Thought Leadership | Changing Conversations

What To Do When It’s Your Turn

With the announcement of Seth Godin’s newest book, What To Do When It’s Your Turn, and It’s Always Your Turn, which came out in 2014, it was also announced the book could only be purchased in print at the book’s website, YourTurn.link.

According to YourTurn.lnk  this book is, “an urgent call to do the work we’re hiding from, a manifesto about living with things that might not work and embracing tension when doing your art.”

For Godin, a primary focus for the book’s release was that, it exist in print as a physical book, something you touch, write in, and share.

And to cut even more against the grain of popular publishing trends, Godin goes on to mention at YourTurn.link, “my real hope is that you’ll [order] a bunch of [these books] and distribute/sell/give away copies to your friends and colleagues…But if you order one, I’m going to send you two. Because I want you to share it.”

As reinforcement for Godin’s wish that his latest work be shared, displayed prominently on the home page of YourTurn.link are options to purchase copies of What To Do When It’s Your Turn in multiples of 3, 8, and 96.

Single copy purchases of the book are also available from the home page, but when you purchase a single book you will also receive a complimentary bonus copy.

Also, the link for single purchases is strategically upstages by the options to purchase What To Do When It’s Your Turn in multiples of three or more.

Godin also mentions at the book’s website, “It’s the shared copies [of the book] that make this project work, and it’s the shared copies that will help create the change you seek in the people around you.”

 

Changing the Conversation

In an interview with Dave Ramsey, Godin explains his reason for only selling What To Do When It’s Your Turn in multiples of two or more with the statement, “when other people read what you read, the conversation changes.”

Godin’s idea of creating change in the people around you and setting the stage for a different kind of dialog is reminiscent of what John C. Maxwell would consider leadership by people development or pinnacle leadership.

In leadership through development, people accept your leadership because of the good you’ve done for them, what you’ve taught them, and for the things you’ve empowered them to do for themselves.

Through pinnacle leadership, you are trusted to lead because you are seen as a development leader, but also because you teach those who are ready, how to empower their own following in the same way.

 

Thought Leadership

Both of these leadership types can also be considered thought leadership.

The sharing that happens during thought leadership can seem like such a small thing, which is why most people won’t bother to share development material with their circle of colleagues, but it can contribute to big things.

Promoting development within your circle of influence is how you build successful teams, provide value, and become irreplaceable to an organization.

By simply passing along thought provoking or insightful material, people will learn to trust your opinion, value your participation, and it could even contribute to you being promoted over an otherwise, equally qualified colleague.

 

Final Thoughts

What value do you bring to your network of colleagues?

When was the last time you shared something insightful with a coworker or team member, have you ever?

What is one thing you read recently that would be helpful for someone you know to read? How soon can you send it to them?