How can you generate original ideas for Thought Leadership that prioritize social justice and equity?

It's really important to understand and identify your specific areas of expertise and interest. Who is your audience? Why is this important? What aspects are important? What do you want to solve or do? These are all important questions that most consistently be considered. With respect to prioritizing social justice and equity, unless you are genuinely interested in social justice and equity, and live those values, you cannot add these randomly into your thought leadership. Justice and Equity must be foundational to your work, they are not add-ons for clout.

Fostering a culture of accountability and promoting informed decision-making should be guided by principles of justice and equity. Within social work practice, these principles are foundational in theory, yet often not fully realized or integrated in practice. It's crucial for practitioners to recognize their niche and operate within their scope of practice. Moreover, ingraining a commitment to justice and equity in our work is paramount to achieving our intended goals. By prioritizing these values, we not only uphold ethical standards and values, but also contribute to creating more inclusive and equitable environments for those we purport to serve.

I always start from lived experience, and find the link through metaphor. For instance, my children give me so much valuable content for an analogous look at adult life. By drawing on my own experiences I can create content that resonates with other human beings. Because hey, they're human too.

Staying aware of the current conversation is important, yes. But shaping the conversation will always require your addition of something new into the conversation. People are enamoured with novelty. So be careful to just "echo-chamber" the same stuff over and over. Thought leadership comes when you can lift up the same tired conversation and shine a light on it from another angle. An old friend of mine had an axiom that would guide his preparations for a talk he was giving. He would say to himself: "What is something that only I can say on this topic?" And then he would craft his message from that starting point. His perspective was "I am the one who has been asked to say something, so let me try not to say what anyone else would"

I prefer to think of this step as an extension of my own personal vision and mission in life. Your perspective is not merely your opinion, it is your view of the world, informed from the place on which you stand. The body follows where the head points, so your message to the world is first shaped by the perspective you take, and then direction in which you move as a result.

Em uma estratégia de lideran?a de pensamento efetiva, o propósito precisa fazer parte de todas as etapas do processo. A diversidade e equidade social precisam estar, a cada dia mais, enraizadas na estratégia geral das companhias. Desse modo, decis?es mais assertivas que reflitam a sociedade que verdadeiramente queremos come?ar?o a fazer parte, organicamente, de todas as etapas do planejamento.

Sometimes I publish a work-in-progress thought and ask for feedback in the public sphere. I will sometimes start a post with something like this "Help me here guys, I am playing around with an idea and I'd love your perspective on it. Heres my draft idea so far, tear it apart, tell me how it can be better..." and then I do a bit of verbal processing, as it were (although through writing, not speaking :)

After I have taken an idea out for a test drive I will often return to that idea a few months later and try another iteration of the thought. Sites like Linkedin are great places to workshop an idea, even if the audience doesn’t realise thats what you are doing :)

Collaborating with people who can provide us with insights on thought leadership gives us the opportunity to explore more in this area and encounter different perspectives and views. This will not only enrich our knowledge but also create a positive ripple effect. There are various groups and networks with like-minded individuals where we can interact and gain ideas. Even LinkedIn is a platform that provides us with a large community to connect with.

This is incredibly important when it comes to pursuing thought leadership for social justice and equity. Rather than lending your voice to a topic, consider if the platform or resources you have could be better served or accessed by somebody who may be closer to an issue than you. Sometimes being an ally, or championing a cause you care about means holding space for others to share their learnings or "passing the mic". This can look like: - Giving up your spot on a speaking panel to a person who may have been overlooked - Inviting somebody else to share their thoughts on your social account (if you have a big following) or feed - Interviewing (with consent) a person with closer ties or deeper knowledge on a topic than you.