You're swamped with daily tasks. How do you convey the value of thought leadership to your team?

Thought leadership involves generating innovations, ideas, insights and opinions and sharing with them with others to influence and inspire. Thought leadership provides any organization with fertile growth for cultivating leads, but also it supports the rest of the organization.

Our roles as thought leaders is to consistently invest on our own subject knowledge and expertise. This requires us to practice ‘Shoshin’ the zen practice of beginners mindset. Approaching everything with curiosity to know and learn. It helps us not just constantly hone our own skills but also encourages others to do the same. This attitude also provides the psychological safety for team members to be comfortable to learn and continue sharing without being intimidated in your presence as “The thought leader” on the subject.

Before thought-leadership articles, we called them 'essays', a term coined by Michel de Montaigne in the early renaissance. His masterpieces of insight and wisdom were, to him, just 'attempts'. You don't have to be definitive or comprehensive. You must just make the most honest effort possible to share that which appears valuable. Just try. That would be my ambition for all my colleagues and myself.

I fully support the idea of demonstrating thought leadership by actively sharing insights and industry trends. By introducing new ideas in meetings or casual conversations, you not only show your commitment to staying informed but also set a positive example for your team. Your enthusiasm can inspire others to engage and share their own innovative ideas, making thought leadership a natural part of your team's culture. This approach fosters a dynamic and creative environment where innovation is encouraged and valued.

I found people follow more when they see practical examples versus unproven theories, so as a leader when you demonstrate by doing it first or what you did successfully before the team automatically comes through and supports you fully and go even beyond.

…and that is a perfect time to take a deep breath, step back to observe objectively…sharing what has worked for me: - What kind of “daily tasks” that I am spending my time on? What’s the value of doing the tasks? How are they helping me and my tribe grow? Are these required and that too daily ? Any better way to do the tasks e.g. new technology/ tools/hacks? Can the tasks be shared? These questions have served as great gatekeepers for me and have enabled transparent communication with my team. They have helped defend my “thinking time” - my time to read, contemplate, mull over half thoughts, connect dots, cross fertilise ideas, asking myself why not and what about..these fuel my thought leadership quests and contributions..

Taking the first 15 min of every morning to do a press review on key topics around your industry or sector of work is a game-changer and an easy new habit to install! This will nurture your industry knowledge, help you stay ahead of the trends, and catalyst new ideas while signaling your team and your clients that you are an expert in the topic.

With the best leaders, the ability to schedule timing trumps skills needed to ace any role. Blocking out particular schedules and being disciplined enough to stick to them is a skill set to be embraced.

I realized the importance of scheduling time for thought leadership activities. I encouraged my team to block out specific time slots for reading industry news, attending webinars, or brainstorming sessions. By dedicating time to these activities, I signaled that I valued their development and recognized the potential for these moments to lead to breakthroughs. This approach ensured that thought leadership became an integral part of our routine, fostering innovation even amidst a busy schedule.

One thing that I find helpful is to think of Steve Covey’s matrix he shares in his bestseller ‘7 habits of highly effective people’: When prioritizing tasks distinguish them into: A) important tasks (e.g. coaching employees, following up with a long standing client ‘just because’ or THOUGHTLEADERSHIP) and B) urgent tasks (e.g. Email of an unhappy client, ringing phone, breakdown of distribution channel etc.) Many urgent tasks are NOT important in the long run, so de-prioritize them and substitute for them with important tasks. Clear zour schedule for at least a couple of hours, switch off all notifications and start writing!

Encouraging idea sharing within a team is a cornerstone of leadership growth. By recognizing and valuing each member's contributions, we not only empower them but also foster a culture of collaboration that can lead to extraordinary outcomes. As I've witnessed in my Vistage groups, when leaders create a safe space for dialogue, they unlock the potential for innovative solutions and member success stories that inspire others.

When you’re overwhelmed with daily tasks, it’s even more important to convey the value of thought leadership by encouraging your team to share their insights and ideas. I create opportunities for team members to present their thoughts, whether through regular brainstorming sessions or informal meetings. By valuing their contributions and showing how these ideas drive innovation, I highlight the importance of thought leadership. This not only empowers the team but also demonstrates that their perspectives can influence and enhance our collective success.

