What defines a thought leader?

Do you have to be forward-thinking or is it more important to have a grip on current reality?

Do you have to have been in the industry for a long period of time, or can you come in as a fresh mind and unleash what you perceive to be the most important focus areas for improvement and foresee to be the most intriguing avenues to go down as an industry?

It’s the age old debate of aptitude vs attitude, cold hard facts vs intuition, inherent skills vs expertise and knowledge.

In my opinion, everyone who dares to engage and passionately immerse themselves in their industry is a thought leader.

Everyone has a different way of seeing things, and therefore, their reality is vastly different. What you consider to be insightful and thought leader worthy, may not even relate to the concepts and ways another has pieced together the puzzle of their world. We are all diverse and no one has the exact same thought process or life experience. Collaboratively, we are one heck of a force to be reckoned with!

That’s what gives me the greatest pleasure – that moment when a dynamic of people click and create an experience that will likely never happen again – those exact minds, creativity and energy in the same room, discussing the same issues and being inspired in different ways by the same content and speakers.

The collective knowledge of the room, when people dare to speak up and participate, is often far greater than that one ‘thought-leader’ on stage.

It’s when we all come together to discuss ideas that a certain hype is generated and genius is born.

Still interested? Stay tuned for information on upcoming conferences and summits by following us on Facebook @ Akolade Aust 

Written by: Gracie Fea

Originally from NZ, Gracie worked as a Broadcast Journalist for a few years before moving to London, and then to Sydney, where she fatefully came across conference production and quickly realised it was her dream role. Getting to speak with such passionate and successful people and create an agenda so that people can see themselves in other’s experiences, really spins her wheels.

She has a hunger to hear everyone’s unique story and really thrives from creating a platform for them to share these and help move their industry forward through collaboration.

Follow me on LinkedIn for information regarding future Akolade events as well as future blogs posts @ Gracie Fea