thought leadership (mignon van halderen); het communicatie congres 2012

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Presentation for the Communicatie Congres

Thursday November 15th 2012

Dr. Mignon van Halderen Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University

Independent (research-based) consultant

@Mignondelicia

Extracted from just a few company websites

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

“Our thought leadership”

“We pride ourselves on the caliber, breadth

and scope of our thought leadership”

“…our thought leadership magazine”

“.. we are thought leaders and experts”

“We are active thought leaders”

“…access our latest thought leadership”

“Browse our growing library of

mobile thought leadership pieces..”

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

Thought leadership is overused to a point that it is becoming

meaningless.

“Twelvis” effect: “We must do something with thought leadership!”

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

Diagnosis Thought

leadership

Act in line

with NPoV

Articulate Novel Point of View

Initiate network platform(s)

Openly share knowledge &

expertise

Act in line with

Novel Point of View

Analyze market-or societal trends

Assess opportunity for Novel Point of View on

these trends

Assess commitment and available resources

Preferred partner to work with

Reflected in company-unique

metrics, e.g. brand value, brand preference, active

business leads, sales, employee engagement,

invites to influential platforms etc.

Implementation

Novelty Stakeholders are

attracted to company

because of its novel insights into for them

relevant issues

Trust Stakeholders

regard company as a trusted voice

and partner on these relevant

issues Go / No Go

Business results

Review alignment with identity and firm’s

expertise

Developed by Mignon van Halderen & Kym Kettler-Paddock (2010). Presented in their forthcoming e-book (with Craig Badings) “How to differentiate your company and stand out from the crowd: Thought Leadership”.

The thought leadership frameworkTM

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

WHAT IS THOUGHT LEADERSHIP?

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

Thought leadership defined

The action of promoting thought-

provoking viewpoints that reframe the

way stakeholders think about their key

issues, helping them toward new

insights and solutions.

Mignon van Halderen , Kym Kettler-Paddock , Craig Badings

(2012)

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

What does the “thought” exactly relate to?

Thought Novel Point of View

(NPOV)

Inspiration

Meaning

Disrupting status quo

“AHA” impact

Intellect

Research Knowledge Expertise

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

WHY IS THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AN ATTRACTIVE POSITIONING STRATEGY?

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

It gives “refreshing” meaning; drives and mobilizes people.

Unifying thought

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

It is a logical part of our “zeitgeist”

Product/Price

1850

Corporate Identity

1980

CSR Branding

1990+

Thought Leadership

2010

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

It benefits the company in different ways

Meaning, inspiring, mobilizing

Offering meaning that goes beyond the product/service

Inspiring and mobilizing employees and stakeholders

Building mutual rewarding relationships

Strengthening positioning

Safeguarding the role of the organization for the future

Strengthening the reputation or brand

Generating leads; new business

Pushing forward agenda of the industry

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

HOW TO IMPLEMENT THOUGHT LEADERSHIP?

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

The most elegant forms of thought leadership are not claimed, but are the outcome of strategies driven by

thought provoking viewpoints

Diagnosis Thought

leadership

Act in line

with NPoV

Articulate Novel Point of View

Initiate network platform(s)

Openly share knowledge &

expertise

Act in line with

Novel Point of View

Analyze market-or societal trends

Assess opportunity for Novel Point of View on

these trends

Assess commitment and available resources

Preferred partner to work with

Reflected in company-unique

metrics, e.g. brand value, brand preference, active

business leads, sales, employee engagement,

invites to influential platforms etc.

Implementation

Novelty Stakeholders are

attracted to company

because of its novel insights into for them

relevant issues

Trust Stakeholders

regard company as a trusted voice

and partner on these relevant

issues Go / No Go

Business results

Review alignment with identity and firm’s

expertise

The thought leadership frameworkTM

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

Developed by Mignon van Halderen & Kym Kettler-Paddock (2010). Presented in their forthcoming e-book (with Craig Badings) “How to differentiate your company and stand out from the crowd: Thought Leadership”.

Diagnosis phase: what is the “thought” that drives us as an organization of people?

History Identity Strategy

Societal trends

Market trends Novel point

of View (NPOV)

E

M E

I

C

Soil for good

thoughts

Unleash employees

most creative

thoughts!

C

C

O

P

The company’s

“leading thought”

(the NPOV)

provokes,

inspires,

mobilizes

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

Articulate Novel Point of View (NPOV)

Let’s us see the world differently…

…re-conceptualizes our thinking…

…gives new insight…

…elicits AHA moments…

…provides clarity of sight…

All important for realizing meaning, progress or change!

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

Articulate Novel Point of View

Initiate network platform(s)

Openly share knowledge &

expertise

Act in line with

Novel Point of View

Implementation

IBM is trying to get the world to look at itself from a systems perspective. If enough data can be collected and analyzed, IBM believes that it can improve the efficiency in the delivery of energy to homes, reduce traffic congestion……basically tackle and solve many of the world’s most serious sustainability and other issues.

“Smarter Planet” : a systems perspective..

