Leadership: What to Share

It’s been interesting over the years to hear people say, “Be careful how much you share,” or “Don’t share everything you know.”

We embrace a different philosophy. We believe:

The more we share, the more we learn. 

The more we share, the more powerful we become. 

The more we share, the more strategically we position ourselves in the marketplace as a thought leader.

There will always be copycats — those who take what you say, copy it word for word, action by action, and think they sound and look like you. The reality is that once someone scratches the surface with a question or two, they realize that he or she really doesn’t know what they are talking about, nor do they have the depth to understand how to guide someone.

We believe the more you share the more people will get to know that you are a true expert in your field.

You don’t have to say that you know something when you are sharing everything. Our experience has shown us that many successful entrepreneurs use a somewhat open-door approach. Ask for anything and you get what you asked for and then some.

These entrepreneurs practice a “the more you give the more you get” approach. This is especially true for entrepreneurs who volunteer within their communities, who donate their time or money, serve on committees.

While we understand some might think, “The more I share the less people need to hire me or talk to me,” we believe the people who think they know what you know are not necessarily your type of client or prospect.

Honestly, anyone can do anything that anyone else is doing.

The difference, of course, is that you have gained insight and wisdom over the years of doing it. That translates into results, and the things you gain from working with others through that process.

A business coach that just started yesterday will coach someone to get them where they need to be. That’s fine. They need that experience so that 20 years from now when they speak about coaching or mentoring or advising, they have the insight and the stories to share to reflect, to encourage and challenge.

BEFORE YOU GO:

We see our blogs as opportunities for dialogue. Please share your thoughts as comments

1. What have you done to share some of you insights with the world?

2. What have you done to secretly keep some information from others?

3. What other tools have you used to position yourself as a leader in the marketplace?

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Faris Alami is Founder and CEO of International Strategic Management, Inc. (ISM). He works internationally, presenting Exploring Entrepreneurship Workshops and other entrepreneurial ecosystem — related ventures.