Metamorphosis To Thought Leader, Part I

This is Part I of three posts, released concurrently.

“Watch your thoughts. They become words. Watch your words. They become deeds. Watch your deeds. They become habits. Watch your habits. They become character. Character is everything.”

I remember hearing this well-worn saying and having to journal it as I sat in my eighth-grade Pre-AP class twenty-two (and ticking) years ago. Someone please tell Linda Hargis that I was paying attention in class that year.

Everything begins with a single thought and that single thought can do one of three things:  advance a cause; raise doubts and lead to regression; or remain dead in the water like mallard ducks during the heart of Arkansas hunting season. Of course, dead thoughts are worthless for they never take on a life of their own beyond the gray matter in our heads.

That Android or iPhone you enjoy using daily? The product of a thought.

Ditto for backup cameras on most 2013 and later vehicles and the rise of Wal-Mart from a small five-and-dime vision Sam Walton had over fifty years ago in Newport (the family moved to Bentonville not long after) to the conglomerate the retail magnate is today.

What exactly is a thought leader? Why am I trying to become one?

Thought Leader (noun) – 1. An individual or firm that prospects, clients, referral sources, intermediaries, and even competitors recognize as one of the foremost authorities in selected areas of specialization, resulting in its being the go-to individual or organization for said expertise. 2. An individual or firm that significantly profits from being recognized as such.

Forbes magazine and I have similar yet differing meanings. To me, a thought leader is someone who harnesses the ideas in his or her head and frees them to control the conversation as an influencer. Not necessarily the smartest guy in the room, but the one whose expertise shines so brightly that others gravitate toward him hoping to obtain a sample of pixie dust.

 In other words, not only do you have to be exceptional, but the dollars must follow. Being very good just won’t suffice here.

Remember...God called us to be great. Being very good is a sin.

— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) August 2, 2015

To be considered a thought leader takes more than hitching your wagon to your supervisor and his or her standard operating procedure (SOP) for the reason that those practices may be unethical. You also have to find a way to present your brilliance beyond the vacuums of your minds and fellow associates to a function of acclaim created when others recognize and publicly acknowledge the accolades. Moreover, your successes must make money. No one knows the true value of your untapped ideas if they are not being monetized. Being a thought leader means you are making both money and history.