Thought Leadership in the Workplace

“Stop being moons. Stop living by reflected light. Get into action and convert yourself into a living sun…every human soul contains within it the elements of the sun…don’t be afraid to say, ‘I am it.’” ?W.W. Atkinson

?Leadership is often thought of as being in charge of something or someone.? We often think that in order for someone to lead they must somehow climb their way to the top of an organization or start?their own to implement their ideas and vision.? While that may be true in some instances, it need not always be the case and more employers and employees need to be aware of another type of leadership known as "Thought Leadership." ? Thought Leadership is defined in a number of ways, but basically can be summed up by the following characteristics:? 1.?You possess expertise in a given field. 2.?Ability to articulate an idea or vision. 3.?Courage to challenge the status quo and advocate change.

As we consider the above characteristics, we can see that a thought leader does not necessarily have to be in charge of the people or organization he may be challenging.?

• Expertise is often found on the front lines and not always in the executive boardroom.?
• The key for executives is learning how to tap this important resource of thinking that could prove to enhance the bottom line of the organization.
• The fact is the success of any company is not dependent on its systems as much as the people who operate those systems and have bought into the organization emotionally.
• To achieve thought leadership from front line employees, managers can be inspiring and empower employees by considering the questions below:
• Can employees ignore existing culture? - Wanting employees to exercise their own judgment is a matter of how sacred the culture within the organization is and not a matter of new training in personal development.
• Are calculated risks allowed? - Employees must know they will not be penalized for challenging the norms and mores of how the organization has "always done it".
• How far up the ladder can employees climb? - Can front line employees challenge systems and seek to improve them, even if their suggestions are not consistent with Supervisor philosophies and competencies?
• How Boss dependent are we? - Employees need to know how to move from being told what to do to:

·????? Asking if they can act

·????? Acting and then immediately reporting

·????? Acting and reporting as needed.?

?Key Question for Executives to Consider: What criteria will be used to allow employees to move along this line of thought leadership?

?The great thing about thought leadership is that it does not require great leadership style or skill to manage people, but it does allow for bottom-up leadership to promote a better way of doing business.

?“Thoughts, things, people, ideas, opportunities, chances and other things, which we attract, are passing before us, all the time. But it takes courage to grasp them. The successful man is he who knows how to take advantage of the chances that other men fail to see. He has confidence in himself and in his ability to beat into shape the crude material at his hand. And so, he never feels that there are no more chances in the world for him or that all the good things have been passed around. He knows that there are plenty more good things where the others came from, and he simply keeps his eyes open, and after a bit, something comes along, and he reaches out and takes it.” – Napolean Hill