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A Culture of Learning and Unlearning

Posted by Constance Ward on March 21, 2012 | Comments Off

There’s a saying that goes something like this: “History is the best teacher, but we are the worst pupils.”

Have you ever found yourself repeating the mistakes of the past, even when you know what the outcome will be? It’s human nature to cling to old habits and thought patterns, and it’s not always easy to break such cycles of thinking.

But cultural change is more difficult when an organization has failed to learn from its past poor decisions and mistakes. That kind of blindness to the long-term impact of a lack of organizational learning can make a company resilient to change — even when it’s change for the better.

Guiding an organization through the usual rough waters of cultural change is a challenge for even the most determined leaders. These leaders have to help their teams learn the lessons that corporate history should have taught them…and they may have to help their organization “unlearn” some other lessons along the way before they launch a cultural change program.

As a thought leader inside your own organization, is it time to begin learning and unlearning before you sow the seeds of cultural change? Ask, assess, then act.

Tagged change, leadership

A Wave of Water Thought Leadership: 2012 World Water Forum at Marseille, France

Posted by Constance Ward on March 18, 2012 | Comments Off

Thought leadership in the water industry was on full display last week at the World Water Forum 6, held from 11-17 March in Marseille, France. Inspiring speeches, interesting reports and innovative exhibitions provided a showcase for some well-known and lesser-known water thought leaders.

About 20,000 people attended the event, which is held every three years; but the forum was not without its detractors, many of whom sponsored an “alternative event” nearby.

Also coinciding with the World Water Forum was the premiere of Last Call at the Oasis, the new water documentary by the producers of An Inconvenient Truth, Food Inc. and Waiting for Superman, for example. It will debut in selected cities in the United States on 4 May, and the viral launch of the related water issue awareness campaign on www.TakePart.com/LastCall and Twitter feed #knowyourwater.

Making an appearance alongside luminaries like Erin Brockovich and Jack Black were key thought leaders in the water industry, such as Pat Mulroy of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, Khoo Teng Chye of Singapore’s PUB and Professor Robert Glennon, the author of Unquenchable: America’s Thirst for Water and How to Deal with It, which has been featured on Jon Stewart’s Daily Show.

Highlights of some of the thought leaders’ ideas presented during the World Water Forum’s sessions can be found on the Twitter feed #waterforum6 and @theadiwas, including many of the Quotable Quotes that can be found here.

When you attend similar high-profile industry events, are you maximizing your exposure there as a thought leader? Are you getting the highest return on your investment at such conferences by ensuring your reputation as a thought leader is being reinforced there? Ask, assess, then act.

Tagged water, world water forum 6

Discussing Dystopia in Davos

Posted by Constance Ward on March 9, 2012 | Comments Off

What’s old is new again. One of my bright-young-whippersnapper colleagues was in Davos, Switzerland, during this year’s World Economic Forum and brought back with her the term “dystopia,” first used in the 16th Century to refer to an anti-utopian, pessimistic society.

This word was often used during the high-level WEF discussions in the context of how society is currently experiencing disruptive change. It describes a new world that is not a blissful, harmonious utopia but an unordered, unpredictable, pessimistic one.

In a world that is constantly changing, how do you prepare yourself and your company to adapt to the dystopia? Are you and your organization agile enough to make those changes with minimal disruption to your daily business of delivering what your clients need? Do you have the foresight as an industry thought leader to help your clients find new ways to thrive, even in a dystopia? Ask, assess, them act.

Spreading ideas: M2M and social media

Posted by Constance Ward on March 2, 2012 | Comments Off

I’ve frequently blogged about new acronyms and buzz words. This week’s thought leader language moment refers to both an acronym and a buzz word. M2M communications stands for many-to-many communications, which is the purpose of social media.

A solid social media strategy can help a thought leader build a reputation within an industry and in a wider public. You can gain traction for your ideas and get real-time feedback from peers, colleagues and potential clients…and sometimes just plain nutters. But that kind of spam can be minimized technically, and the benefits of wider exposure of your ideas certainly outweigh those risks.

Don’t think of social media as a generational thing that is only of interest to young people. Your contemporaries and their teams are using social media to communicate to wider audiences. It’s a place where you and your company can connect easily — many to many — and share ideas, spot trends and shape the future.

Do you have a robust social media strategy to promote and support you as a thought leader? Ask, assess, then act.

An “awesome” view?

Posted by Constance Ward on February 27, 2012 | Comments Off

The highest skyscraper in Switzerland (the blue-green building at right) is dwarfed by the Alps in the background.

Sitting in a restaurant atop the highest skyscraper in Switzerland, I’m reflecting on the use of language in the world of business. Here’s the connection.

I was looking forward to lunch in the Prime Tower, which does have a great view of Zurich’s lake and mountains in the distance, but I was disappointed to learn that the “highest skyscraper” is a mere 35 floors high.

The use of superlatives like “highest” or “best” or of diminutive words like “mere” or “only” can alter your meaning and your audience’s interpretation of your meaning. Among some of my colleagues, they cringe when they hear something described as being “awesome” – they label that over-the-top language as “typically American.”

In a recent article by Lucy Kellaway in the Financial Times, she pointed out how much more effective CEO communication can be when it doesn’t stray into the superlative zone.

She cited a memo written by Stephen Hester, CEO of the Royal Bank of Scotland, who described his employees not as the “best” or “greatest” or “most awesome” but as “good.” His exact words were “RBS is full of good people, doing their best …” The point that Lucy Kellaway was trying to make was that instead of using superlatives, the CEO was straightforward and realistic in his language. “Why this little word is so effective – apart from being delightfully unfashionable – is that one is rather inclined to believe it. It makes me think: yes, maybe RBS does employ a lot of good people.”

