“A leader is best when people barely know (s)he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” Lao Tzu “This is the art of leadership at its best: the art that conceals art.” MICHAEL SHINAGEL, who quotes Lao Tzu on the art of leadership, is recognized as the longest-serving dean in Harvard history, and a leadership expert. Under his leadership, his division enrolled more than 20,000 students annually and generated $75 million in revenue. 1.
How to ‘do’ financial services thought leadership 1. Be brave in your choice 2. Use a of problem to process solve 4. Iterate, 3. Learn from collaborate, others test 2.
Step 2. Use a process 3.
Keeping it real Step 3. Learn from others Examples of thought leadership process applied Th Three different tech chniques 1 2 3 Cr Creativ ive Transdisciplinary reframe Tr Reversal Re Pr Problem : great content Problem: Pr m: lost social license Problem: Pr m: Lack of women buried in dense of a profession in senior leadership economic commentary So Solut ution: n: So Solut ution: n: So Solut ution : 1. “Go above” the level 1. A famous person 1. Audience analysis of the problem 2. Reversing the 2. Creative: images + 2. Re-think how value is argument: focus on cultural references+ measured & described women's behaviour re-expressed content 3. Apply a trusted not mens’ method (NPV) from 3. Using an existing another discipline to evidence base re-frame value 4.
Learning from others 1 Market Outlook by Rod Cornish with Carden Calder Ma Macquarie Real Estate Ma Pr Problem? 1. Velocity and volume: while the report contained predictive actionable investment insight it was hidden in analysis, charts and long from economic commentary. It wasn’t reported by media, recognised by the market or replayed by the target audience of institutional property investors. Solut So ution? n? Audience analysis: male Gen X and Boomer white collar professionals & the • media they follow Creative: images + cultural references + re-expression: of the actionable • information and key insights to hit existing heuristics and cues (Madonna: Desperately Seeking Susan, various movie tropes: the silver Zero Haliburton briefcase of cash, “the world is flat”) 5.
Learning from others 2 ce by BlueChip Th The Net Present Value of Financi cial Advi vice Pr Problem? Improve financial advice’s social licence in Australia, pre-Royal Commission So Solut ution: n: “Go above” the level the problem was created at (industry, organisational, • individual) to draw a bigger frame or stage for the conversation (national interest) Re-think the way the benefits were expressed – plenty of evidence • suggesting people who were well advised do better financially – to create a headline grabber Apply a known, trusted method (heuristic) of establishing value • (transdisciplinary thinking / idea application): corporate valuation methodology net present value (NPV) 6.
Learning from others 3 Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg Pr Problem: • Lack of senior women in technology and business leadership So Solut ution: n: A famous woman + of the moment issue + a campaignable idea • Reversing the conventional arguments (women need to lean in vs men • changing) Using an existing evidence-base (some of it older than Sandberg), more • recent studies, anecdotes from the world’s most famous tech company (insider access) and high-profile people 7.
Macquarie Real Estate The Challenge Drive institutional awareness of Macquarie Property n Use real estate market insights to drive brand (2003-07) n Macquarie’s Real Estate capability was respected although not well known. The brief to BlueChip was to take market and economic analysis and make it memorable to a wider audience. BlueChip response Creative concepts based on economic analysis n Content hierarchy development n Structure, messaging, creative, writing and editing n Result Improved investor relationships n Media dominance in real estate reporting n Rod Cornish: “BlueChip helped us make the complex simple, taking our ideas to the market before they were mainstream. This helped Macquarie Property build a brand faster than we could have without the key concepts and strong creative BlueChip gave the Real Estate Market 8.
Step 4. Test your financial services thought leadership Te Test, iterate & & collaborate Th Thoughtful (m (must b be a all o of t these) 1. Addresses, solves or explores audience’s problems, opportunities or context AND 2. Is informed by their bias and existing belief: to confirm or confront 3. Is at the intersection: what your audience wants to know + what you are an expert in 4. Is compelling: lends itself to sharing, distribution, engagement (e.g. conversations, white paper, social media) 5. Has a ‘next step’, call to action or actionable information Leading (i Le (ideally i is m most o of t these) 1. In real white space e.g. new new, new to you, new to audience 2. Aligned to strategy: helps you reach your personal, organisational or industry goals 3. Evidence-based or if commentary doesn’t lean on known misnomers or known erroneous heuristics (logical fallacies) to build up an argument 4. Creative: a different way of thinking about something e.g. by application of creative concept 1 , transdisciplinary approach 2 or different form of expression (such as a reversal) 3 5. Strategic: above the level, beyond the duration or larger than the scale at which the problem or opportunity was created 1 Creative concept: Macquarie Real Estate Outlook 2 Transdisciplinary approach: Net Present Value of financial advice for the nation 3 Different form of expression: Lean In 9.
Online networking Build networks and Focussed sales In-person networking Amplification presence on social In-person meetings Identify and attend media will continue to be seminars, lunches, an important part of social events and prospecting and activities where your converting leads audience is Build profile on social media Relationship Leverage short form video content on Building LinkedIn and YouTube to build profile as market expert commentator Use your connections Leverage existing clients to get referrals. Scale your prospecting Build strong Focus of financial Profile relationships and add advisers/planners Building value to turn clients Authority into advocates Website: Small scale PR program Synergies between Update copy and user experience • Aimed at building ongoing content for clients & • to focus on your elevator pitch, relationships w/ financial PR commentary performance and clearly publications and podcasts articulated investment strategies Content marketing: News-jacking commentary • Add gated content for lead gen • Create content that • on market events that may demonstrates expertise, have investors look increases client Paid: for opportunities (or a acquisition & retention Social media paid ads for • new fund manager) Create video content for • prospecting & lead gen Digital Leverage deep expertise • emails and social media Marketing (LinkedIn & YouTube prerolls) and great performance Content that can be Advertising in financial • • during COVID-19 to build shared by existing publications to reach credibility and a profile as clients and advisers planners/advisers (phased commentator Gated long form eDM banners and event • content for prospecting listings promoting webinar) SEO: (webinars, videos, pdf) Optimise content on website to • 10. improve search results
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