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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.

A relatively enlightening discovery

Posted by Constance Ward on January 23, 2012 | Comments Off

Albert Einstein

In September at the Cern underground research center near Geneva, Switzerland, one of Einstein’s laws was bent if not broken; and the repeat experiment just completed seems to confirm the findings of the first trial.

Basically, one of Einstein’s laws of physics states that it isn’t possible to travel faster than the speed of light. But scientists involved in both Cern experiments measured neutrons traveling some 60 billionths (yes, billionths) of a second faster than light travels.

Before throwing out Einstein’s special theory of relativity, scientists are continuing to examine all possible errors in their work and will rely on another laboratory in Illinois to confirm their results.

Are you ready to “throw out the old rulebook” when looking at the future of your industry and question all the current assumptions? Are you ready to challenge conventional wisdom in your industry — or your company — and tear up the textbook? If so, you might be at an inflection point. Ask, assess, then act. We’re here to help.

I never finish anythin

Posted by Constance Ward on January 8, 2012 | Comments Off

Unfinished

A few weeks ago, we were walking around the shops at Port Solent with my Portsmouth stepdaughter and her family when we came across a tee shirt shop. The tee shirts had funny sayings on them, but the one that made our young granddaughters laugh the hardest was “I never finish anythin”…

That saying reflects the feeling I have now as I’ve just launched this website. So many pre-launch reviewers gave great input that I plan to incorporate along the way, so this site will never be completely finished. I hope that it will continue to evolve as you add your ideas, too, through the other connected forums that feed this website:

Please use these conversation channels to take part in a dialogue about what makes a good thought leader. Ask yourself that question. Assess the best answer to share with other forum participants. Act collaboratively and submit your ideas, experiences and examples. Be a thought leader in thought leadership! We’re here to help.

Survey: What are your New Year’s Resolutions?

Posted by Constance Ward on January 3, 2012 | Comments Off

Let’s assume you have made all the usual New Year’s resolutions: exercise more, eat better, get more sleep, etc. But what will be on your 2012 list of Thought Leader Resolutions? Read more business books? Join more trade associations or take a more visible leadership role in the ones where you already belong? Check the Thought Leader Zone website more frequently?

Submit some of your thought-leadership resolutions on the form below, and we’ll compile a best-practice (or should that be best-promise) list of your ideas!

The end of the year…more or less…

Posted by Constance Ward on December 30, 2011 | Comments Off

As the New Year approaches and we begin to think about our New Year’s resolutions, a quote by Norman Mailer comes to mind: “Every moment of one’s existence, one is growing into more or retreating into less.”

Are you growing into more of a thought leader every day? Have you resolved to strengthen your ability to lead your employees, your company and your industry in 2012? Are you willing to take steps to improve your thought leadership skills this year? Ask, assess, then act. We’re here to help.

Photo by summerbl4ck on Flickr

Debunking the bunker mentality myth

Posted by Constance Ward on December 4, 2011 | Comments Off

“My dad’s nuclear bunker is bigger than yours,” my stepdaughter from London wrote on her Facebook page after her last visit to Zurich. Swiss apartment blocks like ours…and even many homes…have fallout shelters in their basements. They are prepared. Well prepared. For a neutral country that hasn’t actually seen any fighting on its soil for, well, a very, very long time, they are, you might say, over prepared.

Are you prepared for “attacks” from your competitors? Are you well prepared? Is it even possible to be over prepared for doing battle in a competitive marketplace?

You and all of your employees need to be ready for the insurgence of competitors into your space in the market. Building your nuclear bunker in business terms means that all of you are equipped to protect your “turf” with the right strategies, tactics and tools.

On the other hand, having a bunker mentality can limit your ability to be a successful thought leader. Of course, being vocal about where you think your industry is headed will allow your competitors to gain insight into certain parts of your company’s strategy. But the overall benefit of being a thought leader outweighs the risk of over sharing.

Taking a defensive stance is certainly important so that you aren’t giving away the recipe for the “secret sauce.” However, you as a thought leader will instinctively know where to draw the line between revealing too much and just enough on a case-by-case basis.

So come out of your bunker — nobody is going to “nuke you” and you don’t need to fight an enemy that may not exist. How exactly should you do that? Ask, assess, then act. We’re here to help.

Two faces of a thought leader

Posted by Constance Ward on November 5, 2011 | Comments Off

The 9-year-old daughter of a close friend introduced me to a cool, free iPhone application called CamWow. One of the special effects can be seen in this photo of my husband David. I wanted to share this photo because I think it points out what it’s like to be a thought leader. So here goes with a metaphor as stretched as that photo.

A thought leader has to constantly look in two directions – the past and the future – from his/her “seat in the present.” Thought leaders also have to look at both the strategic and the operational aspects of their business simultaneously. Another challenge is that they have to be adept at looking internally and externally at the same time. They have to deal face-to-face in an open manner with their leadership teams, as well as their employees. And finally they have to find a balance in their lives so they need to keep an eye on their personal lives, not just their professional lives.

I’m sure there are even more stretched points to be made, but instead, I’ll pose this question: Are you able to mirror your efforts in these parts of your daily life or is one direction getting more attention than another? Ask, assess, then act. We’re here to help.

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