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…
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http://helenabcommunications.com Helena Bouchez
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http://www.worldleadercenter.com John Childs
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http://www.synergetic-solutions.com Faith Fuqua-Purvis

