{"id":2659,"date":"2026-06-05T18:20:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T18:20:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rizeldelano.com\/chronicles\/?p=2659"},"modified":"2026-06-05T18:20:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T18:20:21","slug":"youre-not-a-leader-if-you-dont-teach-the-world-anything-new","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rizeldelano.com\/chronicles\/youre-not-a-leader-if-you-dont-teach-the-world-anything-new\/","title":{"rendered":"You\u2019re not a leader\u00a0if you don\u2019t teach the world anything new\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You\u2019re not a leader\u00a0 if you don\u2019t teach the world anything new\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What is leadership?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leadership can be understood as the process of guiding, influencing, and motivating a group of people toward a common goal or vision. It involves setting direction, offering support, inspiring confidence, and enabling others to realise their potential and contribute effectively to that vision.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whereas,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Thought leadership centers on innovation of ideas that has the power to influence.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thought leaders are those who provide forward-thinking insight, shape industry or community perspectives, and inspire new ways of thinking or solving problems.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While leaders might focus on the operational, interpersonal, and goal-oriented aspects of directing a team or organisation\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2026 thought leadership concentrate on leveraging specialised knowledge and unique perspectives to drive understanding, spark debate, and encourage change<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In other words:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Leadership &#8211; guides people and processes to achieve goals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thought Leadership &#8211; guids ideas and perspectives to shape minds and methods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you want to be associated with honest and admirable pioneers who really do matter, and who you want to mingle with &#8211; then thought leadership is one of the easiest paths to achieve it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By becoming a thought leader you will be viewed as a credible industry expert, one who cuts to the chase, through the noise and clutter, and the one who offers something truly new, unique and worthwhile &#8211; positioning yourself as a trusted source of insights and information &#8211; with the aim to educate or inspire others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thought leaders are focused on providing original, insightful, and innovative content. This means they are always looking for new ways to add value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, despite being conceived as a laudatory description, the idea of thought leadership media is seen to be inherently confusing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1887, the Oxford English Dictionary gave a description of Henry Ward Beecher as being \u2018one of the great thought-leaders in America.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a 1990 article in the Wall Street Journal marketing section, Patrick Reilly used the term \u2018thought leader publications\u2019 to refer to magazines as Harper\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2017, political scientist Daniel W Drezner noted his view on thought leadership as, \u201cThought leaders develop their own singular lens to explain the world, and then proselytise that worldview to anyone within earshot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the last decade the term was revived and reengineered by businesses and marketing professionals to either emphasise an intangible quality of products and brands, or referring to a potentially winning strategy to increase or create demand for a product or service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Forbes went so far as to define a thought leader as a person or firm that is not only widely recognised \u2013 but also who profits from the recognition of authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Daniel Rasmus provided this definition: thought leadership should be an entry point to a relationship \u2013 it should intrigue, challenge, and inspire people, and it should help start a relationship where none exists, or enhance existing relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While all of them could be true, it is more about becoming one of the foremost authorities on a certain topic or selected area of specialisation \u2013 delivering answers to the biggest questions related to these topics and their agendas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Why it\u2019s useful\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thought leadership is a powerful way to rise above the noise and get heard by those who matter most to you and\/or your business. And if you want to be successful, you must be deliberate and calculated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thought leadership is not only writing and speaking about it\u2026 It\u2019s about action. And it requires a deliberate strategy to make it meaningful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To position yourself for growth in today\u2019s crowded and increasingly commoditised world, you need two things:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Unique ideas worth sharing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A voice people will listen to<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your level of authority will be determined by how well you answer the most important questions (your brilliance), your likability and approachability in this space (charisma) and how well you position yourself as the go-to individual or organisation for said expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thought leadership done well, commands a premium for your services. It gives you the credentials and the means to cement your value over the long-term in different ways and scenarios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">People want to affiliate with those who are confident and well known. That\u2019s why being a thought leader gets you through the door and opens up unexpected opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Becoming a thought leader is much easier if you have already built a great product, service, or company because you then already have a base and something to talk about.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But if you have not yet created something of your own, you should be willing to do the necessary work to systemise what you know \u2013 and with patience and fortitude build momentum to share your innovations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Some 84% of FTSE 350 executives surveyed by Grist believe that strong thought leadership content adds value to their role.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Almost as many emphasise its importance in keeping them abreast of important business issues (79%); informing their decision-making (76%); and helping them to take a view on the future (76%).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Encouragingly, two in five leaders will contact the firm behind a piece of thought leadership if they feel it hits the mark.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite their enthusiasm for thought leadership, these senior executives only read 31% of the material that comes across their desk, assuming it reaches there in the first place. And just 28% of that actually influences their decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So why does the vast majority fall by the wayside?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Asked why it fails to grab their attention, the C-Suite\u2019s top three complaints were:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>it\u2019s too generic (cited by 63%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>it lacks original insight or ideas (58%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>it promotes the firm that produced it, rather than addressing their needs (53%)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To underscore these areas of the failure, the survey asked respondents what qualities they found most valuable in thought leadership. The top three responses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fresh thinking: exploring issues or challenges from new and different perspectives (46%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Forward-thinking: analysing important or emerging trends (32%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Evidence-led: containing robust data (29%) Original and specific, in other words.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, it\u2019s worth considering the other reasons why senior executives are turned off by thought leadership.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Namely, material that was:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Too conceptual without recommendations (47%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Featured unsubstantiated opinions (40%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Difficult\/boring to read (38%)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your audience is looking for help. How are you going to give it to them?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bottomline, people are in businesses to make money, with only an additional aim to deliver exceptional service. So help your clients make money more than anything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Where is the potential to become a trailblazer?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A <strong>trailblazer<\/strong> is someone who pioneers a new path or approach, often in a field or endeavor where little precedent exists.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The term comes from the idea of literally blazing (marking) a trail through uncharted territory, and is now used metaphorically to describe people who are the first to explore or innovate.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trailblazers often take risks, challenge the status quo, and create new opportunities or possibilities for others who follow in their footsteps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Are you a trailblazer?<br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You\u2019re not a leader\u00a0 if you don\u2019t teach the world anything new\u2026 What is leadership? Leadership can be understood as the process of guiding, influencing,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_customify_content_layout":"","_customify_sidebar":"","_customify_page_header_display":"","_customify_disable_header":"","_customify_disable_header_top":"","_customify_disable_header_main":"","_customify_disable_header_bottom":"","_customify_disable_page_title":"","_customify_disable_content_vertical_padding":"","_customify_disable_footer_top":"","_customify_disable_footer_main":"","_customify_disable_footer_bottom":"","_customify_breadcrumb_display":"","_customify_header_transparent_display":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-human-capital","category-power"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rizeldelano.com\/chronicles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2659","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rizeldelano.com\/chronicles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rizeldelano.com\/chronicles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rizeldelano.com\/chronicles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rizeldelano.com\/chronicles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2659"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/rizeldelano.com\/chronicles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2659\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2660,"href":"https:\/\/rizeldelano.com\/chronicles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2659\/revisions\/2660"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rizeldelano.com\/chronicles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rizeldelano.com\/chronicles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rizeldelano.com\/chronicles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}