Standing Up and Institutionalizing Thought Leadership | Bill Sherman | 448

One host is good but two are better! On this episode, Leveraging Thought Leadership's hosts, Peter Winick and Bill Sherman, get together to share their insights about organizational thought leadership, institutionalizing it across an organization, and how it can create authentic relationships and increase audience loyalty. There's no straightforward way to stand up a thought leadership function or position within an organization. Our hosts share their thoughts on that, and on organizations hiring for thought leadership positions (something unheard of only a few years ago!). The people filling these roles are coming from varied backgrounds – and that helps them bring unique perspectives forward, keeping an audience\s focus on the message rather than the medium. In the past, the face of organizational thought leadership might be treated like a rock star, going out on speaking gigs and taking the spotlight. While part of that image is still true, organizations today want many disparate voices sharing their thought leadership. A chorus of voices shows that your organization is full of smart people, and that helps attract and retain others. We round out the conversation by discussing how thought leaders can leverage relationships in order to drive ideas. Narrowcasting (or point casting) your thought leadership to a niche group that can have the most impact can be a game changer, but those relationships can't survive if they only exist on social media. Those relationships need to be fostered over the phone, in person, and in meaningful ways. Three Key Takeaways: * Research shows that three things are needed for successful thought leadership: Buy in from senior leadership, time, and creativity. * Seeing results from thought leadership requires a long time horizon. Much like research and development, you can't expect quick results. * Keynote speakers need to deliver more than entertainment. They need to bring something relevant, insightful, and actionable.