Leveraging Thought Leadership

We all have personal stories of triumph and growth. Our history, our experiences, shape us and drive the most insightful parts of our thought leadership. So why is it so hard for us to share those stories? Aliza Hughes is the Director of Thought Leadership at Zoecial Media, a company that provides social media management with the aim of growing the client's audience and credibility through brand storytelling. We start our conversation by discussing how uncomfortable it can be to share personal stories in our thought leadership - the very stories that best illuminate our insights, strengths, and growth! Aliza shares her thoughts on telling personal stories, and how even tales of failure can connect you to your audience, and connect you as humans in search of growth. Aliza also explains that LinkedIn is important - get that first post out! While a certain level of professional polish needs to be present, perfection isn't required, and seeking it is just another method of procrastination. We discuss getting comfortable with yourself, and growing your audience by taking part in comments - on your own posts, and on posts made by others - as well as how to turn those comments into full fledged posts of their own. This is a wonderful conversation for anyone looking to add a personal touch to their Linkedin and make audiences take notice! Three Key Takeaways: Don't be afraid to have a more personal voice in your Thought Leadership content. Passion plus expertise = Successful Thought Leadership. Don't compare likes and comments to other thought leadership posts; everyone is at a different place in their journey. Instead, focus on beating your own personal best.

Not that long ago, books about emotions, vulnerability, and transparency would have been found in the self-help section. Now, business books about those same "soft skills" top best-seller lists. What has changed and why have these skills become so important? Our guest on this episode is David Wood, a former consulting actuary to Fortune 100 companies and founder of the world's largest coaching business, serving an audience of 150,000 coaches across 12 countries. He also hosts the Tough Conversations podcast, and is the author of Get Paid For Who You Are as well as an upcoming book titled Name that Mouse. David shares his journey, from developing his intellect while shutting down his emotional side, to his realization that there is a great need for emotional intelligence, vulnerability, and transparency on the path to excellence as a leader. We also discuss the change in the way these necessary soft-skills have been perceived in the last decade, and how they moved out of the self-help section and onto every major executive's must-have list of proficiencies. Further, David shares news about his upcoming book, Name That Mouse. Much like the "elephant in the room," there are often other smaller, more subtle problems in any workplace that are not discussed - "mice" that everyone ignores. David explains why simply naming "the mouse" and addressing it can alleviate anxiety, create transparency, and avoid negative feelings that are easily avoided. This conversation is a fascinating look at soft skills in the business world, and why they are essential for success. Three Key Takeaways: Thought Leadership needs to support emotional intelligence, communication, and authenticity within the corporate world. Thought Leadership can be used to enrich both career and our home life, giving us skills that are universal. Naming a problem can give it less power. Thought Leadership should help to bring these small, necessary issues into the light.

Decades of economic principles have been written in stone, followed blindly by leaders and scholars alike. But, as with all things, stone erodes over time. Our guest today is ready to shatter the rock, and set minds free. Listen in! Today, we're honored to speak with David Weitzner, author of Connected Capitalism and Fifteen Paths. David primarily identifies as a philosopher, but has spent time as a music industry executive, a professor of management, and has spent nearly two decades studying the philosophies that make our economic principals work. Now, he teaches at York University, where he advocates for co-creation, not management. David shares with us some of his deep thoughts, explaining the meaning of the term "Connected Capitalism,"and how it differs from Conscience Capitalism or ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance). David also explains how Connected Capitalism offers a deeper sense of spiritualism and harmony; two traits which are often thought of as taboo in the modern business world - but traits that are helping today's leaders break old boundaries and forge new paths.. In this episode, we discuss the generational shift in business, and how employees are concerned about staying true to their values as well as finding success in their careers. This move away from the old mindset of "chasing the dollar" will, over time, change many of the financial models and practices that have stood for decades. This episode is full of philosophical, economical, and socially responsible advice that leaders and employees of any generation can put to use. It's the cutting edge of financial thought leadership - and it's all right here! Three Key Takeaways: People want Thought Leadership that answers big questions; ideas that will help them reopen, rebuild, or pivot their business for the pandemic and post-pandemic age. Thought Leadership can be the key to helping decision-makers open their process to new voices - without creating chaos. Can your thought leadership help employees find meaning in their work? Does it connect them into a society, and help them find a sense of wonder in their job?

