Thought leadership is often talked about in terms of outputs – content campaigns comprising op-eds, whitepapers, infographics and so on. It is less often talked about in terms of the people who produce it or inform its creation, and how they come to be authoritative sources of insight about a given topic.

In commercial organisations, communications can assist in nurturing internal thought leaders. Because no one just up and becomes the voice that leads conversations about a given topic, there is a process of intellectual development that organisations can support. We have compiled a few areas of consideration for those in communications to reflect on.

Encourage a culture of inquiry

Great ideas, the hallmark of thought leaders, are the offspring of great questions. Which is to say really cutting-edge thought leadership is only possible when people are asking questions, when a culture of inquiry is present.

One way communications professionals can help this process is to work with company leadership to formulate high-value questions about their business and industry that will yield divergent responses. Regularly inviting the employees of a company to reflect on ideas and issues related to their industry has the double effect of teaching them the value of good questioning while at the same time empowering them to formulate their own views.

Then it is about creating space for discussion, so that perspectives can be shared and responded to. Such discussions can be formal or informal, in large groups or small, guided or free-form, but it is important that they happen regardless. To do this, a dedicated group can be created that meets regularly to discuss industry trends, the branding and positioning of the company, where they would like the firm to be in the future, and the means that might be espoused to get there.

The participants to these discussions should be across ranks and functions, to ensure different experiences and backgrounds inform the views being brought forward. And the overall purpose of the discussions should be to gain clarity about where and in what way the company can exercise leadership through content.

Create the conditions for critical reflection

Another role of communications in creating a culture of inquiry is making sure everyone understands that rational and respectful disagreement, or the expression of differing opinions, will not result in backlash or threats to an employee’s job security.

Because thought leadership is all about sparking conversations, taking intellectual risks and discovering new ideas for your company and industry, employees should feel comfortable discussing what is working, what is not, and why. The “why” question is arguably the most important, because it is the springboard for brainstorming what will later become the substance of a company’s thought leadership. Getting into the habit of asking “why” will also eventually yield a “challenger culture”, where ideas and proposals go through the crucible of critical reflection before being acted upon.

However, communication professionals also need to outline what is and is not permissible during discussions. For example, everyone should have the opportunity to be heard; the views of the person who speaks loudest or most often should not be the only ones adopted or considered. Ideas should be considered independent of their proponents; there can be no room for disagreement-motivated ad hominem attacks. And so on.

The point is that while interpersonal dynamics within a team can sometimes yield impassioned discussions when divergent perspectives are being discussed, they must nonetheless stay within the bounds of the company’s professed values. Only in this way will the soil for thought leadership stay moist.

Empower the ownership of topics

Internal thought leaders are developed as companies grow in self-awareness. Who knows what? Who is interested in what? How can we support the intellectual interests of our staff? These questions can help companies map their intellectual assets.

Then it is a matter of connecting them strategically. How does their knowledge align with our goals and strengths? How can we leverage their knowledge to lead industry conversations? When an employee’s knowledge is seen as relevant to the company’s business objectives, communications can step in to provide momentum to and a platform for that person’s views to be heard, for them to “own” a given topic. There are a few ways to approach this:

Provide opportunities for a prospective thought leader to “stretch their legs” in publicising their knowledge. This could take the form of writing articles or other forms of content, speaking at events, being interviewed, and so on.
Create channels for a budding thought leader to build a personal brand. This could be via social media, a company blog or guest writing opportunities, where they work to build influence by sharing their ideas.
Allocate budget to enable the testing of creative ideas. With the proliferation of digital technology, the landscape of options for presenting thought leadership are growing – data visualisations, mobile applications, scenario gamifications, all of which can enhance the ideas being promoted.

Communications teams are an essential component of creating a culture where thought leaders can grow. Given the incredible amount of content being published every day across the Internet, the value of doing so is growing by the day.

The role of communications in creating internal thought leaders