Are You a Thought Leader
Are You a Thought Leader
According to commentator Elise Bauer, a distinguishing characteristic of a thought leader is “the recognition from the outside world that the company deeply understands its business, the needs of its customers, and the broader marketplace in which it operates.”
Trust in small businesses is built on reputation and on what others say about them. Bauer states that “Small companies have to work hard to get visibility, especially when the market is crowded with competitors all vying for the same business. One approach to gaining visibility is by becoming an industry thought leader.”
Bauer confirms that it’s not the size of the company that makes it a thought leader in an industry or a community, but rather the recognition it is given for its approach to doing business. “Companies will look to you for insight and vision. Journalists will quote you, analysts will call you and web sites will link to you.”
Small business owners understand that thought leadership requires a spirit of generosity - generosity of one’s time, intelligence and knowledge. It requires a trust that by being open with what they know, and by sharing their time and knowledge, the world will reward their efforts. Successful entrepreneurs implement thought leadership as a strategic imperative for their company. Ideas and insight don’t require dominant market share or millions in capital expenditures. Their companies don’t need to be a leader in sales to be considered a thought leader.
Becoming a thought leader does require work and commitment. It demands the difficult task of looking at one’s company from the perspective of the world outside and instinctively making decisions accordingly. Most companies fail miserably at this. Generating an ongoing effort towards thought leadership is the best way to ensure positive results. This is a key differentiating point in thought leadership between successful small business owners and their larger competitors.
More Thoughts on Leadership
Theodore Hesburgh - The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision.
Tony Blair - The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes.
Vince Lombardi - Leaders aren’t born they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.
Warren Bennis - The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.
Are You a Thought Leader - To learn more about this author, visit Brian Moran's Website.
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Wikipedia defines the term thought leader as a buzzword or article of jargon used to describe a person who is recognized among his or her peers for innovative ideas and demonstrates the confidence to promote those ideas. The term can also be applied to companies, usually small businesses. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought_leader)
According to commentator Elise Bauer, a distinguishing characteristic of a thought leader is “the recognition from the outside world that the company deeply understands its business, the needs of its customers, and the broader marketplace in which it operates.”
Trust in small businesses is built on reputation and on what others say about them. Bauer states that “Small companies have to work hard to get visibility, especially when the market is crowded with competitors all vying for the same business. One approach to gaining visibility is by becoming an industry thought leader.”
Bauer confirms that it’s not the size of the company that makes it a thought leader in an industry or a community, but rather the recognition it is given for its approach to doing business. “Companies will look to you for insight and vision. Journalists will quote you, analysts will call you and web sites will link to you.”
Small business owners understand that thought leadership requires a spirit of generosity - generosity of one’s time, intelligence and knowledge. It requires a trust that by being open with what they know, and by sharing their time and knowledge, the world will reward their efforts. Successful entrepreneurs implement thought leadership as a strategic imperative for their company. Ideas and insight don’t require dominant market share or millions in capital expenditures. Their companies don’t need to be a leader in sales to be considered a thought leader.
Becoming a thought leader does require work and commitment. It demands the difficult task of looking at one’s company from the perspective of the world outside and instinctively making decisions accordingly. Most companies fail miserably at this. Generating an ongoing effort towards thought leadership is the best way to ensure positive results. This is a key differentiating point in thought leadership between successful small business owners and their larger competitors.
More Thoughts on Leadership
Theodore Hesburgh - The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision.
Tony Blair - The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes.
Vince Lombardi - Leaders aren’t born they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.
Warren Bennis - The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.
Are You a Thought Leader - To learn more about this author, visit Brian Moran's Website.
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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