Collaborating Across Companies on Thought Leadership | Jeanne de Cervens, Brian Forbes, Surya Kolluri | 322

06/27/21 • 34 min

When an issue is too important and too big for a single leader or team member to own? How can massive organizations tackle challenging issues in a manner that is beneficial to society? Our three guests in this episode are Surya Kolluri, Jeanne de Cervens, and Brian Forbes. They join us to discuss their critically important study: The Pandemic’s Perfect Storm. This study examines COVID-19’s impact on Gen Z and Millennials, and delivers some surprising results. Surya Kolluri is the Managing Director at Bank of America, where he structures and leads their Thought Leadership, with a focus on retirement, longevity and social impact. Jeanne de Cervens is a public policy strategist and advocate, with a deep understanding of complex legislation and regulations. In the past, she has worked at both Transamerica and Georgetown University. Brian Forbes is the current Director of Thought Leadership and Strategy at Transamerica. He oversees that organization's research and sales enablement programs, and focuses on healthcare costs, caregiving, and retirement. Our three guests recall how they crossed paths within various research groups and institutions before coming together to examine the impact of the pandemic. They discuss the population groups that are most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and give us their insights about ways to position thought leadership to better serve the people who are most affected. Our guests explain why large corporations are collaborating on these issues, and why society's interests outweigh the need for prestige or monetary gains. Previously established relationships between organizations allow for broader teamwork, and create more leverage for the message. We shed light on the ways Bank of America and Transamerica sponsored the work being done at Georgetown University. This study, and its success, would not have been possible if our guests had not previously established a relationship between themselves. Further, we discuss the importance of building relationships with individuals from other industries who share our passions. This can bring a myriad of viewpoints to the table, benefitting society as a whole. Collaboration can increase the credibility of a project, allowing it to reach a wider audience. If you want your organization to be more collaborative, this episode is for you! We chat about how to find solid, inter-corporational partners, ways to create mutually beneficial engagements, and how to make an impact on topics too big for one person to take on alone. Three Key Takeaways:·

How Thought Leadership collaboration can create solutions that reach beyond a single organization.
Successful Thought Leadership needs to include establishing and nurturing relationships outside your organization.
Ways that thought leaders can go beyond research, and bring effective, meaningful results to your constituents.

How Thought Leadership collaboration can create solutions that reach beyond a single organization.
Successful Thought Leadership needs to include establishing and nurturing relationships outside your organization.
Ways that thought leaders can go beyond research, and bring effective, meaningful results to your constituents.

Previous Episode

Thought Leadership in Private Equity and Intrapreneurship | Dr. Chitra Anand | 321

If you've ever felt creatively "stuck in a rut," and innovation seems out of reach, this is the episode to cure your woes! Our guest today is Dr. Chitra Anand, an award-winning Communications & Marketing executive with over 20 years in the technology industry. She's an extraordinary leader, and has spent time as the head of Communications for Microsoft Canada, Director of Marketing at TELUS Corporation, and Director of Operations at Open Tex. She is also the author of The Green House Approach, a book filled with insights about innovation, creating compelling storytelling in business, and fighting complacency in the workplace. The Green House Approach is a mindset shift; a change in the way we approach thinking, and gives strong advice about "breaking out" and challenging current structural norms. Bill and Chitra reminisce about her career in various tech companies, and discuss the way she implemented thought leadership to educate customers about new trends - long before "thought leadership" was a commonly used term! Plus, Chitra illuminates the many contrasts between content marketing and thought leadership, and how your organization needs both if you're going to thrive. Chitra is leading a new movement in the workplace: Intrapreneurship! Today, she tells us what the term means, and how Intrapreneurship can drive innovative thinking and build new, better ways of conducting business. Chitra gives thoughtful advice for those looking to include "Intrapreneurship" in their organization. This is a great episode, sure to change your mindset and leave you with great ideas. Give it a listen! Three Key Takeaways

Thought leadership means building new ideas and concepts; content marketing means leveraging an existing product or service.
Thought leadership that forces clients to question old, staid habits, and identify behavioral shifts that can move an organization forward.
Good thought leadership creates trust, and trust builds business.

Next Episode

Improving Thought Leadership Through Pragmatism and Serving Others | Doug Conant | 323

Our guest today is internationally renowned business leader, Doug Conant. Doug is the best-selling author of The Blueprint, an eminently smart and practical guide to leadership that contains 6 content-rich steps to creating a richer, fuller, more elevated professional life. With more than 40 years of leadership experience at first-class companies like Campbell Soup and Nabisco, Doug now focuses on Thought Leadership as the Founder and CEO of Conant Leadership.

In today's episode, Doug shares his passion about his life's work in Thought Leadership, and how he implemented positive, meaningful change at Campbell Soup Company. Years after he began, he chose to leave the corporate world and move into Thought Leadership full-time, using his experience and expertise to help leaders world-wide.

Doug tells us about his legacy of contribution, and the ways in which he is inspired to transcend the ordinary and elevate new, innovative ideas. Doug talks to us about his book, The Blueprint, and how following a few simple steps can help leaders "up their game" by focusing on ways to constantly elevate their interactions.

Doug and Peter discuss the need to take time for reflection and study; how to know what matters most; and how to change small things to get big impact. Great leaders are pragmatic about where they spend their time, focusing on the things that matter the most in order to see the biggest - and best - return for their efforts! If you've been looking for ways to increase your focus and bring innovative ideas about leadership into your life, this is the episode for you!

Three Key Takeaways:

Leadership is "sacred ground," where you affect people’s lives and livelihoods, and great Thought Leadership should improve the quality of leaders in order to change a myriad of lives.
Thought Leaders need to be meditative about their time and their goals, focusing on the things that matter the most!
When seeking to improve as a Thought Leader, seek out role models, pay attention to those who had a profound positive impact on you, and actively follow the leadership they've shown - as you develop your own path!