Thought Leadership – what does it mean?

On 11.15.09, In Know-What/Why, Me, by Barry Mapp

For me the term ‘Thought Leader’ has been hijacked from its intuitive meaning (someone who leads on thought and thinking) to become used as a surrogate for “Trusted Advisor” and also someone who effectively manages their reputation.For me the important part of the term in “Thought Leader” is “Leader”. If you are trusted and well known [...]

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For me the term ‘Thought Leader’ has been hijacked from its intuitive meaning (someone who leads on thought and thinking) to become used as a surrogate for “Trusted Advisor” and also someone who effectively manages their reputation.For me the important part of the term in “Thought Leader” is “Leader”. If you are trusted and well known and respected are you a Leader? Maybe these are necessary characteristics but surely not sufficient.A Thought leader in my book will be someone well differentiated from a trusted “Thought Follower”.This means that every true “Thought Leader” must also be an iconoclast in their field. Most Blogs for example are full of interesting content but nearly all reflecting the thoughts of others or opinions about thoughts of others. The Thought Leaders will be the one’s who are challenging much of the current thought, not simply regurgitating it.When Einstein said that we won’t solve the problems of today by the same thinking that created the problems, he was obviously suggesting that  in order to solve the chronic problems of the day we need to think differently and from a higher, wider or different perspective. Not “more of the same” thinking or “this worked for me thinking” or the “solution is obvious thinking”.It’s interesting how many of my “Thought Leaders” are, or were, Physicists. It was Bohm for example who devised a way (Bohm’s Dialogue) of allowing new thoughts and new solutions to emerge from a group. It was Deming who identified that Western Management not worker malaise was the biggest threat to continual improvement in Business. It was Eli Goldratt and his Theory of Constraints that  helped manufacturers remove broken links from their value chains and improve performance and profits. Each of these Physicists were looking at issues from outside of the current paradigm. And of course Einstein was a Physicist as well.So how many people calling themselves “Thought Leader” could also be described as “Iconoclast” coming up with thinking that challenges the grey cells? For me a Thought Leader will be someone – if they do nothing else- makes you stop and think! Also an Iconoclast Thought Leader is unlikely to be “thinking with the majority” and therefore will not always be popular.Oh and someone has just asked me “Are you a Thought Leader”? Well I’ll let you decide. Here are some of my recent ramblings intended to make you think about your thinking and to signpost possible different directions that your thinking could take in order to find new solutionshttp://barrymapp.com/2009/07/it-strikes-me-that-a-lot-of-wh/http://barrymapp.com/2009/07/iconoclasts-stand-a-very-good/http://barrymapp.com/2009/07/thinking-in-different-ways-2/http://barrymapp.com/2009/07/what-makes-a-“creation-company”/http://barrymapp.com/2009/08/how-rewards-sabotage-creativity/http://barrymapp.com/2009/10/unintended-consequences-what-do-very-large-bonuses-attract/http://barrymapp.com/2009/11/bonus-culture-proud-to-win-a-cabbage-not-the-cash/http://barrymapp.com/2009/07/235/http://barrymapp.com/2009/07/three-new-words-for-the-21st-century/http://barrymapp.com/2009/07/lessons-for-science-from-the-mesmer-experience/http://barrymapp.com/?s=thought+leader

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On Creating Creation Companies -an overview

On 07.27.09, In Creating Creation Companies, by Barry Mapp

Creating Creation Companies(Adapted from a Paper presented by Barry Mapp in 1994 at the ERIK Network European Conference “Regional Successes in Creating and Connecting Companies – European Union Perspectives”)Let’s take a preliminary look at the differences between a “Compliance Company” and a “Creation Company”.  These are terms that I like, that were first penned by [...]

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Creating Creation Companies(Adapted from a Paper presented by Barry Mapp in 1994 at the ERIK Network European Conference “Regional Successes in Creating and Connecting Companies – European Union Perspectives”)Let’s take a preliminary look at the differences between a “Compliance Company” and a “Creation Company”.  These are terms that I like, that were first penned by Tom McGehee in his book Whoosh. Today a key business challenge is to recognise and realise the full potential of each organisation. However when we continue to lead and manage our organisations in the same way as we have always done, we are going to get what we have always got. The call to lead and manage in a totally different way – to transform “western management”- was first issued by W.Edwards Deming. Many have cherry-picked from Deming’s ideas but few have attempted to transform management along the lines that he proposed. Most organisations continue to be run in “the old ways” based on “old psychology”,“old science” and “old management” principles (each of these terms will be explored more fully in later blogs). As Russell Ackoff pointed out a few years ago, most business schools are part of the problem because they still teach “old way” approaches.  However more and more iconoclasts of our era, from different fields and domains, are backing the need to transform management thinking. Tom McGehee is one of many calling for a change in our thinking. He calls the transformed organisation a  “Creation Company” and the old-style organisation a “Compliance Company” – terms that I will use also. Compliance Companies, whether they realise this or not, erect barriers to change and innovation by insisting on control of (1)information, (2)resources and (3)decision making, in order to preserve the status quo. In such companies (which remain the vast majority) people have never been trusted to supervise themselves and inspect their own work. People are never able to do their best efforts because the management systems get in the way.Coming Next: So what makes a “Creation Company”?

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