Scott Leeper is the Director of Community at Vistage Worldwide, a global executive-coaching and peer advisory organization that supports CEOs and business leaders in small to midsize companies. He helps build and scale leadership communities that bring together experienced executives for coaching, strategic thinking, and peer support. With extensive experience fostering networks and aligning teams around shared purpose, he guides community growth without sacrificing trust or authenticity. Scott’s work strengthens leadership across industries by enabling meaningful connections and better business decisions.
About the Episode
Sometimes growth comes from bold strategy, and other times it comes from simply getting people to show up for each other. Brands and leaders alike are trying to build spaces where connection actually means something, especially as audiences become more selective and technology accelerates faster than culture can keep up. How do you create a community that scales without losing its soul? According to Scott Leeper, the answer begins with clarity, authentic storytelling, and intentional alignment across teams. He shares how thriving communities form when people feel understood, see immediate value, and have ownership in the journey. Scott and host Tyler Lane break down how to scale communities, unify fractured teams, and preserve human connection in an AI-driven world — while making community a catalyst for smarter decisions and stronger leadership.
Key Moments
Building Global Communities That Drive Results
- How Scott scaled thriving networks that deliver real value to members and organizations [1:54].
Merging Multiple Brands Into One Unified Identity
- The lessons, challenges, and breakthroughs from combining five companies under one brand [4:11].
Creating Alignment Through Clarity and Ownership
- Why team buy-in, transparent goals, and shared responsibility fuel integration success [8:01].
AI’s Role in Modern Communities
- How technology enhances efficiency without replacing human connection or authentic relationships [12:41].
Scaling With Simple, Effective Tools
- Why complexity kills momentum — and how Vistage grew communities through simplicity and consistency [16:49].
The Storytelling Shift That Transformed Engagement
- Why member stories fueled explosive growth in participation and value perception [19:16].
Why Every Brand Needs a Community
- How connection builds loyalty, belonging, and long-term growth for companies of any size [24:07].
Leveraging Communities to Inform Strategy
- Ways community discussions reveal product gaps, customer needs, and marketing opportunities [27:21].
Leading People-First While Staying Strategic
- How to balance vision, structure, and empathy to inspire high-performing teams [32:11].
The Future: Tighter, More Targeted Communities
- Scott’s prediction that niche, focused groups will become the most powerful spaces for leaders [36:09].
Top Insights
- Align teams around shared strategic goals – Creating clarity on direction and desired outcomes helps every function move forward together with purpose.
- Invite cross-functional ownership in planning – When people help shape the plan, they buy in more deeply and stay accountable.
- Elevate member or customer stories in your messaging – Real experiences build trust faster than metrics and spark stronger engagement across a community.
- Use data to refine and scale community programs – Understanding participation patterns ensures you invest in what delivers the most value and momentum.
- Preserve human connection despite new technology – While tools increase efficiency, relationships drive impact — protecting that authenticity keeps communities meaningful and resilient.
Notable Quotes
- “It was a team, but I was able to bring people together that had different skill sets to do different angles and to have different ownership.”
- “We didn’t see the huge take off until we made a shift in some of our messaging.”
- “That’s where we really started to see the growth in the number of users.”
- “What I don’t think it’ll do is replace the human side of community, which is all about connections.”
- “People are going to belong to something they want to belong to.”
Resources
Industry Experts
- Tyler Lane on LinkedIn
- Scott Leeper: LinkedIn | Email
- Marcus Buckingham on LinkedIn
Companies and Organizations
Build Communities and Teams That Actually Drive Growth
Great communities don’t happen by accident — they’re built with clarity, alignment, and intentional storytelling. At Session Interactive, we help brands translate those same principles into growth systems that scale, from measurement-first marketing to smarter content strategies. If you want to activate your audience, understand your users, and grow with purpose, our team can help you turn insight into measurable performance.
For more episodes on strategy, community, and growth, subscribe to Built to Convert.
Ready to build something that connects and converts? Visit Session Interactive today.
