Why You Need Never Run Dry Of Ideas

Hello Team!

Late Sunday evening. Blank screen. Mind equally blank. Sound familiar?

Even the most articulate senior leaders can struggle with "What should I post this week?" It's not about having nothing to say. You have decades of experience. You've made tough decisions, led through crises, and seen industries transform.

The problem isn't knowledge. It's process.

 The Five Ws for Executives

My video this week, co-hosted with Patrick Shea-Stamford from Prolific Voices introduces the Five Ws method, but let's elevate it for executive-level content creation so you can find the RIGHT ideas that build your authority.

Who:

Don't just feature others. Use recognition as positioning.

Basic approach: "Congratulating X on their promotion" vs Executive approach: "Why X's promotion signals a fundamental shift in our industry's talent priorities"

• Peer Recognition: Highlight contemporaries whilst demonstrating your network

• Reverse Mentoring: Spotlight rising talent with YOUR interpretation of their approach

• Industry Legends: Reference icons to position yourself in the conversation

Example: "Watched [junior colleague] handle a client crisis brilliantly yesterday. Their approach reminded me of when Peter Drucker said..."xxxxx xxxxx xxx". Here's why this matters for modern leadership:"

What:

You're sitting on information others would pay for. The question isn't what you know. It's what gaps you can fill.

• Board-level insights: What patterns do you see across sectors?

• Regulatory intel: What changes are you preparing for that others haven't spotted?

• Market timing: What indicators do you watch that aren't widely known?

Example: "Everyone knows X. But here's what most miss: Y. The implications for our industry are Z."

Why:

Strong opinions create magnetic content. But the smartest executives are strategic about their stands.

1. Personal conviction: What do you believe based on experience?

2. Market evidence: What data supports your view?

3. Future implications: Where does this lead?

Example: "I'm increasingly convinced that [opinion]. Here's why: [data]. If I'm right, [industry] will need to [action] within [timeframe]."

Where:

Your location isn't just a backdrop. It's a lens, so leverage it.

• Boardrooms: "What I'm hearing in boardrooms that isn't making the news"

• Global offices: "The cultural insight that changed our European strategy"

• Industry events: "The conversation at [conference] that everyone missed"

Tip: Use "where" to show you're connected to the action, not removed from it.

When:

Your career is full of inflection points. Each one is content gold.

• Crisis moments: "The week everything changed..."

• Decision points: "The hardest choice I've made as [title]..."

• Learning curves: "What 20 years in [industry] taught me about [principle]..."

Timing : Tie past lessons to current challenges for maximum relevance.

It's A Never-Ending Well

The  Five Ws aren't merely content prompts - they're observation filters. Start noticing:

• Who inspires you weekly

• What insights emerge from your work

• Why you hold certain beliefs

• Where you're gathering intelligence

• When you have breakthrough moments

Document these in real-time. Your content pipeline fills itself.

Remember: You're not trying to be a content creator. You're sharing the insights that come naturally from your position. The 5Ws just give those insights structure.

Which W will you lead with this week? Share your chosen angle below — I'm excited to see the diverse approaches this community generates!

I hope you enjoy the video above. It's one of a course of ten > 2 minute lessons from my LinkedIn Learning course.

You can see all ten now, for free. Just follow the link here:

Mike Soutar LinkedIn Course