Most senior business executives I know love the idea of being ‘thought leaders’. You know the kind of thing - delivering a swanky keynote on a big stage (hiding even bigger comfort monitors), or a fireside chat with a friendly moderator and pre-cleared questions. It’s all a bit…. safe. Is this really how we change people’s perceptions on important topics and move whole industries forward?
I don’t think so.
I’ve said before on this Substack that I think we need to re-evaluate the whole ‘thought leadership’ thing. Too much of it is one-way traffic. It’s just brands shouting loudly from their corporate soapbox. And no one is really listening.
Conversational leadership breaks that by saying: we’re here to learn, not just to preach. But it means inviting challenge. It means creating spaces where disagreement isn’t seen as negative, but as essential.
I’m talking about getting properly uncomfortable. The sweaty-palmed, pulse-quickening kind of leadership where you say something out loud and then immediately think, “Oh Jeez, what if I’m wrong?” That’s where the good stuff is. That’s conversational leadership.
Right now, most B2B marketing is about as risky as a custard cream at a church coffee morning.
We’ve all seen it. Content that’s so inoffensive, so dull, so squeaky-clean and sterilised. LinkedIn is awash with the stuff. People post things they think sound smart, but actually say absolutely bugger all. They chase agreement, not engagement. They’re terrified of sticking their neck out and being challenged, because somewhere along the line we decided being wrong is the worst possible thing a brand can be. It’s not. Being boring is worse. Being forgettable is worse. Being just like everyone else is much worse.
We need the courage to say “we don’t know,” or “we disagree,” or “this might blow up in our face, but let’s talk about it anyway.” I think that what most audiences want. Not more tips and tricks. Not another report on ‘emerging trends’. They want to see that someone, somewhere, is willing to say the thing that’s been nagging at them but no one else is brave enough to say.
And here’s the real kicker: the moment you say something uncomfortable, you invite others to join you. Not because you’ve given them a script, but because you’ve cracked the door open for a proper conversation. One where people don’t have to pretend they know everything. One where disagreement isn’t just tolerated, it’s encouraged. That’s when ideas evolve. That’s when trust is built. Not from behind a firewall of PDFs, but out in the open, where it’s messy and noisy and beautifully unpredictable.
To some extent, this whole concept of ‘conversational leadership’ is something I have been mulling over for the last six months or so. My opinion isn’t fully formed, my thoughts on it are not perfect and I haven’t truly figured out how to articulate it properly yet - this is just me mentally riffing and typing at the same time.
I guess this is conversational leadership in action - to some degree at least. I am here to be shot at, I am here to listen to other opinions, I am here to have a conversation.
But I’m convinced, if you want your brand to be a real leader in your space, maybe it’s time to start asking questions you don’t have answers to. Start inviting voices that challenge your own.
That’s where the magic is. That’s where trust is built. And that’s where you stop being part of the content wallpaper and start being part of the actual conversation.
So what do you reckon? Are we on to something here? Or am I guilty of typing too loud into the B2B void? Let’s start the conversation!