The poundland yoda, how I don’t need to be a thought-leader.

Just need to keep on keeping on…

I’m under pressure (all of my own making) to not just be good at my job but show such deep understanding of the mechanics of what I do to be able to tell other people how they do it. Why do I feel this need to be the expert, isn’t it good enough just to do my thing?

We always want to do well and be seen to be doing well, we want to be judged for our success and it seems one of the ways we measure that success is how often we’re asked for advice or provide guidance on our area.

That seems somehow different from just talking about the lessons that you’ve learnt. It comes to us all the idea that we have to share that experience, regardless of whether people want to hear it or not. This isn’t teaching and learning, its control. For me, it’s sharing my massive ego with the idea-bereft masses, you lucky people.

Of course I hope it’s not like that. But it has been troubling me that it could end up that way.

What’s the difference between a thought-leader and a teacher? What is an expert, what is a specialist, where are the boundaries?

What are the skills that I have that might be useful to others?

• I can help academics communicate difficult ideas using video, animation, graphics and illustration.
• I know how important teaching & learning theories are to the success of this media creation.
• I’m good at providing creative solutions, engaging and (sometimes) original ideas.
• I try to be sympathetic and understand other’s points of view and come up with an idea that’s right for their context and situation.

I realise that the way I need to do this should be different enough from the way other do it and that can only be truthfully drawn from my own experiences.

So, perhaps in my own way it’ll come and if people value the things I share and find it useful then that’s good. So perhaps not thought-leader just yet, just thinker. It takes confidence that I admire to talk and share and find things that truly resonate with lots of people, ideas that engage and help spark new thinking. That truly is leadership. Chapeau.