Article Analysis Essay On Thought Leadership in the 21st Century

Introduction

The material adopted for this review is thought leadership in the 21st century. The article talks about quality thought leadership and how it can be applied in an organization. It starts by explaining what quality thought leadership should entail and why it is essential. It also touches the aspect of who can be considered as a thought leader and characteristics that one should hold. Its main objective is to show how though leaders have been able to cut through the noise and come up with a substantial idea that worth attention. Examples of how thought leadership has been applied successfully in solving a company's problems or to enable successful innovation such as in the case of Elos Musk have been provided. I have selected this article because it does not only show how quality thought leadership can impact on an organization success but also provide insight into how though leadership can inspire and influence others.

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Identify and clearly state the key points of the article and the quality management issue(s) to which they pertain.

In this article, though a leader is defined as a firm or an individual that is recognized as an authority in a particular area whose expertise is usually consulted and rewarded. They are people with insight on what is happening while being able to predict what will happen in future. However, the author argues that having these qualities as found in the phrase are just a fragment of what thought leadership entail. Thought leads are not only useful in terms of their ideas, but they also know how to inspire others. The point is that leaders can have good intentions, but it takes a quality thought leader to express his/her thought to inspire others in taking actions.

According to the author, quality thought leaders are not born; preferably, they are made. In other words, this kind of leadership does not depend on innate attributes, and hence they can be acquired. However, specific characteristics or values might be required to make its acquisition easier. In this case, for one to be able to earn thought leader status, one must create an experience and establish authenticity over a long period. Being authentic is defines as being yourself, which allow others to identify you at a personal level. It is the ability to be consistent with the core values such as trustworthiness that define an individual. The implication is that a thought leader may have ideas that can impact on others, but lack of authentication may make influencing others hard. The author gives Oprah Winfred as an example of outstanding authenticity. Apart from being the day time television show express, she has been able to build her brand with a solid background of his core values. Her belief in combining both private and public spaces and hence creating transparency in people's lives count as her authenticity. It proves that the more real an individual is, the more authentic and genuine he/she can be in other avenues of life. This is evident in Winfred's various channels such as in her super soul Sunday vides and lives event magazines.

According to Joy (2017), quality thought leadership and innovation are correlated. Since the qualities of a thought leader involve having ideas that can impact the future, it becomes the father of innovation. This is the reason why most though readership examples, consist of inspirational innovation stories. This is true for the story of a person behind Solar City, PayPal, SpaceX and Tesla Motors Elon Musk. His ideas, such as in the case of Tesla electric car, received excellent reviews from customers globally due to its environmental benefits and futuristic appeals. The concept of PayPal has also been recommended as a brilliant one regarding how it has revolutionized E-commerce. Solar city deal has also been impactful by providing an alternative of power that is cost-efficient and less pollutant compared to fossil fuel. In his life, Musk has encountered many challenges in trying to implement some of his ideas or through ideas that are not practical but eventually, he emerged with ideas that are impactful in a global perspective. His face hence depicts how people can encounter numerous failures but still come up with ideas that can alter humanity within low cost.

To be a successful thought leader, the right people need to know you, and it is also essential for you to know them. A business is like a giant web which operates when all the necessary connections are achieved. A leader must consider himself as a source of impulses into an interconnected system to realize organizational goals. The way a leader presents a policy or a presentation determines how others will initiate it. However, interconnection is not limited in a relationship within a company but also a relationship with the financial community, customers, and clients. The author concluded by saying that, quality thought leaders should look at the whole picture and focus on developing a world that is more sustainable by balancing the best interest of the people, business, and technology.

Reflect on your learning from this assignment and provide a critique if applicable.

I have learnt various aspects regarding quality leadership and its impact on an organizations success. Firstly, quality leaders can be made, but a particular character must be possessed. This means that some of our values may promote quality leadership skills or be a barrier. In the article, the author expertly shows how authenticity and consistency have contributed to developing successful thought leaders. However, the most crucial area that I feel could be of help in my future career as a manager is a lesson from Elon Musk who despite facing numerous failures, he still came up with ideas that impacted on people's lives globally. It will encourage me not to lose hope and keep on trying regardless of obstacles and challenges.

References

Joy, Manu. (2017). Thought Leadership in the 21st century. Pallikkutam.