Friday, October 29, 2010

In Praise of Thought Leaders

Recently I felt inspired to begin making lists on Twitter. The two I started with are representative of a baby step in my larger plan for more effectively monitoring the conversations in my twitter universe. There are a couple of people who I consider to be virtual mentors.  Those people were shoe-ins for my "Thought Leader" list. They are people who continually challenge me to think outside of  my box and not accept what's presented to me without additional thought & justification.

"I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday." - Abraham Lincoln

Time is a precious commodity & although I adore Twitter it can be a real time-waster when you have a specific purpose in mind and little time to find inspiration. 

 
While the proper definition is just someone who has innovative ideas, I think of so much more when those words come to mind. My ideal Thought Leader must have a large percentage of these qualities:
  • Brash or "full of fresh raw vitality"
  • Cutting Edge or "at the forefront"
  • Fearless
  • Driven
  • Inspired
  • Passionate
  • Willing to share their ideas without feeling threatened
  • Dares to experiment
  • Risk-Taker
  • Reasonable
  • Thoughtful
  • Be published or we on the way to becoming such 
  • Able to openly digest & debate divergent thinking or theories
I'm curious what comes to mind when you think of someone who you'd label a Thought Leader?  If any of you mentor others on a regular basis, what qualities do you possess that make you an effective mentor? What are you looking for Thought Leaders & mentors to bring to the virtual table? 

1 comment:

The Journey to Wealth said...

Hi Monika,

I enjoyed your blog.