This article was published in the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Bulletin, Volume 42 No. 1, dated January 1, 2025. To learn more about IAEM, visit www.iaem.org.
Written by: Mike Frick, MBA, JD, Senior Management Consultant
Thought Leader—Thought Leadership. Are there any more popular buzzwords in the modern workplace?
Search LinkedIn for “thought leader,” and you’ll find more than 1.5 million results! In a world of more than 8 billion people, the possibility that there are 1.5 million thought leaders isn’t inconceivable. But could there be more to it? For context, you’ll only find 9,100 results for effective leaders, 4,100 empathetic leaders, and about 1,000 respected leaders. So, is it possible that the number of those who see themselves as thought leaders tells more of a story about personal biases affecting self-perception?
Regardless of how you answer that question, it seems that true thought leadership ought to encompass the following principles.
Thought leadership, at its core, should be fueled by curiosity. It should challenge the status quo and question conventional approaches. Borrowing from Joey Havens, a thought leader I’ve followed for several years, it should anticipate exponential possibilities in an exponential world. When most of us think about upside potential, we frequently— even if unintentionally—limit our expectations of attainable outcomes. Consider the following three scenarios:
If we start with 100 widgets and double them (a 100% increase), we’ll have only 200 widgets.
If we multiply those 100 widgets by 100, we’ll have 10,000 widgets.
But what if we could exponentially increase those same 100 widgets to the power of 100? Ask Siri, and you’ll get an answer: “The result is too big to present.” Think about that!
Thought leadership should also be less about demonstrating expertise and more about learning all that we don’t yet know or understand. It should embrace the maxim that “we don’t know what we don’t know.” Yet, it seems we’ve flipped that proposition upside-down.
There is an inclination (if not a propensity) in articles and blog posts to equate “expertise” with thought leadership. Subject matter experts can be intellectually brilliant. They are often fountains of knowledge, with freakish memory and recall. Maybe even the smartest people in the room. But none of that necessarily translates into thought leadership. Renowned author and professor Adam Grant has suggested that we tune into the most confident voices instead of the most thoughtful. There is a distinction and a difference between the two. Not all subject matter experts are thought leaders. Thought leadership is not just about acquired expertise. It’s about constant learning!
What else? T.S. Eliot is said to have asked, “Where is the wisdom we’ve lost in knowledge?” Wisdom is the effective application of knowledge to complex problems, making sound judgments, and acting with insight, discernment, and common sense. Thought leadership reflects wisdom. It creates impact. It is active, not passive.
Above all, thought leadership should reflect humility. Four observations here:
First, thought leadership is a lonely endeavor. Thought leaders are often misunderstood. Their colleagues and stakeholders will not always embrace new perspectives or solutions that fall outside a current frame of reference. There’s a timeless saying that no one is a prophet among their peers. Anyone who wades into the deep waters of thought leadership should do so without expecting recognition, credit, praise, or help! If there is any reward, it’s simply in the effort itself.
The second observation about humility is a derivative of the first. Thought leadership isn’t self-promoting. Thought leaders seek to serve and advance the good of others.
The third point regarding humility and thought leadership is that failure will come. Thomas Edison is credited with saying, “To have a great idea, have a lot of them.”
The fourth and last point on humility is that true thought leadership requires appreciating one’s smallness in the universe. Haughtiness is the kryptonite of thought leadership.
Having served in several senior- level state government roles for nearly three decades, and now consulting with public sector organizations, I’ve experienced transformational thought leadership. I’ve also witnessed a lack of it. The public sector can be especially unkind to thought leaders. By design, our system of government was never intended to be a springboard for innovation. Built-in checks and balances frequently limit the scope and speed of transformation at federal, state, and local government levels. That reality is often exasperating and always challenging, but with it comes tremendous opportunity!
Public-sector entities that cultivate thought leaders can drive policy innovations, improve lives, leverage technology to deliver services more efficiently, reduce costs, and respond more effectively to constituents’ needs. It means being proactive, leading conversations, and always striving to solve the future!