have you seen in a top team?
Visual · Carousel or single imageThe 6 signs on one clean card, like the quiet signs of leadership visual: one line per sign, no stock photos.Check before postingKeep only the signs you see most often in your own work, and add one you know well if a sign here doesn't fit.
5 questions to reset before MondayRule 6: keep the energy lists for the weekend, where they bring reach. Modelled on your 5 mental models post (280 reactions).
Hook
Busy isn't the same as moving forward.5 questions to reset before Monday 👇Most leaders end the week tired.
Few end it clear.Give these 5 questions 20 minutes this weekend.1️⃣ What mattered most this week?
↳ Not what took the most time. What actually moved.2️⃣ What did I say yes to that I should have declined?
↳ Every yes costs energy somewhere else.3️⃣ Where did I lose energy?
↳ A meeting, a person, a habit. Name it.4️⃣ What is the one thing that must happen next week?
↳ Put it in the calendar before anything else gets there.5️⃣ Who needs to hear from me?
↳ A thank you, a decision, a hard conversation. Don't let it wait another week.Clarity doesn't come from doing more.It comes from stepping back long enough to see the board.♻️ Share this with a leader heading into a big week.
Visual · Single imageThe 5 questions on one card, in the style of your energy lists.Check before postingSwap in the reset questions you use yourself, or the ones from your newsletter.
The promotion I got wrongRule 4: one moment, told plainly, instead of twelve tips. Modelled on Marta Duda's “That belief cost me a promotion” post.
Hook
Years ago, I promoted the best performer on my team into her first leadership role.She had the results. She had the drive. She had my full confidence.Six months later, she was exhausted and her team had gone quiet.I had given her the title.
I hadn't given her the support.I assumed what made her great at the work would make her great at leading the work.It doesn't. It's a different job.Here's what I'd do differently today:1️⃣ Name what changes.
→ Her success now comes through other people. Say it out loud on Day One.2️⃣ Meet every week for the first 90 days.
→ Not to check the work. To talk about the people.3️⃣ Share the hard parts early.
→ Her first difficult conversation shouldn't happen alone.4️⃣ Ask what she has stopped doing.
→ New leaders hold on to the old job because it still feels safe.She went on to become one of the strongest leaders I've worked with.But those first six months were harder than they needed to be.That one's on me.What do you wish someone had told you in your first leadership role?
Visual · Text onlyNo image, or a simple photo of you. The story carries the post.Check before postingUse your own real story: who it was, when, and what you missed. Keep the person anonymous.
The question that tells me if a top team is alignedRule 2 and the lead magnet: your years with executive teams in line one, then the Executive Team Alignment Check for a comment. Modelled on Geraldine Gauthier's “Comment MASK” framework post.
Hook
After years of working with executive teams, one question tells me more than any engagement survey:“What are this team's top 3 priorities?”I ask each leader separately.On a well-aligned team, the answers match.On most teams, I get a long list that barely overlaps.Nobody is wrong. Everyone is busy. And the company moves in several directions at once.Alignment isn't a slogan on the offsite slides.It's 5 things a top team agrees on:1️⃣ The few priorities that matter this year
2️⃣ Who owns each one
3️⃣ How decisions get made, and who makes them
4️⃣ How disagreement gets resolved
5️⃣ What the team will stop doingMiss one, and the team pays for it in every meeting.I turned these into a one-page Executive Team Alignment Check: the questions your top team can answer in 20 minutes.Comment ALIGN and I'll send it to you.
Visual · Single imageThe 5 points on one card, titled “Executive Team Alignment Check”.Check before postingBuild the one-page check before posting, and keep the question you really ask executive teams.
Free forever: unlimited scheduling through LinkedIn’s official API, with images, video and PDF carousels.
06
LinkedIn lead generation: lead magnets that work to target executives
Reactions show interest. A download shows intent. The fastest way to find out which executives are serious is to give them something useful and see who asks for it.
In leadership and executive coaching, these formats get the most requests:
Format 1The framework guideThe framework from the post, with the coaching questions for each step, sent to everyone who comments a word.
Format 2The scorecardThe signals from the post turned into a short scorecard a leader fills in for their own company.
Format 3The bookA leadership book offered for a comment, with the story of why it was written.
Format 4The newsletter issueOne figure and three moves in the post, the full issue one click away in the first comment.
Our pick for you: “The Executive Team Alignment Check”Built from the top team alignment work the coach already does (priorities, roles, decisions and culture from Day One): one page of questions a CEO and their team answer in 20 minutes. Offer it on post 4 with “Comment ALIGN”, and point readers on to the newsletter and the book.With a Reveal link, every person who downloads it is shown by name, with their role and how warm they are. Your first Reveal link is free.Create your free Reveal link
07
From reactions to clients
Content brings executives to the profile. It doesn't say when to reach out. Most never comment, so they stay invisible among hundreds of coaches, and a CEO reading every post in October may have hired someone else by January.
On LinkedIn, the right moment to start a conversation is when someone keeps coming back. We call that Hot: 5 or more points over 90 days, where a reaction counts 1, a repost 2, a download or a reply 4.
Hot right now11 executives · not contacted yetNetwarm
11 executives are Hot. See who to message first.See who’s Hot
First messageAn opener for each Hot person, based on the posts they readNetwarm
Hi Jordan, you've been reading my posts on executive teams for a few weeks. Is alignment on the agenda for your next offsite?Hi Sam, I saw you reacted to the post on CEOs making the wrong call. Is that a conversation your team is having right now?
A first line for each of them, ready to send.See the openers
Netwarm sends nothing for you. It tells you who and when, and you write the message. It also works inside Claude and ChatGPT: ask “Who's Hot today?” and get the list.
08
FAQ
For this coach, posts from inside the CEO room brought 14.9% executives, against 8.4% for energy and mindset lists. Open on your years with CEOs, give one figure or one moment, and end on a question about their own team.
For this coach, Tuesday brought the highest share of executives (16.1%) and the most executive reactions in total. Wednesday and Sunday brought the lowest, about 8%.
This coach posts almost every day, and 13 executives came back 3 times or more in a month. Daily works when the weekday posts speak to executives and the lighter lists go out at the weekend.
Look at who reacts, not how many. Group reactions by role, measure the share of your ideal clients per post, and follow the people who keep coming back. A free Netwarm scan does this for you.
Yes. Netwarm only reads public reactions to your own posts. It never logs in as you, never asks for your password, and never messages anyone for you.
How we made this playbook
We read the public reactions on 28 posts published between 3 October and 3 November 2026 (up to the first 100 people per post), and sorted the 883 people by role. Comments were not counted, so engagement figures are a floor. One duplicate post and one post with no reactions were left out.
Niche rules come from top posts by CEO coaches and leadership advisors over the last 3 months. Role groups are approximate; a Netwarm scan matches people to your own ideal client.
