The Key to Impactful Leadership
An Interview with Ben Mandeville, thought leader at Backwards Momentum, Inc.
I recently flew to Seattle to interview Ben Mandeville, the new thought leader at Backwards Momentum, and asked him a few questions about his role, what he does as a thought leader, and what he thinks of shrimp scampi.
Q: In plain terms, how would you describe your new role as thought leader at Backwards Momentum?
Mandeville: Right. In my new role, I direct and lead nuanced discussions pertaining to my industry’s most recent developments that affect everyday consumers the most.
Q: You were quoted in WIRED recently saying you wanted to “expand people’s minds on who we consider to be thought leaders.” Can you elaborate on that?
Mandeville: Yeah. Confucius, Voltaire, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King–all those guys were thought leaders. Not only were they content experts, they were leaders as well. Have you read Voltaire’s content? He published pretty consistently back in 18th century France. On stuff really relevant to French peasants like metaphysics and political theory. He had a lot of followers.
Q: Interesting! As a thought leader, what do you primarily do?
Mandeville: I influence my peers. Normally, in the real world, this is a transitive verb followed by some kind of direct object. Yeah, I don’t really care what you do. Just be influenced by me. But please don’t see me as an influencer. God, no. I’ve got more substance than that. A lot more.
Q: What else do you do?
Mandeville: I develop engaging programs that serve my community. I wouldn’t say they’re interesting, but they do inspire a certain amount of attention. Above all, they show how engaged my audience is.
I write high-quality content on a consistent basis. It’s not good or even interesting; it’s high-quality. Kind of like leather. And who doesn’t like leather? You can expect content as good as leather at least once a week from me.
I establish authority on my topic. I tell it to stop misbehaving and usually it does. If it continues to squirm, then I take out my gun and brandish it.
Q: That usually works?
Mandeville: 99% of the time it does. I also gain alignment among my peers whenever possible. I do feel like slouching most of the time, but perfect posture helps boost my presence in my industry quite a bit.
Q: My goodness, it sounds like you need to stop working so hard.
Mandeville: That is true. God, what else do I do?
Oh! I inspire consumers to take the next step in their buying journeys. I encourage them to keep moving in the store toward our more expensive products. It can take a while to convince them that’s what they were looking for.
And yeah, I, uh, spawn concepts that inspire others to take action. Sometimes, if people are unengaged, I try spawning more of them.
Q: How difficult is it to do that?
Mandeville: Swimming upstream is pretty difficult, and it’s even harder when a bear’s waiting with his mouth open.
Q: What initially drew your interest to thought leadership?
Mandeville: Throughout my career, I have honed my communication skills by communicating in various communication channels such as email, social media, and even face-to-face interpersonal communication. I see thought leadership as an extension of the roles and responsibilities I’ve acquired so far.
But, to answer your question, I was initially drawn to thought leadership because I saw it as an opportunity for me to showcase my skills in communicating effectively. I’d rather not persuade someone to do something when I could communicate effectively because I’d rather have people know that I am successful at whatever I do. I’m not a loser like my brother Ethan is.
Q: What is one thing others find hard to believe that you do?
Mandeville: They say it takes a village to raise a child, but I know how to foster workplace diversity and culture on my own.
Q: Really! That’s very bold of you. What motivated you to do that?
Mandeville: I wanted to be a force for change, but I think all I did was force people to change where they sit at lunch. It’s okay. I’ll keep trying.
But back to your previous question: It’s also very challenging to stimulate conversation with comments. But it’s a challenge I embrace. In addition, I analyze how people engage with my content. Do they find it interesting or are they sitting across the table from it and outlining a new peace settlement? Sometimes the negotiations are cagey and end in nothing more than a thirty-day ceasefire.
Q: Well, you can’t always get what you want. Moving on. What value do you create for your company?
Mandeville: I create educational value. I make stuff that by its very definition is worth something. Not only do I create value, I demonstrate value to customers as a way of convincing my direct supervisor I am in fact doing my ill-defined role in marketing. He usually leaves me alone, then.
As for my peers, I add value to ongoing conversations. I say things to other people in my industry that are largely defined by their worth and nothing else. What they are, I don’t always know, but I do know that they are valuable. They have to be. Value is valuable.
Along with creating value, I establish brand credibility. Not many people believe our brand is for real. But I was always into ghost-hunting shows, you know?
Q: How do you go about establishing brand credibility?
Mandeville: Well, spurring engagement is at the heart of establishing brand credibility, and I spur engagement like the president ordered me to. I like to click on a post with little engagement and yell, “Spur! Spur! Spur, you bastards!” And then it gets going. It’s kind of like watching my son play basketball. But with more swearing.
Q: What do you say to the people who have criticized your approach to leadership in content marketing?
Mandeville: Look, before I respond let me say that some of my most bearable co-workers are millennials. That being said, I think a lot of the criticism levied against me has been rooted in jealousy. I am an authentic thought leader who has amassed a large following on Twitter and Instagram. Not many millennials can say that. I am a trustworthy, engaging resource to thousands of followers, and I effectively educate and engage with my audience. Need I go on? Some people find me superficial and off-putting, which I find ridiculous. I mean, I communicate authenticity across a wide range of communication channels. There’s bound to be some people who find me fake.
Q: And yet people still choose not to follow you.
Mandeville: I know, right? It’s like, respect me, goddammit! (laughs) I share insight! I have an innate ability to contribute to online conversations by thinking! I inspire people to implement ideas! Haven’t they ever wanted to implement ideas? Or, it’s like, do they not even have ideas?
Q: It doesn’t seem like they do. One last question: Do you like shrimp scampi?
Mandeville: I think it’s the best.
Q. Well, you can take mine to go. Thank you for taking the time out of your hectic workday to speak to us.
Mandeville: You’re welcome. I have to go inspire innovation right now, but it’s been a pleasure. And thank you for the scampi.