Great leaders have to handle tough situations. Inevitably, the time will come when you have to make a hard choice or deal with a crisis. Will you be prepared? Our guest today is Thomas Lahnthaler, Founder and CEO of The Crisis Compass, an organization which teaches leaders and companies innovative and resource-based crisis management. We start our conversation by discussing the concept of risk and how it relates to Thought Leadership. Thomas explains that "crisis points" are inevitable, and the future is always unknown. We get through crisis points by being prepared, stepping up, and making choices, not by ignoring possible difficulties. These crisis points are often a source of fear and tunnel vision, even for the best leaders. We tend to rely on assumptions, or feel as if a leader needs to take full responsibility and solve the problem alone. Thomas shares reasons why these assumptions can be dangerous, adding to the feeling of risk. He also addresses the way tunnel vision can be an advantage when specific insights are shared with others, adding a variety of focuses to your own point of view. Preparing your organization to handle crises means teaching them to share ideas, have empathy, and work in teams that are deeply diverse. These are only a few of the ways Thomas suggests a great leader keep themselves ready for any crisis, and be in the best position to deal with difficulties as they arise. Three Key Takeaways: When aiding others through a crisis, your thought leadership needs to create comfort, establish solid choices, and avoid feeling overwhelmed by risk. Exchanging ideas and perspectives is a great way to create thought leadership for crisis preparedness. Thought Leadership helps others have smart conversations and create positive teamwork skills, and those habits can carry you through any crisis.

Can creating a brand make your brand distinct, and give you a competitive advantage? Today, we dive into the deep end with a true shark of brand creation. We'll answer that question - and more! Kevin Harrington is an entrepreneur, business executive, and one of the most well-known hosts of the investment reality show Shark Tank. Kevin has decades of experience helping people like George Foreman and Tony Little build their brands, and generate billions of dollars in sales. And today, he's our guest! Kevin created his first infomercial in 1985, identifying an opportunity to fill late night and early morning dead air on cable networks. He's seen the rise and fall of many brands, and has become one of the foremost thought leaders in the sphere of productization. Today, he explains how he noticed the change in trends and habits surrounding television, and why he chose to sell millions of assets to move away from broadcast television and toward the internet. While Kevin has not been on Shark Tank for a few years, he still gets thousands of investment pitches per year. Now, he shares with us the checklist he uses to examine proposals, and why finding a "problem solver" is top of the list. Finally, we discuss ways to use a book to elevate your brand. Kevin uses examples from his own books, Key Person of Influence and Mentor to Millions, to illustrate how he elevated his brand by writing books, creating content, and being a guest on great podcasts! Three Key Takeaways: Creating a top-shelf thought leadership brand can set you apart, and give you an advantage. Don't be afraid to surround yourself with experts outside of your area of thought leadership, or to get a mentor that can help you find traction. Being a guest on podcasts can open new relationships and build broader audiences for your thought leadership.

Trying to get your thought leadership to the employees of your company is never an easy task but attempting to reach 250000 employees in your organization can feel like trying to climb Everest. Making the tools to climb that mountain is what today's guest excels at. Vishwas Anand is part of the Infosys Knowledge Institute which helps industry leaders develop a deeper understanding of business and technology trends through compelling insights. Vishwas shares how he aided in the creation of the Infosys Insight Store -- a platform people can use to access hundreds of articles, podcasts, and video. It is meticulously cataloged to make finding the right content simple without having to take a deep dive into it. Many companies are still trying to understand how to measure the success of thought leadership. Vishwas explains why vanity metrics such as likes and shares may not be as important as many think, in fact, they can end up being more of a distraction to the brand in the long run. If you have thought leadership content that needs to get out to your organization but struggle to make it accessible or reach those that need it most this is the perfect episode for you. Three Key Takeaways: The key to making a library of thought leadership content useful is creating a system that allows users to find the content they need with speed and ease. When creating thought leadership for a sub-brand you need to ensure it has synergy with the parent brand to avoid confusion. Authenticity, Accuracy, and Agility are the three As of thought leadership.

Can thought leadership help organize people towards a common goal? The answer is yes! Our guest in this episode is Royal O'Brien, General Manager of Digital Media and Games at Open 3D Engine, an important facet of the Linux Foundation. Open 3D Engine (O3DE) is an Apache 2.0-licensed multi-platform 3D engine. This engine enables developers and content creators to build AAA games, cinema-quality 3D worlds, and high-fidelity simulations. And, because it's "open source," creators can use the engine without fees or commercial obligations. Open source projects create base code and make that code available to everyone. This allows the audience to modify and innovate that code for their own projects, continually updating and adding to the base. Motivating, coordinating, and moving people towards a common goal can be a challenge. Yet, organizing large groups of creative people without restricting or stifling them is the key to Royal's success, and he's managed to do it time and time again. Today, Royal shares the thought leadership that guides his path, shaping the questions he asks about his audience: Who will use this product? How will they use it? How will they change it? and, most importantly, What kind of impact will it make? From those questions, he creates a "flywheel effect," aligning short- and long-term goals, and focusing his attention on creating products that will move his organization into new financial markets. He even discusses how tools like Discord and Game Jams bring people together and unleash their creativity, allowing him to watch for direction and advancements in real-time as his engine is shaped by the community. Royal's advice about community-building can be applied to many communities and industries; anything that encourages creative individuals to work in concert towards a common goal. If that sounds like your org, don't miss this episode! Three Key Takeaways: Thought leadership can be the key to ensuring that communication between creative, innovative individuals or teams is clear and productive. When building a community, you can use thought leadership to increase inclusivity and make sure everyone's voice is heard. Once you've started a movement, you need to nurture it (both short- and long-term) in order for it to succeed.

