My best advice for writing thought leadership

Think. Write. Lead. - Issue #63. Distance and no-time can activate your brain for creativity.

This is the third installment in a 7-part series about the neurobiology of thought leadership. You can read the introduction to the series here. If you need to catch up or review the first two, here they are:

1. The happy 😃 thought leader

2. The secret to seeing the big picture

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6:00 am - It's dark outside and quiet in the house.

No pressing emails or messages loom on my devices. No deadlines to run to (yet).

The perfect time for thinking and writing this newsletter...

Back in 2009, I wrote my second novel between 5 and 7 am every day for 3 months.

It was the only option since at 7:15 my two boys would wake up and I had to get the oldest ready for school while my wife took care of our toddler. At 8 am, I had to start working at my job.

So I had to find a time to write when I had no interruptions or distractions.

• Everyone at home was sleeping

• My mind was fresh as I had no mental baggage from the day

• No emails or messages from work would interrupt me at that time

• It was a set time for the purpose of writing, so there was no need to multi-task

Although the above may sound convincing enough, there's more that we can learn from neuroscience.

Let me show you.

To come up with thought leadership material, your brain needs two things: non-time and solitude.

The scenario I described above is non-time, where you are free to work without worrying about time.

Why is it important? Because deadlines cause stress.

• Time pressure causes your brain to focus on the details.

• The left hemisphere is activated and you lose sight of the big picture.

• You tend to be in a bad mood, which dampens creativity.

Furthermore, your brain needs distance from three things:

1. Distance from busyness. Leisure and daydreaming activate the default mode network in your brain, which allows your subconscious to find remote associations between ideas.

2. Distance from your problems (a.k.a. psychological distance). Getting away for a while from your difficulties allows you to see multiple perspectives and consider other possibilities.

3. Distance from other people. Solitude breeds creativity, as your brain takes a break from information overload and can wander in new directions.

Actually, one study found that after 4 days alone in the woods, people scored 50% higher in creativity tests.

THINK.

• Do you have regular times of uninterrupted concentration?

• Is your workspace free of distractions?

• What changes do you need to make to find more non-time in your life?

WRITE.

My best advice for coming up with leading thoughts is: Schedule 90 to 120 minutes in your calendar every day to write without interruptions. Make it a non-negotiable, unmovable meeting with yourself.

LEAD.

If you are a high achiever/performer, you may be used to go, go, go, with no downtime.

But your best work (that which will differentiate you from everybody else) will be done when you take a break from the hustle and actually think.

Although leadership is about being out there with other people, you need time alone to prepare. What you are in public is a reflection of your private life.

So check out for a while and get some distance from everything. It'll be worth it.

Next week I’ll send you a copy of my new book, The Solo Author! Don’t miss next week’s issue!