Thought Leaders

By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth

Thought Leadership…What is a thought leader, and what does thought leadership mean in today’s business world? These are interesting questions as we get ready to kick-off the World Business Forum today in New York. Over the next two days I’ll be with some of the worlds most notable CEOs, an Academy Award winner, a Nobel Laureate, New York Times and Wall Street Journal Best Selling authors, distinguished business school professors, champions of innovation and other titans of industry. But are they really thought leaders, or are they simply just plowing old ground with more eloquence than their predecessors? In today’s post I’ll examine the subject of thought leadership in an attempt to separate fact from fiction…

As much as some people wish it wasn’t so, a thought leader is not someone who simply restates someone else’s views and positions. Even going beyond uniqueness of thought, a true thought leader’s positions also challenge established norms and conventions. Moreover, the true litmus test for a thought leader is when their unique ideas are implemented in the marketplace, they tend to create disruptive innovation, and often change the way we view the world.

Regrettably the label of thought leader has evolved to become a self-bestowed title for anyone who has something to say or promote, often without regard for qualitative issues. Some would say that the term thought leader, once synonymous with futurist and innovator, is more closely aligned with snake-oil salesman today. Don’t get me wrong, true thought leaders still exist; they are just much harder to spot these days.

Let me begin by stating that authentic thought leaders, the real deals, are not created via great marketing and PR alone. While they are oft published, quite outspoken, and many times represented by marvelous publicists, they are not merely contrived, self-promoted legends in their own minds. Rather true thought leaders are born out of real-world successes, achievements, and contributions that have been recognized by their peers and competitors alike.

The collection of speakers at WBF causes me to ponder what really constitutes thought leadership? I’ll be sharing my observations with you over the next two days, but my advice to you is to judge people on their actions and results, not their rhetoric. Don’t accept conventional wisdom as gospel unless you can validate proof of concept, and then only accept it if you can innovate with it, or around it. Here’s the deal - when you run across a real thought leader, you’ll clearly recognize them as such for there is something truly unique in both their words and deeds.

I’d be interested in your thoughts on what defines thought leadership. I’m also interested in your thoughts about the speakers I’ll be profiling over the next few days – do they deserve thought leader status? Lastly, if you have anyone who stands out to you as a real thought leader in business I welcome hearing about them. I look forward to your comments…

gupta103

To my mind, you cannot speak about the need for leadership within our communities without being prepared to take on responsibility yourself. It’s not enough to point the finger at those who have let us down and to expect others to come forward and fix our problems. Nor can anyone afford to call themselves a leader unless they truly have the interests of our community at heart. Too many people like to think they are leaders and too many are identified by the media as leaders who are not really leaders at all.
- http://www.n2growth.com/blog/ mikemyatt
  
  All good points Gupta. Thanks for your comments.
http://helenabcommunications.com Helena Bouchez

Great post, Mike. And you are right, not everyone who claims to be a thought leader really is one. And there are many thought leaders out there that don't realize they are one. Here is a quick litmus test: Do they have any followers? Is there any evidence? (The purpose of expertise-based PR, btw, is to help nurture and create evidence of a following.) Looking forward to reading your posts! Will follow you on Twitter. I'm @helenabouchez.
- http://www.n2growth.com/blog/ mikemyatt
  
  Thanks for the observations Helena – A bigger question troubling me of late is are the contributions of thought leaders really adding value? Are they lasting and sustainable? I'm fearful that many of those deemed thought leaders are simply capitalizing on trends – not necessarily a bad thing, but does this in and of itself constitute thought leadership?
http://asimpleguyblog.blogspot.com Dan Collins

