In this week’s thought leadership roundup, we take a look at great reasons to ask why (repeatedly), mistakes that derail top thought leaders, and the benefits of building a foundation of human-scale culture for innovation.
How ‘Why’ and ‘So What’ Can Fuel Innovation
From Thought Leaders LLC:
“Because my maxim is simply five whys, it serves as a regular reminder for me to challenge the status quo, continue to learn, and seek new opportunities to do things differently. It also helps me ferret out risks to the business if those five whys reveal outdated assumptions about the world. If we are doing something based on old assumptions and the new reality is different, the actions we are taking are potentially wrong and we could be unwittingly damaging our business. I see it as my responsibility to find and defuse those time bombs before they blow up in our faces.”
Our take: We’ve all been there: you ask what you think are the right questions to get the informations you need, only to discover that you have more questions. And then even more. Repeatedly asking why information is being presented to you a certain way might sound obnoxious, but it will do one very important thing — make the person giving it think. By gently prodding for greater detail and scope, you not only avoid round after round of follow-ups, but you inspire collaboration, encourage critical thinking, and gain greater context.
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Seven Mistakes That Derail Thought Leaders
From Forbes:
“Becoming a so-called ‘thought leader’ is all the rage; now, everybody wants to be a speaker, build an easy revenue stream, write a book and change the world. I do believe that everybody has a story worth sharing. Everyone has overcome insurmountable odds that give them the right to impact the lives of others. But I also see people step up to the plate only to make a huge mistake that lands them miles away from their intended destination…
Building a sustainable thought leadership platform requires an incredible amount of infrastructure. Think of yourself as a large commercial airplane. There is absolutely no way you’re going to build your thought leadership business alone. You are going to need some of the best minds in the world to support your platform’s growth and your brand’s launch.”
Our take: Another thing that’s all the rage: understanding the importance of a flexible foundation, no matter the initiative or goal. With industries everywhere beyond impacted, and platforms for information steeped in misdirection and regurgitation, a sustainable strategy is critical to be heard above the noise.
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Building a Foundation of Human-Scale Culture for Innovation
From the Gotham Culture:
“We attended this year’s Seattle Interactive Conference with two purposes in mind. First; get more familiar with the big thinkers in Seattle, gothamCulture’s second base of operations. Second; to understand the emerging business models and organizational issues on the minds of the technology and digital entrepreneurship community.
The official theme of this year’s event was “makers,” and how commerce and culture are driven by innovation. However, the storyline we took away is the return to the human-scale model of business. It is one that efficiently leverages technology, and one with an organizational culture of entirely different shape and form. Traditional corporations may well be at a disadvantage.”
Our take: It’ll keep getting said until it’s universally adopted: traditional, hierarchal and siloed structures do not have the same ability to be diverse, agile, collaborative, and innovative as those that put culture, customer connections, and crowdsourcing higher up on the initiative food chain. After all, the only constant is change.
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