Though the best-known thought leaders of today are megastars, bigness isn't what thoughtleading is all about.What's important for the sincere practitioner of thoughtleading is that media exists to help get the word out, not become an end unto itself.Knowing which media to use is a key to thoughtleading success.Most business thoughtleaders fare well, consistently staying on message when they show up to speak or be interviewed by a microphone or camera.A book by a lesser thoughtleader, therefore, represents the culmination of long, hard, important work, quiet research and reflection, and considered conclusions.A book serves as a gateway to the other "pillars" of thoughtleading such as articles, keynotes and media.For the true thoughtleader, the motivation of all this careful reflection is to leave behind something that matters.Consider now-superstar Tom Peters.Around 1980, before fame struck, he and Robert H.Waterman, both recently departed from McKinsey Consulting, designed a book concept around interviews they had done at McKinsey with companies around the world for the purpose of determining what makes organizations successful.When the dust of their research settled, they had identified 43 firms they felt had lessons to share.Their resulting pivotal conclusion was that business problems could be solved effectively with a minimum of business process "overhead." By submitting their manuscript to a publisher, the two hoped to deliver such insight to as much of the business community as possible.After all, if the companies profiled in the book could benefit so greatly from these lessons-learned, maybe a few other firms could benefit as well.To everyone's surprise, their little report became an instant bestseller.Millions of copies later, it's still going strong.In Search of Excellence's anecdotes and conclusions have since enabled millions of company managers to reexamine their own business procedures and adopt more empowering practices.What did this do for Peters and Waterman? Both went on to publish more books, speak at conventions and show up periodically in the business media.Thanks to a series of PBS specials, Peters in particular achieved face-recognition notoriety.Via this business world fame, he joined already-established thoughtleaders of his day who constantly write, speak, study and comment about important business issues and concerns.Another now-famous thoughtleader, Harvard Business School Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter, is reputed to be the first woman in academia to achieve the status of "management thoughtleader." Much of her early renown stemmed from her emphasis on such issues as change management and employee empowerment.At this date, Kanter has published 16 books, a series that began with her in-depth study of 1960s communes under the decidedly business-y title of The Men and Women of the Corporation.Tackling such an unorthodox subject in pursuit of business insights enabled Kanter to explain organizational behavior in ways no one had ever done before.In days gone by, of course, there have been other lights to follow, no less insistent and no less bright.One could thumb through history and uncover many such pioneers whose flames have lit large candles, their thoughtleading ideas bursting forth with fire and brilliance.Consider Ralph Waldo Emerson.Though not a businessman per se, Emerson's life practices laid the foundation for today's business thoughtleading way of life.Any thoughtleader today, any expert seeking an "expert's edge," would do well to adopt a typical Emerson weekly schedule.World-renowned in the mid-nineteenth century for his essays and books, Emerson's stature as a thoughtleader of his day was quite secure.In addition to buying and reading such books and essays as Nature and The Law of Compensation, many of his fans thought nothing of embarking on a journey of many hours or days to make their way to Concord, Massachusetts and drop in to see him.In the same manner, Emerson often traveled to the homes of his thoughtleader contemporaries.Nearby, in Cambridge, Massachusetts for example, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow communicated with Emerson frequently via the Internet of their day--- letters! A thoughtleader in his own right, Longfellow and Emerson also networked with other thoughtleader colleagues at the Parker Hotel in Boston for no-holds-barred all-day philosophy fests.This helped them refine their own ideas as well as spread the word about them via each thoughtleader's network.Undoubtedly these sessions led to the trading of information on good/bad book publishers, potential speaking engagements, sources for research and further contacts for networking success.Today, the same process for effective thoughtleading is carried out, frequently in hotels around the globe just like the old Parker House, and for that matter, at the Parker House itself, which still exists!
Monday, September 3, 2012
Thought Leaders Then and Now - The Motivation is to Leave Something Behind
Though the best-known thought leaders of today are megastars, bigness isn't what thoughtleading is all about.What's important for the sincere practitioner of thoughtleading is that media exists to help get the word out, not become an end unto itself.Knowing which media to use is a key to thoughtleading success.Most business thoughtleaders fare well, consistently staying on message when they show up to speak or be interviewed by a microphone or camera.A book by a lesser thoughtleader, therefore, represents the culmination of long, hard, important work, quiet research and reflection, and considered conclusions.A book serves as a gateway to the other "pillars" of thoughtleading such as articles, keynotes and media.For the true thoughtleader, the motivation of all this careful reflection is to leave behind something that matters.Consider now-superstar Tom Peters.Around 1980, before fame struck, he and Robert H.Waterman, both recently departed from McKinsey Consulting, designed a book concept around interviews they had done at McKinsey with companies around the world for the purpose of determining what makes organizations successful.When the dust of their research settled, they had identified 43 firms they felt had lessons to share.Their resulting pivotal conclusion was that business problems could be solved effectively with a minimum of business process "overhead." By submitting their manuscript to a publisher, the two hoped to deliver such insight to as much of the business community as possible.After all, if the companies profiled in the book could benefit so greatly from these lessons-learned, maybe a few other firms could benefit as well.To everyone's surprise, their little report became an instant bestseller.Millions of copies later, it's still going strong.In Search of Excellence's anecdotes and conclusions have since enabled millions of company managers to reexamine their own business procedures and adopt more empowering practices.What did this do for Peters and Waterman? Both went on to publish more books, speak at conventions and show up periodically in the business media.Thanks to a series of PBS specials, Peters in particular achieved face-recognition notoriety.Via this business world fame, he joined already-established thoughtleaders of his day who constantly write, speak, study and comment about important business issues and concerns.Another now-famous thoughtleader, Harvard Business School Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter, is reputed to be the first woman in academia to achieve the status of "management thoughtleader." Much of her early renown stemmed from her emphasis on such issues as change management and employee empowerment.At this date, Kanter has published 16 books, a series that began with her in-depth study of 1960s communes under the decidedly business-y title of The Men and Women of the Corporation.Tackling such an unorthodox subject in pursuit of business insights enabled Kanter to explain organizational behavior in ways no one had ever done before.In days gone by, of course, there have been other lights to follow, no less insistent and no less bright.One could thumb through history and uncover many such pioneers whose flames have lit large candles, their thoughtleading ideas bursting forth with fire and brilliance.Consider Ralph Waldo Emerson.Though not a businessman per se, Emerson's life practices laid the foundation for today's business thoughtleading way of life.Any thoughtleader today, any expert seeking an "expert's edge," would do well to adopt a typical Emerson weekly schedule.World-renowned in the mid-nineteenth century for his essays and books, Emerson's stature as a thoughtleader of his day was quite secure.In addition to buying and reading such books and essays as Nature and The Law of Compensation, many of his fans thought nothing of embarking on a journey of many hours or days to make their way to Concord, Massachusetts and drop in to see him.In the same manner, Emerson often traveled to the homes of his thoughtleader contemporaries.Nearby, in Cambridge, Massachusetts for example, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow communicated with Emerson frequently via the Internet of their day--- letters! A thoughtleader in his own right, Longfellow and Emerson also networked with other thoughtleader colleagues at the Parker Hotel in Boston for no-holds-barred all-day philosophy fests.This helped them refine their own ideas as well as spread the word about them via each thoughtleader's network.Undoubtedly these sessions led to the trading of information on good/bad book publishers, potential speaking engagements, sources for research and further contacts for networking success.Today, the same process for effective thoughtleading is carried out, frequently in hotels around the globe just like the old Parker House, and for that matter, at the Parker House itself, which still exists!
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