Mike,

A thought leader is often recognized only in retrospect. Sometimes years after the words, that at the time were ridiculed or dismissed, were spoken or written. We often throw the phrase around to describe those who ride the wave of current fads and exploit trends. But in my mind – A thought leader can be as simple as a father, a teacher, a coach or an inspiring person from history books who prompts us to reexamine our actions and take a path that we would not otherwise take. Thought leaders influence us to do and be what we otherwise would not – they lead our thoughts. It's not the PR or the marketing that matters as much as did they lead one persons thoughts and influence their behavior. I believe we spend too much time on the quantity of people led rather than the impact on the person led. Popularity of message, in my view, may be a bit of a smokescreen. Indeed it may make a case that popularity negates a person to be considered a thought leader. Many view thought leadership as cutting edge insights or new takes on old problems and I agree those are important contributions but I don't think that is thought leadership. Stimulation of ones intellect is nice – But often times that stimulation serves simply to reinforce previously held beliefs and patterns. Thoughts and words that create cognitive dissonance and yet still inspire us to take actions to initiate change is real thought leadership. Just my two cents though Mike.
http://asimpleguyblog.blogspot.com Dan Collins

Mike,

Unfortunately even "wrong" thought leadership is thought leadership. Think of all the examples of those who have led humanity down morally reprehensible paths or led us "astray". They were certainly thought leaders. You are right – it certainly is all about meaningful impact but the right and wrong part of the equation doesn't alter the leadership quotient.
Movement to Action is the measurement – Hype is the fuel – Quality of content,in a moral sense, is up to each one of us to determine.
- http://www.n2growth.com/blog/ mikemyatt
  
  Hi Dan – I understand your point, but I prefer to view the historical figures you mention as examples of those who attain positions of leadership without being leaders. Tyrants, dictators sycophants, and others of that ilk don't lead they simply wield power – there is a difference. Maybe splitting hairs, because my suspicion is that we're probably closer together than we are apart. Thanks Dan.
http://www.worldleadercenter.com John Childs

Mike,

I always thought thought leaders, simply put, were those with fresh new ideas on old topics. One I like in particular is Malcom Gladwell. His writing is interesting, provocative, and different. He, in my book, is a prime example of a thought leader because of his ability to relook at subjects and give us fresh insight into things we may have never thought of before.
- http://www.n2growth.com/blog/ mikemyatt
  
  Hi John:
  
  Thanks for the comment. Your observation about some thought leaders revisiting old subjects with a fresh perspective is a good one, and Malcolm Gladwell is a great example of this. Thanks for sharing John.
http://www.hirebetterblog.com/ Gina

They truly are those that are doing & creating in ways no one has before. They think in ways no one else does. They are not afraid of a challenge or of failure. They are always looking at ways to change what is considered the "way things are done". They are so inspiring to watch in action- to try to catch a glimpse of how their brain works.
- http://www.n2growth.com/blog/ mikemyatt
  
  Thanks for the comment Gina…I particularly like the concept of not being afraid of the challenge nor of failure. Thanks again for stopping by Gina…
http://coachestrainingblog.com/becomeacoah lynne q

Leaders today are our boss, they keep on telling us what to do which is very wrong. Leaders doesn't demand respect, but rather, commands it.
http://waldoecg.com Dave

Thought Leaders…you know them when you hear them!
http://www.synergetic-solutions.com Faith Fuqua-Purvis

Mike – Thanks for the interesting post and discussion.

I agree with much of what Dan Collins says. To me, Thought Leaders are necessarily the one's up on the stage, with the big PR and Marketing. Some of them are – others are simply public figures or industry leaders, both with are not the same as Thought Leaders.

I've given myself a task as I review all my WBF notes and craft future blogs to assess who I percieve as true Thought Leaders. My personal perspective is that I would not call most of the individuals we saw speak Thought Leaders. They were Leaders and Representatives along multiple dimensions, but not necesssarily Thought Leaders.
http://www.synergetic-solutions.com Faith Fuqua-Purvis

To me a Thought Leader provokes your thinking. They challenging your assumptions your way of approaching things. Within some organizations they are shunned as they do not willingly "walk the line" and social norming elements come into play.

To me Thought Leaders can be bringing completely new content or simply a new view on existing content/ideas. It's more about the organization and provication. I also agree that they aren't necessarily recognized at the time. They can be, but sometimes it's only recognized through reflection and consideration of the long-term impact that the individual had on the choices you make and the direction your life takes.

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