THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Session 5 - 6
GRE-248 for eMBA Program

Alexander Cyrus

Modules Description
Module 1: ABOUT THOUGHT LEADERSHIP What is Thought Leadership? Why TL is important? How TL relates to new ideas, innovation? Module 2: THOUGHT LEADERSHIP PROCESS Scan the marketplace, find issues Generate ideas, innovate. Do rsearch as necessary Communicate ideas, listen to stakeholders Refine and improve Module 4: BECOMING A THOUGHT LEADER IN THE BUSINESS Preparing yourself Preparing the organization Mastering the skill and increasing persistence Ensure it helps the organization
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Mod 3: GETTTING RETURN ON TL INVESTMENT / ACTIVITIES Social Financial Change the industry Improve humanity Change the world

Thought Leadership RoI / Rewards

Change Individual, Family, Community Behavior Change Company, Industrys Structure, Profitability Improve Welfare, Country, Region, World, Humanity

EXTERNAL IMPACT
SELF/ORG REWARD

Recognition

Monetary

Position

Lessons Learned from Cases

Thought leaders occupies specific area Being a thought leader in one area does not guarantee it becomes thought leader in different/new area It may be successful as thought leader in different area if it follows thought leadership process from the beginning

Thought leader can be successful in multiple areas. In Google case, its search engine, maps (Google Maps, Google Earth), video sharing (YouTube), operating system (Android) Why successful? Google follows thought leadership process for each of the new areas above. Another factor is that most of the new areas is related to organizing world information and make it accessible. In other words, Google expand (rather than just add) its thought leadership areas to a bigger one Thought leaders is in a good position to monetize its innovation, although that may not be the original intention Thought leaders have clear vision and mission that will motivate them to push their idea forward
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Interesting Quotes
No harm to reap the benefits of thought leadership, the harm is when you quit Thought leadership great contribution is to change how we live our life Thought leadership is about making a difference, everything else will follow

Final Exam Paper

I expect your paper answers the following questions (based on the Thought Leadership Process), but it should not be an item-by-item answering write-up. Make a coherent story about what and how you will become a thought leader. If you already did, then share your experience, I trust your honesty that its real, not fiction 1. In what area you want to be a thought leader? Why? 2. What is your vision in the context of the above area? What do you want to achieve in 5 years, 10 years? 3. What is your idea(s)? What is different / new thing about your idea? (Can be crazy idea as long as you are passionate about it) 4. How are you going to communicate and promote your idea? To whom? What channels you want to use? 5. How are you going to test / implement your idea? 6. Do you think you can be persistent, even when you had strong criticism? Why? 7. What do you think is your weakness to carry through the whole process of thought leadership? Write in MS Office Word, no minimum number of pages. Please do not exceed 10 pages to ease my reading . Date of submission is 13 July 2013. Grading will be based on: Clarity of your elaboration on each item above (20%) Logical linkage between items, making it a coherent story (20%) Quality/creativity of your idea (20%) and your plans (or what you have done) (40%)