I focused on creating an environment where sharing ideas was welcomed and valued to nurture thought leadership. I encouraged my team to present their findings and thoughts on industry trends during meetings. This approach validated their efforts and sparked conversations that led to innovative solutions. By creating a safe space where every team member felt confident to voice their perspectives, we fostered a culture of thought leadership that thrived even during busy times.

Meta Mind Alignment posits 2 beliefs for leaders to adopt while encouraging teams to “share” more ideas. 1. Ideas can come from anywhere. Encourage ownership towards the company & results at every level of the organisation. Be open to, motivate & thank all who wish to share & express their ideas with enthusiastic & optimistic candour, regardless of their position or role. 2. Decisions should be based on the merit of the idea, not who came up with it. Appreciate & respect the sharing of all ideas, however only implement those that have merit! Avoid group- think. Encourage team members to de-personalise their ego from the acceptance of the ideas they share. Reward the behaviour of ‘sharing’ not just the one whose idea is chosen.

Sharing is Caring. Facilitate Knowledge Sharing: - Create opportunities for the team to share insights and learn from each other, fostering a collaborative environment where thought leadership thrives. Celebrate Small Wins: - Acknowledge and reward contributions to thought leadership, even if they’re small, to reinforce its importance and boost morale.

In my experience, simple gestures like saying thank you or recognizing smaller tasks are often overlooked by managers, while mistakes rarely go unnoticed. Every thought leader should regularly reflect on their habits of rewarding versus punishing and make a conscious effort to improve their own behaviors.

This is an important aspect of Leadership in general. Try to avoid skimpy feedback "Nice work", and put some thought into your feedback. Explain what it is that you appreciated, why was it "Nice work"? Provide an example of the value this work presents and tie it to future outcomes. Thoughtful feedback encourages more "Nice work" : ).

LinkedIn offers an easy way to recognize your team's thought leadership. Comment on their posts when they highlight a bylined article they wrote or podcast they were featured on. Share it on your own feed with commentary about what was most insightful to you. And make sure your corporate social media team shares it as well.

O reconhecimento é uma poderosa ferramenta de motiva??o. Ao reconhecer e celebrar as contribui??es individuais e os esfor?os da equipe, refor?amos o comportamento que queremos ver. Aprecio e destaco publicamente as ideias inovadoras e as realiza??es que demonstram lideran?a de pensamento. Isso cria um ambiente onde todos se sentem valorizados e inspirados a continuar contribuindo com seu melhor, sabendo que seu trabalho é notado e apreciado.

As a leader, it is always important to acknowledge the work of your team. Giving words of encouragement goes a long way in boosting morales and acknowledging exceptional work by members is always a point to note as persons on any team feel the sense of being a part of the team. Rewarding team members for outstanding work especially when it brings profit or accolades to the organization will go a long way in having persons perform at their best. Most important is when possible affording the awards or words of encouragement in person. It's always better coming from your mouth to their ears. They feel the sense of appreciation.

Foster curiosity AND create psychological safety. Teams will not feel safe prioritising thought leadership if they don't feel like they can intellectually explore without judgement and criticism. Neurodivergent employees are some of the most creative, out-of-the-box thinkers and we need to build accessible and inclusive environments where they can thrive and we can all benefit from innovation! ?????

As a leader, you can set the tone by asking thought-provoking questions and demonstrating a genuine interest in your team's insights. This practice not only shows that their contributions are valued, but also cultivates an environment where thought leadership is a natural outcome of everyday problem-solving. Encouraging this mindset will push your team to think beyond immediate tasks and engage with broader trends and innovative approaches.

Irrelevant whether you're swamped with tasks or not. If you are a leader, it's YOUR responsibility to build other leaders - in your company or in life. Elevating thought leadership in their minds, starting with the easiest question of why they do what they do will jumpstart a moment of reckoning. It's easy for people to get stuck in situations and ask for help. But if leaders step in and help each time, they're not doing their people any favours. The quote comes to mind - 'Give a man a fish and it'll feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and it'll feed him for a lifetime'. Coach your people for them to always see the bigger picture than task masters and excel warriors!