Savvy authors know that public relations can be more unpredictable than marketing. So, how do you navigate those treacherous waters and find success? Today's guest is Mark Fortier, founder of Fortier Public Relations. Mark has spent 30 years publicizing hundreds of important books, including 140 bestsellers! Now, he's here to share tips and tricks with us that are essential for making your thought leadership book a success. When taking a book to market, authors often only look at big wins. It's important to get coverage in large media outlets, but what most don't realize is that it's often small, incremental goals that really move the needle. Mark explains how and why it is important to manage expectations, and why you should work to create close relationships in order to help your book's audience grow. He also discusses the ways PR has changed over the years, and how online interviews and podcasts have become an important part of any successful author's portfolio. One of the ways that authors and publishers support a book is by focusing on an existing platform. Mark discusses the importance of creating a pre-established, strong social network (and potential audience) before your book gets published, and offers alternatives if you don't have one in place. It's important to live up to your publisher's expectations, but Mark shares his hard-won wisdom on the things an author should look for and expect from their publisher as well. Three Key Takeaways: Thought leaders publishing their first (or fifth!) book can benefit from the knowledge and experience of public relations firms. Social media is a long term strategy. Thought leaders publishing a book need to start building a large, connected network as early as possible. Thought leaders should seek out a publisher they can work with, and ensure that their publisher truly understands the material's message.

Today's guest is Raj De Datta, Co-Founder and CEO of Bloomreach, a company bringing solutions that are uniquely built to serve digital commerce and marketing professionals. Their mission is to deliver meaningful moments to customers; moments that result in organizational growth. Raj shares Bloomreach's goal to use AI and machine learning for delivering exactly what a customer is seeking. Moment to moment, a customer's needs change — and so should an organization's digital response. With Bloomreach powering roughly 1/4th of e-commerce in the United States and the UK, Raj is often asked "What helps organizations succeed in the digital arena?" In an effort to answer that question, Raj wrote The Digital Seeker: A Guide for Digital Teams to Build Winning Experiences, published by Columbia Business School Publishing. Raj explains that his book is more than a rendition of the typical CEO experience. He discusses the reasons for his research, shares insights, and talks about how organizations can succeed in a digital arena. The academic point of view brings new details to light, and powers a sharper understanding of the fundamentals of success. Raj shares his hopes for the future of the book, and talks about ways the industry could prosper from these understanding. He's got a long-term view on measuring success, and the book is a critical part of elevating his position as CEO as well as Bloomreach's expertise with eCommerce. Three Key Takeaways: Authoring a thought leadership book from the perspective of an academic could open additional publishing options. Having your CEO write a Thought Leadership book is a great way to elevate the profile of a company. Many Thought Leaders underestimate the difficulty of marketing a book. There are complex nuances in getting it published, and you need to think ahead!

Ever wondered what it was like to be the Director of Thought Leadership for a major corporation? Many organizations don't define their thought leadership role at creation, leaving the shaping of those responsibilities up to the first person to take the position. That's a tough job! To better understand the first few months in such a role, we turn to Tammy Ammon, Senior Director of Thought Leadership at Acxiom. Acxiom is a corporation that strives to ethically use data and technology to fuel meaningful connections between brands and the people who love them. Like many thought leaders, Tammy had already pursued a long career in product development and marketing. Senior Director of Thought Leadership was the perfect position to blend her passion for storytelling with her deep knowledge of client needs. Even so, her first few weeks in the role were spent defining the position , mapping existing pieces of content, and aiding with branding, marketing, and innovation at the highest levels of the organization. Over time, Tammy realized that content creation, a big component of thought leadership, quickly evolves storytelling and strategy at the highest levels. She explains how she learned to define a brand's story, and find the specific themes that will be helpful to support a compelling rendition. By moving through the organization at all levels, she's learned to maintain a broad view of the company and carry that perspective to her audience. Tammy ends our conversation with advice for those who are new to the role of thought leader in their organization; sharing tips, best practices, and inspiration she learned along the way. Three Key Takeaways: Organizational thought leadership is about making time to learn your industry and understand your audience. Thought Leaders can draw insight by listening in on a wide variety of meetings, networking on Linkedin, and taking part in strategy discussions. As you grow in the role of director of thought leadership, you will need to learn which topics require your time, and which to pass on to your team.