When I say authentic, human thought leadership, what comes to mind?
Ideally, we’d think about the person who inspires us the most. The person who pushes your work in a new direction. The person who makes you think or wonder.
But the thing is, the words authenticity and humanize have been used a lot in the past 18 months, and they start to lose their meaning after a while. They become just more marketing jargon. They’re magic, sparkly words, but when they’re in the title of a webinar or on a Powerpoint slide, they start to feel…corporate 🙃.
In the same vein, the term thought leader can become a little meaningless. What it really means is powerful: a person who boldly shares their ideas and moves people in a new direction. But “thought leadership” as a discipline can feel a little buttoned-up and formal. Not human, which would mean messy and raw and real.
But humans and our shared experiences matter so much. People — their stories, struggles, emotions, and ideas — have become even more important in light of the pandemic. It has become simultaneously harder and easier to connect on a human level. Harder because all of our conversations are mediated by screens, but easier because we tend to be more willing to share during times when everyone is struggling and knocked off their routine. We see each other more clearly, as full humans who are tired and stressed or happy and hopeful, not just the person who hasn’t answered that email yet.
I am always digging for people’s stories, backgrounds, and (my favorite word) perspectives — beyond the tagline on their company’s website.
And I’m going to try to share the story of my work in a very human and real webinar. So come join me and let’s talk about inspiring humans.
Who are the human thought leaders who inspire you? I’d really love your suggestions.
This presentation will be full of examples of thought leaders who are inspiring others. I want to know: Who do you look to for new ideas? Who pushes you to do better work or to approach problems from a new angle? Who is thinking differently in your industry? Send me your short list!
