11: Mirror of Influence
Over the past couple of months, I have been exploring and observing how I relate to the influence of others. I’ve been especially interested in thought leadership as I’ve ramped up my engagement on LinkedIn. I’ve noticed that many posts showing up on my feed are similar insights, worded differently. They often include generalizations, one-liners, or expert advice. And I find it all very fascinating, but is it really thought leadership?
I’ve been told by others that I should be a thought leader, but I’m not sure I want to be leading the thoughts of others. In my experience, the influence of social media, advertisement, and claims can create a lot of noise. And I’ve been lost in it, losing sight of my own knowing and trust in myself.
It turns out, I am really good at listening to others. Algorithms, authors, and those in close proximity to me have explained what I’m experiencing or what I should or shouldn’t think. While some of the education has been useful and even resonate with my experience, I’ve noticed that if I adopt it without lived experience, I can create an illusion of knowing something I don’t actually know. And with this illusion, I abdicate my own inner power.
Even with this awareness, I’m not exempt from the tendency to tell people what they should or shouldn’t think. I still do it. Yet I’m finding it more interesting to be with my own thoughts and connected to my lived experience. It’s less noisy.
Yes, I have learned much from others and continue to learn from others. I’m not suggesting that expertise doesn’t exist, I just find that I learn much more and when the expert becomes a human and can answer a question with, “I don’t know.” When I put someone on a pedestal for being the one who knows or has influence, I can lose myself. But when I follow my instincts and the expert encourages me to explore that instinct even more, it can be one of the most powerful ways of experiencing the expertise of another.
Could it be that thought leadership is more about what the thought leader is telling themself? Through the reflection of this mirror of influence, I’m realizing how much I desire to stay connected to myself and be more of a leader of experience rather than a thought leader.
Acknowledgement:
To those who post and have engaged with me on LinkedIn: I never knew I would learn so much about myself and human connection through posts, comments, and being actively engaged on the platform. I’m always amazed how letting curiosity expand can open new doors to untapped worlds. Thank you for inviting me into your world.
