As the shared set of behaviors, beliefs, values, and unwritten rules that influence how employees interact and work together, workplace culture plays a hugely important role in an organization’s overall success and the well-being of its team. While much of this happens organically, it’s also shaped by business leaders, many of whom look to workplace culture thought leaders for inspiration and actionable insights.
To find out what 118,616 opinions of small to mid-sized business leaders in the US were about workplace culture thought leaders, we utilized AI-driven audience profiling to synthesize insights from online discussions over 12 months, ending on May 18th, 2026, to a high statistical confidence level. What we found sheds light on how business leaders find and evaluate thought leaders, how they use the insights they gain, and what gaps they’ve identified in content.
Which workplace culture thought leaders do small to mid-sized business leaders regularly follow?
37% of small to mid-sized business leaders always follow Simon Sinek, and 10% do sometimes, but 6% do so rarely, and 1% never do, compared to the 14% who always follow Brené Brown, the 21% who do so sometimes, the 6% who always follow Patrick Lencioni, and 4% who follow him sometimes
Follower regularity fluctuates:
There’s no shortage of workplace culture thought leaders in America, with some being more popular than others among small to mid-sized business leaders. 37% always follow Simon Sinek, who’s best known for his work as an inspirational or motivational speaker. However, 10% sometimes follow him, while 6% rarely do, and 1% never follow him.
14% always follow, and 21% sometimes follow, Brené Brown, the American academic, podcaster, and author who is the Huffington Foundation’s Brené Brown Endowed Chair at the University of Houston’s Graduate College of Social Work and a visiting professor in management at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. That said, 1% never follow her.
Patrick Lencioni, an author known for his books on team management, is the third workplace culture thought leader our audience mentions. 6% always follow him, while 4% sometimes do.
Overall, there’s no clear favorite, with influence spread across a handful of well-known voices rather than concentrated around one dominant thought leader. This reflects a broader pattern in which small- to mid-sized business leaders tend to draw on different frameworks depending on their organizational needs. Joey Havens also features within this broader landscape as a practitioner-led voice in workplace transformation and public accounting.
Joey Havens: A practitioner-led voice in workplace transformation
Joey Havens is a thought leader in workplace transformation and public accounting, best known for his people-first approach to leadership and his work on creating “magnetic workplace cultures.” Havens is the author of Leading with Significance, in which he explores how trust, purpose, and belonging drive stronger performance and retention, rather than traditional command-and-control management styles.
His book has received positive feedback, averaging around 4+ stars on Goodreads, with readers often mentioning its practical, experience-based leadership insights. Havens is also a TEDx speaker and a former managing partner of a Top 30 CPA firm, giving his ideas credibility rooted in decades of executive experience in professional services.
How do small to mid-sized business leaders discover new thought leaders in this space?
98% of small to mid-sized business leaders first discover new thought leaders in the workplace culture space in LinkedIn posts, articles, or shared content, while 2% find them by searching YouTube or podcast platforms for leadership content
LinkedIn leads the way for discovery:
With workplace culture thought leaders clamoring for attention in traditional media and online, it’s not always easy for small to mid-sized business leaders to find those with something valuable to offer without a little guidance. 98% first discover new thought leaders in this space through LinkedIn posts, articles, or shared content.
Interestingly, LinkedIn’s February 2026 updates make thought leaders easier to find. The updates place greater emphasis on signals of expertise and authenticity for users on the platform, from both corporate and personal page perspectives. Profile authority, content relevance, and quality of interaction now play a more central role in determining reach than ever before.
The remaining 2% of our audience discover new thought leaders by searching YouTube or podcast platforms for leadership content. While this approach can help them discover channels, it can be time-consuming as they’ll need to watch at least some of the videos. Reading comments or reviews left by other users can help business leaders separate the wheat from the chaff.
Which channel do small to mid-sized business leaders rely on when sourcing workplace culture thought leaders?
