Disclaimer

There are a lot of words to read on this website/project, but before we start, I want to give a couple of warnings in advance –

This can be a weirdly heated subject, because we’re making value judgments about a lot of things.

• I’m making an assumption that I know enough to talk about it with some level of authority (see About this Site)

• I’m making assumptions about why you would like to do it (see The Unspoken Goals of Thought Leadership)

• I’m making some judgment calls about different styles of it, and calling out of some of ways people produce and claim it (see Performative Thought Leadership and The Identity vs. The Practice)

I don’t like making judgment calls about this, but I sort of have to. Unless someone defines it – tries to put some boundaries around it – it’s really hard to talk about it. For us to have a discussion, we have to define several “its”: what the term means, what the practice is, what an artifact is, etc.

Without these definitions, then the discussion becomes vague and pointless. At the very least, I’ve created some targets for people to discuss and disagree on, and that has value even if I’m wrong.

Additionally, I’m talking about something from which a lot of people derive parts of their professional identity and perspective. Whether or not someone has enough experience and skill to be a “thought leader” – and the content they create in that context – is a very personal thing. For some people, to call that into question is to pass judgment on their body of work – believe me, I get that.

The way thought leadership manifests is different for everyone – what one person considers a good example of it and takes pride in, someone else may consider to be self-important naval-gazing. It’s very easy to look down your nose on something that falls outside your personal definition.

Just understand that what’s contained in these pages is a collection of the wildly subjective (but hopefully informed and thoughtful) opinions of one guy, who may or may not know what he’s talking about. I’ve been wrong before, I will be wrong again, and maybe I’m wrong right now.

If you vehemently disagree with – or take offense at – something that I’ve written here, you’re welcome to write a lengthy dissertation about how you disagree. I’ll read it gratefully.

Thanks.