Apr 14, 2022
Ever thought you'd found the best solution - only to
discover in a few years (or a few months!) that the solution was
unsustainable?
The truth is that management solutions are complex, and sometimes
our answers only complicate the original challenge.
We’ve turned to one of the grandfathers of thought leadership,
Art Kleiner, to address this difficult issue.
Art is a recognized expert on management thinking, thought
leadership, organizational learning, and scenario planning. He's
the Principal Consultant at Kleiner Powell International
(KPI), and the author of a number of books
including Who Really Matters: The Core
Group Theory of Power, Privilege and
Success and The Age of Heretics: A History
of the Radical Thinkers Who Reinvented Corporate
Management.
Art shares stories of a time when business knowledge was
universally applied, leading to a range of difficulties with every
new application. Leaders wanted "the one right way" to run a
business, not realizing that business isn't a one-size-fits-all
scenario. Eventually, thousands of people started offering simpler
solutions to complex problems, each expressing the way they'd
addressed the challenges. This created a new problemL hundreds of
answers, and no way to tell which would be the right fit for
any individual organization.
Management problems have become more complex than ever, and leaders
now face the difficulties of employees who struggle to deal with
the global pandemic, radical changes to the workplace, and a
much higher standard of responsibility. All of this adds up to the
need for thought leaders who can be part of the community and
who speak directly to employees with open eyes and empathetic
understanding.
We wrap up the conversation by discussing why it is much harder to
build an audience today. The technology to reach thousands of
people actually causes part of the challenge, creating fragmented
audiences scattered across various platforms. In order to build
your audience, you have to show up on a regular basis, find a way
to connect with them, and share simple ideas that bring about
complex changes.
This conversation is filled with great advice for managers and
leaders seeking to better understand the complications of their
position.
Three Key Takeaways:
- Thought leaders get a lot of return from being an active part of the community they wish to serve.
- Clients are seeking a connection that feels real. They want someone who speaks from experience, and doesn't just peddle a quick solution.
- Different audiences prefer different media. Some might want to read short blurbs, others listen to a podcast, and a third group might prefer video. Thought leaders must connect with audiences in the manner they prefer.