Balancing your thought leadership agenda with client needs: How can you excel in both areas simultaneously?

By actively listening to the client and infusing their feedback into your thought leadership, you can create value that truly speaks to their needs. It continuously communicates and stays relevant and impactful in both areas by keeping the clients' goals as top priority while sharing knowledge in the industry.

As a thought leader, you need to engage with your clients, listen & observing him, & offer solution, which really meets his need. For example, in USA, post 1940, economy was picking up, people wanted to do more & were short of time, especially for getting their daily meals. Earlier, they were supposed to park car, go inside the restaurant & pick their meal ( burger etc.). They wanted to save time. So, some restra focused on their internal packaging, wrapping processes but for customer, it was still not resulting in any benefits. Than, in 1947,Sheldon 'red' opened drive-through restra. Now, customers can get their meal, while still being inside car (no time wasted for car parking etc). Here, customer pain point was solved in correct way.

I aim to excel in both my thought leadership agenda and client needs by continuously evolving my insights while staying attuned to the challenges and aspirations of those I serve. It's about striking a balance between innovation and practical application, ensuring that my expertise remains relevant and beneficial to all stakeholders involved.

To excel in both areas, avoid pushing your agenda. First, clearly understand your client's goals to articulate a vision that makes them feel seen and heard, building trust. Once trust is established, gradually incorporate your thought leadership. This approach ensures clients feel valued and understood, fostering a collaborative environment where your insights can naturally integrate with their needs, leading to mutual success.

While managing a customer if customer problems understood well and reflected well in narrative, discussions or any form of communication, then you are no longer just an external party. Thought leadership with empathy ensures you have opened doors for trusted communication with customer which would lead to long lasting trusted relationships and grabbing more opportunities

A) An effective engagement strategy is key to connecting with your audience on a deeper level. B) Use platforms and formats that your clients prefer to ensure your thought leadership reaches them effectively. C) Interact with your audience to foster a community around your ideas and encourage a two-way dialogue.

Uma estratégia de engajamento eficaz é a chave para se conectar com seu público em um nível mais profundo. Use plataformas e formatos que seus clientes preferem para garantir que sua liderança de pensamento os alcance de forma eficaz. Seja por meio de artigos, podcasts ou webinars, certifique-se de que seu conteúdo seja acessível e envolvente. Interaja com seu público para promover uma comunidade em torno de suas ideias e incentivar um diálogo bidirecional. Esse tipo de engajamento não só fortalece a conexão com seu público, mas também oferece insights valiosos que podem orientar suas futuras estratégias de conteúdo e inovação.

Taking feedback from your client, reflecting on that & incorporating that in your action is very essential. In fact, feedback loop is true in many things. 1. The major difference between a CMMi level 4 & CMMi level 5 company is that, in CMMi level 5, you need to continuously take feedback & incorporate. 2. Any project, which follows Agile, one need to ship MVP & take feedback at small intervals & incorporate in next cycle. 3. In Artificial Intelligence, models need to take feedback (either from human or from data) & improve themselves over various iterations. These examples show that feedback loop is key for better results. It helps you & your approach evolve over time. Client feels involved in the process & it becomes a win-win for all.

Estabelecer um ciclo de feedback é essencial para refinar sua abordagem de liderança de pensamento de acordo com as necessidades do cliente. Solicite feedback regularmente e esteja aberto a críticas construtivas. Isso não apenas ajuda você a ficar em sintonia com as mudanças nas expectativas do cliente, mas também demonstra seu compromisso com a melhoria contínua e a satisfação do cliente. Um líder de pensamento responsivo é aquele que evolui com seu público. Ao incorporar o feedback em suas estratégias, você fortalece a confiança e a conexão com seus clientes, garantindo que suas iniciativas permaneçam relevantes e impactantes.

Nothing is permanent in this world & this is true for your thought leadership also. It's a journey, where one should always aim to become better (from previous day, from previous interaction..). Client needs & likes will change. Also, now with technology, internet, social media, our habits & overall global dynamics are changing. Your thoughts can't be measured (it's not a tangible product, which one can see/touch). It's very important that you should be proactive enough to understand new trends, define new trends & needs. Something which was very innovative yesterday ( say printing press), is not important today. Hence, you need to keep on reinventing yourself & your thoughts. Only than, you will be able to offer value to your clients.

Abrace o conceito de evolução consistente em sua jornada de liderança de pensamento. À medida que a dinâmica do mercado e as necessidades dos clientes mudam, seus insights e recomendações também devem se adaptar. Mantenha-se informado sobre as tendências do setor e esteja disposto a ajustar sua abordagem. Essa agilidade não apenas demonstra proatividade, mas também garante que sua liderança de pensamento permaneça relevante e valiosa para seus clientes. Evoluir continuamente é a chave para fornecer insights que realmente fazem a diferença e manter uma conexão sólida com seu público.