One of my colleagues is working on her MBA and had to review an article on leadership. She passed it to me (Ok, I told her I was a leadership junkie and would inhale any articles she sent my way) and it was titled “Thought Leadership (McCrimmon, 2005).”
The article defines thought leadership as the ability to influence others regardless of hierarchical status and a thought leaders as someone who assists in bringing a new idea to life (either through the creation or execution of the idea).
It made me think about all of the “buzz words” and how everything is the newest fad for a moment and then recycled for something new. People in my Master’s in Org Dev program would get so upset because they knew that underneath it all was the same principles and couldn’t understand why the public needed a “shiny new face” every year or so. Neither could I.
Until I realized today, it’s a natural part of life and business. The newness and/or freshness helps continually stimulate the mind (and the economy).
To lead is to influence, guide and/or direct. A good leader does this well, for the betterment of those around them. Call it what you like because its all good leadership to me!