“IBM would commit itself not to selling servers and software through depicting humorous office scenes (a convention IBM had successfully used in the past), but to advocating a thoughtful and serious point of view on how technology could make the world work better.” (Source: Effie Award Case, 2010).

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

“No wonder our perception of beauty is biased”

Social mission:

To encourage all women and

girls to develop a positive

relationship with beauty,

helping to raise their

self-esteem, and thereby

enabling them to realize their

full potential.

NPoV:

Our perception of beauty is

distorted

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

Sharing knowledge & expertise

Articulate Novel Point of View

Initiate network platform(s)

Openly share knowledge &

expertise

Act in line with

Novel Point of View

Implementation

Not just any content BUT content that

links to the Novel Point of View

is thought-provoking

offers new insights

is preferably evidence based

www.jaumeplensa.com

Two types of content sharing

Content marketing

Content that reflects the overarching viewpoint

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

Philips took two themes: Liveable cities & ging

Aging Well Livable Cities

Upcoming Philips examples thanks to Katy Hartley, director of the Center for Health & Well Being

(http://www.philips-thecenter.org/)

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

Gained more insight into each theme through research: what drives people’s health perceptions (in 32 countries)?

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

Source:

Katy Hartley, Center for Health & Well Being

(http://www.philips-thecenter.org/)

Shared their findings and insights through digital and social media. No push, mostly looking for debate.

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

Source:

Katy Hartley, Center for Health & Well Being

(http://www.philips-thecenter.org/)

Recent content sharing partnerships

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

Initiate network platforms

Articulate Novel Point of View

Initiate network platform(s)

Openly share knowledge &

expertise

Act in line with

Novel Point of View

Implementation

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

Center stage in an ecosystem of influencers…

Seen as a trusted voice in these networks

Enriching and extending relationships

Sensing external developments

Co-creation; sharpening NPoV and Ideas

Philips think tanks on each team

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

Aging Well Livable Cities

Acting in line with Novel Point of View (NPOV)

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

Demonstrating company is committed to NPOV; no pretense or window-dressing

Showing that company has the competence, expertise to deliver positive outcomes related to NPOV

Articulate Novel Point of View

Initiate network platform(s)

Openly share knowledge &

expertise

Act in line with

Novel Point of View

Implementation

“Textbook advice”

Start in the diagnosis phase of the Thought Leadership FrameworkTM Start internally, involve your employees Demonstrate substance behind the NPOV

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

But…reality is usually different

NPOV still an aspiration, not yet operational reality No obvious connection between products and NPOV Contradiction between products, activities and NPOV NPOV is not ‘real’ for employees

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

So, how do you balance between real and ideal?

Reality Ideal

How do you prepare for this stance?

Is our NPOV

Substance-proof? Future-proof? Debate-proof?

NPOV fits with identity, core expertise

NPOV still an aspiration, not yet operational reality No obvious connection between products and NPOV Contradiction between products, activities and NPVO

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

Concluding remark

Let’s not be too fixed on the “leadership” part of thought leadership; the thought is what inspires and mobilizes!

Keep authenticity but take a stance, have a viewpoint that helps yours stakeholders to look at their relevant issues differently!

There is not one form of thought leadership: it comes in all forms and sizes.

Yet, the steps in our Thought Leadership FrameworkTM may guide you in developing the thought leadership strategy that fits your company!

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

THANK YOU! Mhalderen@rsm.nl

@Mignondelicia

“Our body is the home of the spirit. The

place in which ideas live. Our body is a

meeting place where our different

experiences converge, mix and grow,

creating a colossal archive.”

www.jaumeplensa.com

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen

Mhalderen@rsm.nl

@Mignondelicia

• Mignon van Halderen (PhD) operates at the interface of corporate advice, (academic or company) research and (executive) teaching. She advises companies on thought leadership, (re) building trust/legitimacy or enhancing the impact of companies’ identity expressiveness efforts, e.g., through corporate language, symbolism, framing or storytelling. She lectures and coaches students on the same topics and works on academic papers to ground her knowledge and expertise in solid academic theories and frameworks.

• Through her 10 years’ experience at the Corporate

Communication Centre (bit.ly/IUnfjX) of the Rotterdam School of Management (Erasmus University), Mignon has become skilled in taking an evidence-based approach to business problems (both qualitatively and quantitatively) and makes academic models useful for a business audience. Mignon loves to constantly switch between academic thinking and intuitive creativity and pragmatism.

• Mignon has further developed a 3-day Master Class on thought

leadership at the Rotterdam School of Management and facilitates in-company thought leadership trainings (one day or more) by using the Thought Leadership Framework™ as described in her booklet with Kym Kettler-Paddock and Craig Badings. Mignon has published several articles on the topic (e.g., for RSMInsight, Communicatie, The Communication Director, Building Business and for the book CommunicatieNU).

Dr. Mignon (Delicia) van Halderen

Nationality: Dutch

Home town: The Hague

+31 (0) 6 43 98 91 18

Mhalderen@rsm.nl

Bio Mignon

@Mignondelicia

© Dr. Mignon van Halderen