Peer to Peer Magazine

by Joel Kurtzman, founding editor of Strategy + Business magazine, who dubbed interview subjects with novel business ideas as “thought leaders.” Of course, the practice of leveraging individual expertise and knowledge to serve a greater good and effectively communicate its benefits has been recognized for many, many years. In the legal technology arena, thought leadership thrives, in part because the field is comprised of many strong personalities, leaders and subject matter experts who command respect and mind-share. Also, because If we question the old adage “leaders are born, not made,” and assume thought leaders and the leadership they espouse are “acquirable,” what are the main ingredients for making the next generation thought leader: • Subject matter expertise: Thought leaders are individuals who not only have distinct areas of expertise, but are also recognized by peers and colleagues for their willingness and ability to share their knowledge to advance the profession. It is one thing to possess domain expertise; it is another to share that expertise at the risk of potentially relinquishing control over unique domain knowledge. “In the legal technology arena, thought leadership thrives, in part because the field is comprised of many strong personalities, leaders and subject matter experts who command respect and mind-share.” technology and IT innovation move so rapidly, it takes capable and responsible individuals, associations, companies and firms to stay one step ahead of the game, define best practices along the way, and lead the pack with ideas and models for doing things differently and better. For example, when we think of “disruptive” technologies (iPad anyone?) we need to consider the disruptive innovation and thought leadership of those bold attempts to shake up the status quo and rattle the cage of the de facto standard. Just within the past decade, many technology trends, new standards, and alternative business models have emerged, all driven by relentless legal thought leadership. Think of the evolution of legal IT from user support department to strategic, client-focused technology asset; IT’s drastic role reversal in pursuing new firm business — from creating the PowerPoint templates to leading the strategic client pitch; and finally, the continued drive of ILTA itself to demonstrate and reward thought leadership with its most recent incarnation, Law2020™, and its inaugural Distinguished Peer Awards. • Bravery: Be bold and brave enough to embrace innovation and confident enough to stand in front, alone, but ready to embrace your followers, or fail and try again. • Collaboration: Be accessible, and freely share best practices, especially valuable in today’s competitive economy where others may tend to hoard knowledge and insight. • Communication: Thought leaders strive to impart what people should know now as well as what they need to do to ensure future success. Communicate thought leadership by authoring, speaking and getting ideas in front of people. You cannot be successful by holding back; no one will even know you exist. • Vision and innovation: Promote innovation and look to align it with your personal and corporate vision. By realizing your vision, you lead your peers to pursue innovation and growth, all of which contributes to a sustainable future. ILTA JoAnna Forshee is the CEO of InsideLegal. com, an insider’s guide to doing business in legal technology, and has spent the last 12 years working with legal technologists, consultants, vendors and media –– spanning roles such as legal industry advisor, social media guru, legal industry event producer and PR/marketing agency founder (Envision Agency). InsideLegal has partnered with ILTA since 2004 to produce its vendor education program and administer the Annual ILTA Member Technology Purchasing Survey. She would love your thoughts on thought leadership and can be reached at jf@InsideLegal.com and on twitter at @InsideLegal. Peer to Peer the quarterly magazine of ILTA 93

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