How do you foster a culture of thought leadership within your organization or team?

In my experience, getting to a shared understanding of mission, vision, values requires first being clear about their definitions: Mission is purpose. Vision is destination (where you want to go/what you want to achieve.) Values are what you believe, how you will behave, *and* what you'll tolerate from others. These three underpin decisions and actions - the essence of strategy. Read more here: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/what-strategy-really-tara-rethore/

Promote a culture of continuous learning by investing in professional development programs, training sessions, and mentorship opportunities. Encourage employees to expand their knowledge and acquire new skills. Provide access to resources such as books, industry publications, and online learning platforms (such as LinkedIn Learning).

Creating psychological safety within the team is paramount. It empowers individuals to voice their ideas without fear of criticism. When people feel safe, they are more likely to share their thoughts and perspectives, contributing to a culture that values and fosters thought leadership.

First, think about what's important to you personally. Then, look at what the company needs and where it wants to be in the future. Talk to people in the company to understand their needs and hopes. Based on this, come up with clear and simple goals for the company's future. These goals should be easy for everyone to understand and feel good about. Make sure these goals are realistic for today but also think about the future. It's important to keep checking these goals and change them if needed. Lastly, show everyone you mean what you say by acting according to these goals every day.

By sharing your story and being open, honest and vulnerable, you can encourage others to share their stories too. Asking questions, creating a safe space and empowering those who contribute to learning are all part of leveraging your thought leadership to encourage organizational change and growth.

Curiosity helps us ask questions, look for new ideas, and think outside the box. This means not just accepting things as they are, but asking "why" and "how can it be better?" It's like being a detective, always looking for clues and new things to discover. Then, there's learning. It’s like giving our brain new tools to solve problems. When we learn, we grow, and when we grow, we can help our company do better. So, always look for chances to learn, whether it's reading, taking a course, or just listening to others. By being curious and always learning, not only do we become better leaders, but we also inspire others in the company to do the same.

'Voluntolding' is a privilege that comes from the manager's positional power but to truly empower direct reports requires buy in from them. Buy in is built with trust. One key way to build trust and encourage volunteering is to create an environment where failing is not treated punitively. People who are not afraid to fail are able to accomplish all they are capable of doing. Imagine what your team would volunteer to try if instead of criticism, failure is met with, "Well that didn't work. What can we learn from that for our next try?"

When you're leading a team, it's like being a coach to a group of players. It's important to give them the chance to try things on their own, make decisions, and be in charge of their tasks. This is called empowering them. When you trust your team and let them take initiative, they feel more responsible and often come up with great ideas. It's like allowing someone to plant their own tree; they'll make sure to water and nurture it because it's theirs. It also means if they face a problem, they'll find ways to solve it. Empowering doesn't mean leaving them alone; it means being there to guide and support when they need it. When a team feels ownership of their work, they'll be more motivated, committed, and produce better results.

Collaboration, diversity, the spirit of inclusiveness is key to fostering a culture of thought leadership. It is in fact, the bedrock. This, coupled with a growth mindset, empowering teams across the organisation to be curious, take ownership when it comes to exploring new ideas, new projects can make a winning formula. This doesn't come easily. Issues such such psychological safety need to be tackled - that all employees irrespective of their gender, race or culture have the freedom to voice their ideas and opinion, to raise their hand in a meeting room and ask a question - even if it shakes the system.

Encourage participation by people with varying, different perspectives. Open up trusting and safe spaces for discussion to help people learn and grow from other experiences and backgrounds. Promote engaging and safe "point/counterpoint" discussions that demonstrate respectful dialogue and create pathways for inclusion.

Promoting collaboration and diversity in a team is like bringing together different musicians to form a unique band. Each person brings their own sound and style, and when they play together, they create beautiful music. Collaboration means getting everyone to work together, share ideas, and combine their strengths. When people from different backgrounds, experiences, and skills collaborate, they come up with richer and more creative solutions. Diversity adds to this by bringing in varied perspectives. Think of it as adding different colors to a painting - the more shades you have, the more vibrant and detailed the picture becomes. So, as a leader, encourage team members to share their ideas, listen to each other, and learn from each other.

Supporting innovation is like planting new seeds in a garden. It's about nurturing fresh ideas and adapting to change. As a leader, create an environment where team members feel free to brainstorm without fear. Celebrate their creativity and encourage different ways of thinking. Change, while often challenging, can bring growth. Communication is key during transitions; understanding and addressing concerns ensures everyone moves forward together. Just as gardens thrive with care and variety, a company flourishes when innovation and adaptability are at its heart.

To foster a spirit of thought leadership doesn't come easily. It comes with taking stock of your current systems and thought processes - and a lot to even shaking up the old order to give way to a new order. Challenging status quo. Innovation and change can take place only when we are constantly operating outside our comfort zones.

Effective thought leadership is about contributing ideas, insights and perspectives in a way that helps others to see, think, or act in a different way. Connecting this to company mission (purpose) and values (beliefs) can further strategic objectives, particularly when coupled with genuine opportunities to cultivate, capture, and share the ideas.

In many instances there are folks in your organization that have a lot of thought leadership to contribute but they need some capability development. English may not be their first language; they may not fancy themselves a "writer", they might need some help using various content creation tools. Find out who is willing and give them the support they need to develop the necessary skills.

It's all about looking at the jar half empty or half full. Thought leadership is based on perspective - and a unique perspective, to think in a different way. That's where you can stand out in a highly competitive economy.