91% of small to mid-sized business leaders rely on video content platforms like YouTube when sourcing workplace culture thought leaders, 5% use online communities, forums, or Slack groups, and 2% business podcasts and audio content
Video content dominates for sourcing:
According to HubSpot’s State of Video Marketing Report, people spend an average of 17 hours a week watching videos online. With a figure like that, it’s not surprising that video content platforms like YouTube and Vimeo are the top sources for 86% of small- to mid-sized business leaders seeking workplace culture thought leaders. These platforms are also a strong option for 9%, although around 1% don’t use them.
In comparison, online communities, forums, or Slack groups are the top source for 5% and a strong option for less than 1%, as they allow for more specific or relevant recommendations. 2% explain their top source is business podcasts and audio content, which is also a strong option for less than 1%. These lower numbers put the ball firmly in video content’s court, emphasizing how popular it is.
When evaluating a thought leader, what influences small to mid-sized business leaders to invest time in their content?
When evaluating a thought leader, 91% of small to mid-sized business leaders are influenced by practical advice that’s immediately applicable to their business, but 3% say this isn’t a factor, and 4% cite regularly updated thinking based on current trends as a strong influence, while 3% say it’s when the communication style feels authentic and relatable
Influential factors vary when deciding who to invest time in:
Finding workplace culture thought leaders is one thing, but deciding to invest time in their content is quite another. This requires business leaders to evaluate their content and determine whether it’s a good fit for their organizations. According to 4%, the top factor they consider is whether the thought leader’s advice is practical and immediately applicable to their business. This approach is also a strong influence for 74% and has some influence for 13%, although 3% say this isn’t a factor.
Whether thought leaders regularly update their thinking based on current trends has a strong influence, as the concept of workplace culture is continually evolving, which means important trends can and do emerge. 3% explain that a strong influence on their evaluations is whether a thought leader’s communication style feels authentic and relatable. This is understandable, as these qualities build trust. Relatable content is also easier for organizations to implement, as it speaks to their current situation.
How long do small to mid-sized business leaders evaluate a thought leader’s content before following them consistently?
31% of small to mid-sized business leaders evaluate a thought leader’s content for a few weeks before committing to following them consistently, 31% rely on a trusted referral and commit based on that, and 25% only need one piece of content to make them a loyal follower if it resonates; however, 12% wait until they have seen the thought leader apply their ideas in a real situation before hitting the follow button
Building a loyal following follows a variable timeline:
As expected, small- to mid-sized business leaders take different approaches to evaluating a thought leader’s content before committing to following them consistently, including how much time they spend on the evaluation. 31% spend a few weeks sampling their content across different topics, as this gives them a comprehensive overview. Another 31% rely on trusted referrals and commit to following thought leaders based on those recommendations. This tells us that these business leaders have acted on such recommendations in the past and found them to be valuable.
25% think a single piece of content is enough for an evaluation if it resonates with them immediately. This may be a more impulsive approach, but if no money is involved in following a thought leader, these business leaders can easily unfollow them. 12% wait until they have seen the thought leader’s ideas applied in a real situation before committing to following them consistently.
The measurable power of thought leadership
Regardless of how our audience approaches the evaluation process, it’s essential that they do so, as thought leaders can have a significant influence on organizations.
According to The Harris Poll and LinkedIn’s joint B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report, executives estimate that high-quality thought leadership drives an average of $2.7 million in annual value for their organizations. This content heavily sways purchasing decisions, with recent data showing that up to 77% of buyers prefer to work with providers who offer strong, original ideas.
For small to mid-sized business leaders, which characteristic disqualifies a thought leader?
While 14% of small to mid-sized business leaders find inconsistent messaging or values that seem performative as a major concern and a good reason to disqualify a thought leader from their consideration, this isn’t an issue and doesn’t matter to 22%, while 64% don’t find overly theoretical thought leaders with little real-world business experience to be a big issue either
Disqualification characteristics are not seen as too important:
Small to mid-sized business leaders aren’t going to follow every workplace culture thought leader they find online. However, those in our audience have different ideas about the characteristic that most quickly disqualifies a thought leader from their consideration. But although almost two-thirds of our audience mention being overly theoretical with little real-world business experience as an off-putting characteristic, they elaborate that this isn’t a big issue for them.
