Thought Leadership – Your Reputation

There are some down sides to Thought Leadership.  They come if you don’t pay close attention to the whole process.    They can be negative because the balancing act can sometimes go badly.  It can go badly when you say or do something that brings disrepute on yourself or your firm.  Thought Leadership comes with a lot of responsibility.  You take into your own hands the reputation that you espouse and the reputation of all the people and groups you are associated with.

You might get the wrong reputation.

Do not enter into this arena lightly.  There are great rewards, but there are also great consequences.  If things take a downturn because you have misrepresented yourself, then it can take a while to get back on track.

CAD Managers are thought leaders. They lead others just based on the positions that they hold.  They lead others based on the processes they refine.  They lead others by documenting and unifying their firms.  This leadership is granted beyond the position when CAD Managers earn the respect of others.

The down side of leading may happen when you lose the respect and trust of others.  This can happen if you do not think about other peoples perspectives and agendas.  CAD Managers are in the customer service business.  The customer may not always be right, but getting them to understand that may be tricky.  Adjusting their perspective is often a delicate dance.  Respect them at all times.  Seek to understand them.

Never Forget…

The down side of thought leadership is that is places you in a position that requires you to never forget that when you speak (on anything, or everything) people listen. They listen and think about you words.  When you place your words out there for others to consider, you are placing yourself in a position for critique.  If you fail to constantly respect the fact that others may be listening, then they may determine that your words are not sincere, not candid and not to be respected.  Then they will turn away and find another.

Your reputation is a delicate thing.  If you do not develop it, nurture it and respect it, it will be compromised and sullied.  Reputation is what makes a Thought Leader.