Thought leadership is the expression of ideas that demonstrate you have expertise in a particular field, area, or topic. It takes dedication, patience, strategy, and education. Utilizing content marketing, social media, and other means to increase your authority and influence are key for successful thought leadership.
What is the value of thought leadership?
Qualifies you as a reliable source of insight and information that can successfully influence others
- Builds your industry presence and builds your brand
- Establishes credibility in your field
- Encourages you to focus on what you know best and look for opportunities to express it frequently
- Offers unique guidance and inspires innovation
Thought leadership strategy
Enunciate your area of expertise
- Go deep on a few topics vs. many
- Keep up with the latest
- Listen to and learn from others
- Draw inspiration from multiple sources
- Consider the audience test
- Clients, prospects, the business, and the media are your audiences
- Align your content with the expertise you offer
Challenges of thought leadership
One potential pitfall may be a limited perspective
- Since thought leaders tend to put themselves out there and often introduce a less popular way of thinking, they are bound to have detractors
- Most thought leaders have thick skin and can tough it
- Challenge thrills and motivates them
- Being recognized as a go-to authority is empowering
Examples of Thought Leadership
Co-founders and founders of organizations and groups often fit the definition of thought leadership because they are changing the area where they have experience
- An entry-level assistant for an online lifestyle publication expresses an interest in writing about fashion. His editor assigns him small pieces at first, then much larger ones
- He ultimately lands his own weekly fashion column, which helps boost readership by 30%, and gains him a huge following as a thought leader in the fashion industry
Who should produce thought leadership content?
Thought leaders are informed opinion leaders in their field of expertise
- It takes time, skill, and tenacity to be able to be considered a recognized thought leader.
- You need to have proven your experience and understanding in a field in tangible ways to show to others that you are a voice to listen to.