For 14%, inconsistent messaging or values that seem performative are a major concern, although this isn’t a big issue for 12%. This makes sense, as you would expect consistency and authenticity from professionals. Inconsistent messaging undermines their credibility, erodes trust, and causes confusion. It can also make it more difficult for business leaders to determine what the thought leader’s core values are. The result is that business leaders will eventually feel the need to look elsewhere for guidance. However, 10% still say this doesn’t matter to them, pointing to other areas being more important.
What is the biggest gap in the thought leaders that small to mid-sized business leaders currently follow?
29% of small to mid-sized business leaders find that though leaders sometimes don’t focus enough on the realities of leading smaller teams, but 32% don’t find this a big issue, and 10% feel the same about there being too much focus on a large enterprise environment, while 28% say that there’s a lack of attention to personal leadership character and integrity
Gaps exist in different areas:
There are occasionally gaps in workplace culture thought leaders’ ideas or their content. For our audience, 29% feel that some of the thought leaders they currently follow are somewhat lacking, as they don’t put enough focus on the realities of leading smaller teams. This highlights how the thought leaders they follow target larger companies rather than small to mid-size organizations, which have very different circumstances and needs. However, almost a third (32%) of our audience thinks this isn’t a big issue.
28% feel that the thought leaders they currently follow are somewhat lacking, as they don’t give enough attention to personal leadership character and integrity. These leaders are evidently focusing on the role of leaders in creating and encouraging workplace culture. 10% mention too much focus on large enterprise environments, although this isn’t a big issue. Still, it ties in with what the 29% think about thought leaders not focusing enough on business leaders who lead smaller teams.
Thought leadership must be thought-provoking enough to strike a chord, and those in our audience aren’t the only business leaders to identify gaps in content. According to Sword and the Script, only half of B2B decision-makers consider the content they encounter to be of good quality.
How do small to mid-sized business leaders describe their experience with workplace culture thought leaders they currently follow?
89% of small to mid-sized business leaders describe their experience with workplace culture thought leaders they currently follow as mixed, with some content that resonates, but 11% have not yet committed to following any specific thought leader consistently, so they cannot comment
Feedback on thought leader experiences is mixed:
The vast majority (89%) of our audience describes their experience with the workplace culture thought leaders they follow as mixed. This is because some of their content resonates with them, but much of it misses their particular context. This echoes what we saw above about thought leaders not focusing much on smaller organizations.
The remaining 11% haven’t yet committed to following any specific thought leader consistently. This means they don’t have any experience on which to comment. However, this may again have something to do with the thought leaders they have evaluated aiming their content at large companies rather than smaller organizations.
How do small to mid-sized business leaders apply insights from workplace culture thought leaders?
51% of small to mid-sized business leaders use the concepts explained by thought leaders informally in how they coach and mentor their team, 36% shares content directly with their leadership team for discussion, 9% bring in speakers to facilitate workshops based on their ideas, and 2% adapt their frameworks into existing processes and policies; however, 3% are still working out how to translate thought leader’s ideas into action
Insights are generally applied within organizations:
Following workplace culture thought leaders isn’t much help if the small to mid-sized business leaders doing it don’t apply the insights they gain in their organizations. Fortunately, this isn’t the case for the vast majority of our audience. 51% use thought leaders’ concepts informally in how they coach and mentor their team. This is an excellent approach, and it’s not limited to these business leaders. 98% of Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs, underscoring the widespread recognition of mentoring’s inherent value.
