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I was on my laptop at Caribou Coffee in Royal Oak and I saw a friend
Eddie Lee (Detroit Young Professionals) and we talked for a minute and he mentioned the phase, ‘Thought Leader’ and this blog post was born. Thanks Eddie!
Are you a thought leader? We all have the potential to be one.
Thought leader is defined in Wikipedia as a buzzword or article of jargon used to describe a futurist or person who is recognized among their peers and mentors for innovative ideas and demonstrates the confidence to promote or share those ideas as actionable distilled insights (thinklets).
The term was first coined in 1994, by Joel Kurtzman, editor-in-chief of the magazine, Strategy & Business.
But now I ask you a question, what things matter to you? Does anybody care about your thoughts? What is important in your life? What are your interest and what do you truly care about? It is time to wrap your thoughts around something that matters and leverage the power of the new media, blogging, social networks, and microblogging- twitter to name a few. The voice of user-generated content is increasing and becoming more relevant. For me it is simple, my thoughts are wrapped around branding. Branding is an inexhaustible subject so there is never a shortage of content or things to talk about.
I believe a lot people focus on things they think other people want to hear versus creating relevant content that matters. Being a thought leader is not a title that you can anoint yourself with, so please don’t try.
What I believe thought leaders have!
o Vision. They see what others don’t see (and before others see it.)
o Innovate. They think outside the box.
o Focus. The concentrate on something that matters.
o Make the complex simple. Anybody can add steps to a process, can you remove steps and make the process better.
o Swagger. They have that something that draws you to them and makes you want to consume their thoughts and their content.
Thought leaders communicate passion when sharing their ideas. As a personal brand strategist I fight the ills of the branding world and unoriginally with my Apple laptop (I would say pen, but that is so 20th century) my blog, and my book. I am the world’s next superhero, just call me ‘Brand Man’. LOL
Are you a thought leader? Let me know your thoughts.
Two of the though leaders (social media/marketing) I follow in twitter:
@chrisbrogan
@SethGodin
Two of my personal favorites:
Kevin Carroll- www.kevincarrollkatalyst.com
TED(Technology, Entertainment, Design)- www.TED.com (Inspired talks by the worlds greatest thinkers and doers)
thoughtleader_tagcloud, originally uploaded by Hajj Flemings.
Thanks for the kind words, Hajj. I don’t call myself a thought leader, but by your definition, that’s certainly the area where I like to play. I like to look around the corner and see what comes next. I like to think about how we’re doing something today in one way, and extrapolate it out another way.
Why? Because there are people by the ton documenting where we are. I want to know where we’re going. : )
Chris Brogan...July 5th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Chris,
Thanks for the reply. You do have a decent following over 10K in twitter and you one of the respected voices in social media. Keep up the good work.
Hajj FlemingsJuly 5th, 2008 at 8:34 am
I think you’re quite right; a true thought leader is someone who possesses a great deal of each of the qualities you described, including the reluctance to proclaim that title for themselves.
I especially like where focus comes into play in your description. It’s important to remember that content creation is typically a lonely process. The sharing comes later.
As an aside, I’ve always pondered why movies about writers and artists are even made, since what makes them worthy of being depicted in a film is their work. Instead, 98% of the film focuses on everything but their work. Although, admittedly, watching writers write isn’t Hollywood blockbuster material.
To be a thought leader, one has to be willing to plumb the depths in solitude, and then resurface excited by the prospect of sharing his findings with the world.
I think you’ve identified a couple of real gems, whether or not they tend to agree.
Shannon PaulJuly 7th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Yes Hajj, I want to be a thought leader. i want people to feel compelled to change their way of thinking in everyday life. The economy has funds strained in households, gas prices are skyrocketing, some Americans feel hopeless as they struggle to make ends meet. I want to help re-program the mind of the average consumer by assuring them that there are ways to save and new cost-saving routes to travel down..
Joshua ShephardJuly 7th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Shannon,
Very well put, not only do thought leaders go at it alone at times, but I believe they do it for the greater good.
Hajj FlemingsJuly 7th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Joshua,
Life is about solving problems. I truly believe the better you are at solving problems you significantly increase your ability to succeed. The challenge becomes identifying what problem(s) you choose spend your time solving.
Hajj FlemingsJuly 8th, 2008 at 3:09 am
I love the insight that you bring on the word “Thought Leader”.
Interestingly, I’ve been chewing on a similar word that I recently came up with out of dire need to define who I am and what I do. What I ended up with was “Thought Catalyst”…
Thought Catalyst [n.]: Describes someone who creates an environment or atmosphere where the mind can be challenged and where change can occur. A type of change agent who presents ideas in effort to challenge the way a person thinks.
I actually defined the word at http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=thought+catalyst
T H I N K | C H A N G E
Antwon DavisJuly 8th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Antwon,
I love the title, “Thought Catalyst”. You are differentiating youself in a very powerful way. Continue to provide creative insight and originality to the space you occupy.
Hajj FlemingsJuly 8th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
I think Brand Man is totally an appropriate title for you. I can honestly say, you live and breathe it 24/7.
I think that is another trait we see in a lot of thought leaders. They always seem to be the one consuming, sharing and commenting (at least in the social media sphere). It’s the ideal combination of commitment and passion.
Brandon ChesnuttNovember 25th, 2008 at 10:26 am