Crafting Enduring Thought Leadership
THIS is the moment I go for in my work. “I knew they were smart, but then I noticed they were putting out new insights that were changing things, and the writing was fantastic,” said my prospect. About work I did with an earlier client. Over five years ago. Today, that client is seen as […]
A Strength Training Analogy
At first, it was impossible. Then it was difficult. Now I can do it multiple reps and multiple sets. I’m not just talking about 100kg+ back squats. Many of the same concepts apply to the heavy lift of messaging and thought leadership. I can think of several other analogies, too, but I’ll just leave it […]
How Effective Thought Leadership Guides Financial Choices
The most powerful thought leadership influences the way people understand a particular topic, issue, or challenge. The higher the stakes of the topic (as in institutional finance where reputations and many billions of dollars can be at stake), the greater the need to make sense out of complexity and provide context. This principle also means […]
Crafting Thought Leadership that Engages Real Lives
Good thought leadership creates powerful engagement because it acknowledges people’s lived experience with trends and challenges. It makes sense within their life-world. For example, imagine you are developing an innovative tool or approach for a complex investment instrument. You need to understand the whole ecosystem of stakeholders, not just the features and benefits of your […]
Cultivating a Richer Perspective in Thought Leadership
A thought leadership topic as intense as institutional financial services can become a black hole. Soon enough, you find yourself thinking finance all day, every day. But thought leadership benefits from external perspectives, too. It’s best when there is multi-disciplinary input. Some of it is just the pleasure of awe, but a lot of it […]
How Core Questions Lead to Clear Horizons
It’s funny how the four core questions startups need to get traction and grow are the same questions you have to answer in planning a thought leadership strategy. I’ve noticed that startups who can answer them with ease also transition with ease to planning and creating thought leadership. I’ve noticed that startups who can’t answer […]
How Thought Leadership Makes Marketing Everyone’s Ally
Marketing can build relationships with department heads in many areas of the business by including them in the planning and development of thought leadership. It establishes a partnership in which marketers listen to and solicit input while helping other departments sharpen their messaging and play a part in building a company’s reputation. For example, in […]
Leading Against the Odds
Remember…no one is making you play the “ask for permission” game. Barbara: (indignant) It is THIS behavior why we would never let you lead us in a crisis. Ava: Nobody “lets” me do anything. Yet here I am… doing things. That’s why I’m a leader. Abbott Elementary, S3 E 11. It’s already a great line. […]
I Thought They Knew Best: Turns Out, Not Really!
I’m really embarrassed. Recently I reached out to two of my LI contacts to congratulate them on recent news. No agenda—just appreciation. What I noticed was messages like the one in this screenshot, dating back several years ago. If you’ve read some of my other posts, you’ve probably noticed I’m quite vehement about formula-mongers and […]
Claiming Your Space
At one level, you don’t own your thinking if you’re a thought leader within a company. The IP belongs to your employer. But you still build your reputation. You still have the freedom to carve out a space in which you care. The key to that self-sovereignty even within employment is establishing your ownership of […]