Do We Need Thought Leaders, or Followers?

Credit the coronavirus with one thing. In an era when individuals and organizations strive to establish themselves as “thought leaders,” COVID-19 has vividly—or, should we say, morbidly—demonstrated the importance of people becoming sensible “thought followers.”

Whatever one’s assessment of the public sector’s response to the pandemic, many believe there has been too much comment from too many quarters on the crisis, exposing people to an incessant barrage of information and misinformation.

If there was ever a time to refrain from talking unless you have something truly new and valuable to say, this is it.

So, it is certainly gracious for an organization devoted to thought leadership to give room to someone promoting the idea of “thought followership.”

It’s also presumptuous for me to think that what I have to say is “truly new and valuable” at a time when “stay home and shut up” is a civic calling. But, here goes.