Where does thought leadership sit in the organization? | Org TL Minute

Transcript:

So where does the thought leadership function sit inside of your organization?

There’s not one consistent answer. And, in fact, I’ve seen the thought leadership team placed in a variety of different departments.

For example:

• Marketing, Strategy, Research, Public Policy,
• Communications, Product, and even part of a standalone institute.

And when I asked the question, “well, why are they there?” The answer usually leads back to the backgrounds of the sponsoring executive as well as the first head of thought leadership.

If you know those two people — the sponsoring executive and the first head of thought leadership — their professional backgrounds, you can probably predict with pretty reliable accuracy where the thought leadership team sits within the organization today.

We know that where a team sits impacts how they work. In terms of culture, objectives, KPIs, even the resources that are available to it.

And that’s why I’m suggesting it’s important to make the placement of the thought leadership team a conscious choice. Where should it be placed to serve the organization most effectively?

That’s a conversation to be had with your sponsoring executive as well as your colleagues. Make sure the position of the thought leadership team fits the role and the objectives that it’s trying to achieve.

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