A good thought leader expresses his ideas and opinions in the least “loaded” or exaggerated language as possible. Are you paying attention to your diction when communicating with internal or external audiences and always choosing the right “reality-based” words to convey your message clearly? Ask, assess, then act. We’re here to help.

Like a moth to a flame

Posted by Constance Ward on February 21, 2012 | Comments Off

You’ve heard the simile “like a moth to a flame” to describe succumbing to the irresistible pull of something that could be harmful.

Various theories exist about why a moth actually flies toward a light. Some scientists believe that moths mistake a flame or a porch light bulb for the sun and use it for orientation in the dark. Others speculate that the moth confuses a light in the darkness as the morning light and hurries toward it in order to find a place to hide itself from the daylight. Another hypothesis is that moths fly through a flame because they want to get to a light on the other side of it.

As thought leaders, you have to be on guard against being attracted to “bright” ideas that may appear to be of value but actually aren’t. When you’re out ahead of the pack, it may not be so easy to resist the flame of the “new.” Are you appropriately cautious as you approach hot topics to make sure you’re being drawn to the best idea, not just the newest, brightest idea? Ask, assess, then act. We’re here to help.

Ruminations on Rodin

Posted by Constance Ward on February 17, 2012 | 1 Comment

Among those colleagues who reviewed my website before I launched it, one commented that the Rodin statue on the homepage seemed a bit too traditional an image for this progressive company. My instinct told me it was the right image so I kept it.

Auguste Rodin observing work on the Monument to Victor Hugo at the studio of his assistant Henri Lebossé in 1896

Then in a book I just finished, a reference to the 19th Century sculptor again made me question the use of photos of Auguste Rodin’s “Thinker” on the site. Michael Cunningham in By Nightfall wrote: “Now Rodin has been and gone and yes, of course, he’s a part of history, but new artists don’t revere him, no one makes a pilgrimage, you learn about him in school, you pass his sculptures on your way to see the Damien Hirst.”

So I’ve now given more thought to whether Rodin is an appropriate muse to have on a website about thought leadership, and I’ve decided it’s definitely staying. Here’s why:

Many of the concepts on this site are traditional, tried-and-true techniques for leadership. But added to those “Rodin” ideas are some trends and contemporary “Damien Hirst” techniques that you can tailor to build your own thought-leadership skills in this modern-day world.

Rodin may now be recognized the pre-eminent French sculptor of his time, but his ideas weren’t always accepted in a world unaccustomed to realism in sculptures. He was a trailblazer, but he had to establish his reputation as a leader in the art world over time. Eventually, however, “society”—including his clients and critics and even his competitors—appreciated his progressive point of view about sculpture.

Are your thought-leadership points of view being appreciated? Are you seen as a trailblazer in your industry? Are you tomorrow’s Auguste Rodin or Damien Hirst? Ask, assess, then act. We’re here to help.

What’s your TL IQ?

Posted by Constance Ward on February 7, 2012 | Comments Off

Albert Einstein is often quoted as saying, “Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.” Well, you don’t have to be a brainiac to know that it is easier to agree with that quote than to live the truth in it. Old habits die hard, and change takes energy and commitment.

If you are ready for a change in your professional life and want to become more of a thought leader in your industry, it’s time to think about doing things differently. Before you begin that journey, take a bit of time for self-examination and ask yourself where you are right now.

Self-Assessment: How good is your
thought-leadership strategy?
Click the link above for a quick survey designed to give you some idea of where your gaps are now and to help you assess where you need to be. The results of the self-assessment are private and confidential. We can’t see what you scored; but if you aren’t satisfied with that score, please contact us for a free consultation. Ask, assess, then act. We’re here to help. We’re here to help.

What’s happening?

Posted by Constance Ward on February 4, 2012 | Comments Off

To continue the theme over the last few blog entries, here are some additional thoughts about the field of competitive intelligence and thought leadership.

In business, thought leadership is about being ahead – well ahead – of your competitors. To be successful as a thought leader, you need to spot trends, pick up even weak signals in the marketplace and anticipate reactions to industry changes.

Thought leaders don’t just look at the past and present they shape the future. They don’t just react after something happens or act on something happening now – they create what’s happening.

Are you just reacting and acting or are you actually creating the future for your company and your industry? Ask, assess, then act. We’re here to help.

Doing now vs. doing next

Posted by Constance Ward on January 31, 2012 | Comments Off

Earlier I pointed out the differences between competitor and competitive intelligence and information and other combinations of those terms. At the risk of being repetitive, I’ll remind you about some distinctions.

Competitive information is the information that is published or in the public domain that focuses on a specific market or product, whereas competitive intelligence is what you know but others don’t. Similarly competitor information is published or in the public domain and competitor intelligence is unpublished but both deal with the actual competitor.

With those terms in mind, let apply them more closely to thought leadership; but to simplify, I’ll use the word “competitive” to include “competitor,” too.

Competitive information is being aware of what has already happened; and in today’s age of instant communication, what “just happened” could have occurred only seconds earlier.

Competitive intelligence is what’s happening now – the analysis you’re making of what only you know. It’s how you’re putting together those unique puzzle pieces about your competitor.

Thought leadership means that you’re not only thinking about what your competitors are doing now, but also what they’re doing next.

Do you know with any level of certainty what your competitors are doing now? What they’re doing next? Ask, assess, then act. We’re here to help.

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