What does it mean to be a thought leader, rather than just a vocal enthusiast or commentator?

The decisive element is that thought leaders make an original contribution to a given field. There are three basic ways to do this: invention, synthesis and transposition.

Invention is an entirely novel idea. Inventive thought leadership is extremely rare because it can require years of research and experimentation to generate and validate original ideas and even more tenacious efforts to persuade people of their value.

Synthesis is putting existing ideas together in a novel way that makes them more accessible or powerful, or allows people to see a given topic from a fresh perspective.

Transposition is borrowing ideas from other fields, and applying them to your own. You might ask for example, what an app designer could learn from an architect, or vice versa.

When studying a genuine thought-leaders' work I tend to have one of two reactions. I either feel a deep discomfort because their well-evidenced insights clash with my existing beliefs; or have a satisfying “a ha” moment as if a puzzle piece has just slotted into place.

Both are exciting, but the former requires unlearning as well as learning — an advantageous skill to cultivate in our dynamic, uncertain world.

See this post on LinkedIn