How can you teach Thought Leaders to anticipate and respond to emerging trends and issues?

I always start with in depth customer interviews. There is simply no substitute for having actual live human conversations with your customers. And when I talk to customers I think in terms of customer journeys. I want to make sure I'm addressing the end-to-end experience customers have. When you gain a deep holistic understanding of the customer it becomes clear what you need to do.

Encourage them to attend workshops, webinars, conferences on related but also varied areas. It is important to identify cross functional trends that could be at the horizon. Many future use cases will depend on how the knowledge in varied domains is applied together to achieve a greater objective.

Being a part of a high-level CEO peer group is a great way to gain insights and perspectives that may affect you and your company in ways you never considered.

Encourage Thought Leaders to regularly scan the external environment for emerging trends and issues. This involves staying informed about industry developments, technological advancements, and shifts in the socio-economic landscape. Utilize a variety of sources such as industry publications, conferences, and expert analyses.

Thought leaders have to push the boundaries, by learning about new technologies, and pedagogies, crucial to analyse an ever-evolving world. Longlife learning!

Encourage the use of diagrams and infographics to make the vision more engaging. Educate how to tailor the communication of vision based on types of audiences. It is important to also train them about the creation of actionable initiatives that get translated from the vision.

Guide Thought Leaders in constructing a forward-thinking vision based on their understanding of emerging trends. This involves synthesizing gathered information into a cohesive narrative that outlines potential future scenarios. Emphasize the importance of aligning this vision with their expertise and the goals of their audience.

Antes de ir pra rua e se apresentar para as audiências de interesse, o primeiro passo é desenvolver um conceito próprio. Quase como fazer uma autoanálise. Esta etapa inicial cria identidade, define visão de negócios, alinha discursos corporativos, permite a construção de narrativas únicas, garante consistência e credibilidade às mensagens. A sua marca pessoal ou empresarial precisa saber dizer a que veio. Comece respondendo diante do espelho: qual sua ambição de negócios? Como a marca quer ser vista? Como vai contribuir com a sociedade? Para além do seu core business, o que o setor onde atua precisa para se desenvolver social e economicamente? Aposto que as respostas te darão insights valiosos.

Foster a culture of continuous learning and adaptation. Thought Leaders should embrace a mindset that values staying informed and being open to evolving perspectives. Encourage participation in workshops, courses, and discussions that explore emerging trends, ensuring they remain at the forefront of their field.

Thought leaders should master the act of learning and adaptability which will help them to adjust and thrive in the face of changing circumstances, uncertainties, or new challenges. It's will as well assist in rapidly acquiring and applying new knowledge and skills as the need arises, staying ahead of industry developments.

Highlight the significance of collaboration and networking in staying attuned to emerging trends. Establishing connections with other Thought Leaders, industry experts, and professionals facilitates the exchange of insights and the identification of trends that might not be immediately apparent. Participation in industry events and online forums can be valuable for networking.

Attend relevant conferences in their field or even not . in order to make valuable connections in other fields. Also by particpating in podcasts, and sharing insights.

Inspire Thought Leaders to innovate and create content or solutions that address emerging trends. Encourage them to think creatively about how their expertise can contribute to addressing new challenges or capitalizing on emerging opportunities. This might involve experimenting with new formats, technologies, or methodologies.

Thought leaders can be encouraged to foster a workplace culture that values innovation. This includes creating an environment where creativity is celebrated, and teams are empowered to experiment with new ideas. Emphasize the need to stay informed about emerging trends, technologies, and market shifts. This proactive approach helps them anticipate changes and respond strategically

3 ways lawyer thought leaders can find topics that bring real value to clients: 1/ I recommend lawyer thought leaders pay attention to the questions their clients are asking them. 2/ And then think of what questions their clients SHOULD be asking about what’s next. 3/ Always be looking for patterns. Are you getting the same question from clients in different industries? What new, surprising questions are you being asked about?

Encourage the thought leaders to engage in scenario planning, how different trends could play out in the future, what will be the impact of such scenarios. Understand the potential implications, explore the uncertainties and create strategies that would help the organisation remain more adorable and resilient.

A thought leader's job isn't just to "respond to trends." Part of a thought leader's job is to let their industry know which trends are the important one and which ones aren't. Sometimes that means telling the world something isn't important. Sometimes that means ignoring it. A thought leader acts, they don't just react.

Use wagers to test your conviction. Are you willing to make a very small wager like a $1 (or even a paper bet) with a coworker/boss/friend that your view unfolds as predicted? On trade floors - it’s common to see any number of odd betting games (how many pitches will it take to close an inning? What are the digits on a dollar bill?) The skill is to assess the risk/make a view/stake a claim. Forcing yourself to say - I would buy that at 1 or sell that at 2… In my view, it is the most critical skill as a thought leader to develop.

What has been missing is the power of clear, concise and explainable decisions. When we navigate a complex landscape, making the RIGHT decision is not always the best one for everyone. There is Jeff Bezos framework of reversibile and irreversible decision which I like. It states, broadly - spend as much time as needed on irreversible decisions, involve a broad set of stakeholders and ensure that the journey/path to a decision is well documented. These are usually the big calls. Ensure learnings are captures along the way and then make the call. - spend little time with a subset of stakeholders on reversible decisions and ensure that you make the call fast and decisively. Feedback on the decision and a check in if the results work is key.