The Thought Leader
Many people in organisations have aspirations to position themselves as a thought leader, or a subject matter expert. After all, ‘knowledge is power’, and we live in a ‘knowledge economy’. Leaders often think that what is holding them back is a lack of knowledge or experience.
But how can that be, when we live in an age when there is so much information available at our fingertips? A time when all we ever wanted to know is just a click away? One could argue that there is only one true thought leader; the Internet. No one will ever compete with the knowledge contained here.
I wonder if a lack of knowledge is the real problem anyway. It is one thing to know lots of ‘stuff’, but another thing completely to apply it in a way that is helpful for you. This is where coaching can play a hugely impactful role for leaders in organisations. The coaching process prompts time away from the day job in order to create space to think and reflect. To consolidate the huge reserves of information and experiences and capture the little nuggets of gold that will truly make a difference.
Coaching then supports people to turn reflections and ideas into tangible action. Coaches support people as they create plans and adopt habits and practices. Coaches also keep people accountable. Acting on the information we have and the ideas we generate is where the magic really is.
Thinking is important. Reflection is essential. But don’t miss the final stage of turning that thinking into something others can see and use.
The TOWARD team