THE POWER OF BEING A THOUGHT LEADER
BY : BEN WESTON-CONWAY
- especially when engaging with the media . When you consider that up to 70 % of people attribute the reputation of an organisation to its leader , this can start to feel like a lot of pressure .
In the independent education sector , I would argue the figure is much higher ; there ’ s a reason that prospective families sprint down the corridors in time for your open day speech and the most popular page on 99 % of school websites is the Head ’ s welcome ! But how do you start to build a thought leadership profile that works for you and your school ?
Firstly , it ’ s important to think about what your audiences are looking for . You might have a PhD in biochemistry , but it ’ s highly unlikely that prospective parents will be too interested in reading your enzymology thesis . However , they could be concerned about the rise of influencer culture on their children ’ s mental health because it ’ s relevant to them and shows that you think outside the box . Perhaps your skills lie in curriculum design or pedagogical innovation , which might lead you to talk about embedding technology into the classroom or scrutinising the role of examinations .
Thought leadership has become a pillar of almost every organisation ’ s communications strategy . |
As marketing paradigms shift from |
an outbound ( disrupting prospects |
through |
advertising ) |
to |
inbound |
approach |
( nurturing |
|
audiences |
by |
building |
value |
and |
emotional |
connections ), the need to educate |
and inspire stakeholders is critical for |
developing |
customer |
relationships , |
building brand equity and generating |
demand . |
Whilst companies in many industries struggle to find credible senior staff to engage in public-facing activities ; schools are fortunate to be littered with experienced , engaged leaders who have a real understanding of the challenges facing young people and the education sector as a whole .
A Symbiotic Relationship
There ’ s a symbiotic relationship between a school and its Head , as both rely on each other to increase brand awareness and enhance reputation . The school relies heavily on the visibility , passion and drive of its leader , but the school leader will also benefit from the reputation of the school to give opinions credibility
In short , you need to find your niche . You don ’ t want to become the ‘ jackof-all-trades ’ who finds a way to spin everything happening in the world to a promotional gig for your school . That ’ s not authentic , and audiences will see right through it , so find an area that you can speak about with authority and make it your own .
Your school must be able to benefit from your specialisms and interests too , otherwise your burgeoning profile may start to seem like a vanity project , so considering what ’ s in their interests is vital . For example , you might ’ ve spent your life working in girls ’ day schools and have developed a real
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Term 2 Jan - Mar 2021 Class Time