36% of our audience shares thought leader content directly with their leadership team for discussion. Presumably, their discussions translate into action, whether that be in terms of their decision-making, policies, or events aimed at strengthening workplace culture. 9% bring in speakers or facilitate workshops based on thought leaders’ ideas. This suggests that these business leaders make the ideas they use more relevant to their organizations, rather than taking a copy-and-paste approach.
3% are still working out how to translate thought leaders’ ideas into action. This tells us that the content of the thought leaders they follow isn’t particularly relevant to their unique circumstances. 2% adapt thought leaders’ frameworks into their existing processes and policies. This suggests that these leaders pay careful attention to what thought leaders say, taking what’s applicable to their organization and adapting it where necessary to make it more relevant.
What motivates small to mid-sized business leaders to switch from the thought leaders they follow to a new one?
65% of small to mid-sized business leaders could be motivated to switch from a thought leader they currently follow to a new one if they found someone with a more authentic and transparent approach, and 35% would make the move if a thought leader had access to a more engaged community
Two main reasons would encourage leaders to make a switch:
Given that some in our audience mention gaps in the content of mixed experiences with the thought leaders they follow, it wouldn’t be unexpected if a few of them felt the need to switch to a new one. For 65%, finding a thought leader with a more authentic and transparent approach could motivate them to make the switch.
This fits in with what we said above about authenticity and credibility. It also fits in with at least a few of what Forbes identifies as the top 10 thought leader trends for 2026, the first of which is that humanity beats hype. Essentially, people forge better connections with thought leaders who are human, grounded, and vulnerable, rather than with those who expect audiences to listen to them because “they’re smart.” Another trend this fits in with is that quality beats quantity.
People want authentic, good-quality content, even if it means waiting a little longer for new articles, videos, or podcasts, rather than a glut of poor-quality, inauthentic, AI-generated slop delivered on a daily basis.
The remaining 35% of our audience mentions access to a more engaged community around a thought leader. Although they explain that this wouldn’t be a strong motivator, but rather a nice-to-have.
Which city or metro area are small to mid-sized business leaders’ businesses based in?
60% of small to mid-sized business leaders are based in Austin, 21% in Seattle, 15% in San Francisco, and 4% in NY while none are based in Chicago
Over half of our audience is in one location:
Almost two-thirds (60%) of small to mid-sized business leaders in our audience are based primarily in Austin, Texas. In recent years, ATX has rapidly become a creative industry center and attracts both entrepreneurs and established businesses. Once famous for its live music scene, the city’s now also known particularly as a platform for branding innovation and collaborative business growth. This is particularly evident in hubs such as the East Side and South Congress, where you’ll find agencies, design studies, and tech startups.
21% of our audience is based primarily in Seattle, and 15% in San Francisco. Only 4% are mainly based in New York City, which is intriguing, as this is a major business hub.
Redefining what real thought leadership should deliver to all business sizes
From what we’ve seen, it’s clear that, for most small to mid-sized business leaders, their experience with thought leaders so far hasn’t been entirely satisfactory. Some have issues regarding authenticity, relevance, and practicality, while others spend a good deal of time evaluating thought leaders, seemingly to only be disappointed by the fact that they’re clearly aiming their content at larger organizations.
Even so, at least some in our audience are satisfied with those they currently follow and have been able to integrate at least some of their ideas into their workplaces, either through policies or by inspiring their leadership team. Whether positive or negative, these statistics highlight how many thought leaders don’t seem too concerned with smaller organizations. Instead, they court larger businesses for the prestige that comes with gaining them as followers.
This isn’t what thought leaders should be. Instead, thought leaders should ensure their content is authentic, relevant, current, and can be adapted easily by organizations of all sizes. This is what would make them real thought leaders.
About the data
Sourced using Artios from an independent sample of 118,616 opinions of small to mid-sized business leaders in the USA across X, Quora, Reddit, Bluesky, TikTok, and Threads. Responses are collected within a 95% confidence interval and 5% margin of error. Results are derived from what people describe online, from opinions expressed, and not actual questions answered by people in the sample.
