Blue Ocean Thought Leadership
Whispering into the wind won’t do much to help you get your message heard. Many thought leadership strategies seem to ignore such basic common sense. They pursue overly broad topics where everyone has a point of view, such as blockchain or AI, and prioritize overcrowded channels to the exclusion of all else, such as earned […]
Creating a “Content Swarm”
I’ve seen it happen many times before. Companies invest a huge amount of time, effort, and intellectual energy in creating a piece of thought leadership such as a whitepaper. At launch, they post it online available for download, perhaps also putting out a press release and a link on major social media feeds. Then the […]
Five Takeaways from the 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer
Today’s trust climate creates the ideal conditions for thought leaders to join and influence the conversation around key issues in their industry. It also suggests the true power of owned media as a primary thought leadership channel, over and above earned media and the chase for mentions. Data from Edelman’s 2019 Trust Barometer make the […]
Thought Leadership Must Lead to Succeed
Many companies that embark on a thought leadership strategy lose sight of an essential component of thought leadership. It actually has to lead. By this, I mean that true thought leadership puts the stress on the “leadership” dimension of the concept. It has to be based on a vision for how the knowledge and practices […]
The Eight Types Of Strategy Execution
After many years on the front lines of efforts to translate good ideas into good outcomes, I’ve observed a few common themes that define the contours of strategy execution. In general, strategy execution is defined by where a team, and above all, its leadership, operate, along three axes. Finding or recovering executional momentum means succeeding […]
Planning To The Power Of Three
While it’s not a replacement for detailed, methodical planning, I use a simple “Power Of Three” approach to keep my work and my goals aligned. Its purpose is to prioritize and create a framework that shapes detailed planning. It works because it highlights meaningful outcomes alongside finished work. And it works as effectively for work […]
The Consultative Dilemma
This piece by Jared Spool offers some of the most helpful insights I have ever read about the dilemmas of being a consultant and being passionate about results and outcomes, working with clients, and managing one’s own expectations as a strategic advisor. And with a good dose of surreal humor, too. Beyond consulting, it applies in any […]
Aligning “Should” and “Must”
This beautiful essay on “Should” versus “Must” re-inspires me every time I read it. It focuses on the dynamics of obligations versus calling. And while I do agree that Should and Must are different, the subtle art of being an entrepreneur is channeling the Shoulds to achieve the Musts. Yes, I “should” sort out the complexities […]
“Ugh, who wrote this?” (The Marketing Content Voice)
As someone who both writes marketing content in healthcare and who advises companies on their content strategy and messaging, one of the most persistent and complex questions I come across in my work is the question of voice. Look at it first from the patient perspective. Patients want content that is clear and easy to […]
Bad Branding and Bad Dynamics
Yesterday’s Fortune offers a set of amusing anecdotes on branding efforts gone wrong, I have no inside knowledge of what happened at Airbnb, Tropicana, Gap, or other companies mentioned in the piece, but all of them suggest an essential factor in the creative process – the political dynamic. It defines reason that no one on […]