What it means to be a thought leader

Five tips to tap into what you know and develop ideas worth sharing.

There’s a whole lot of buzz about thought leadership, but it might not be what you think it is.

Exhibit A: I recently met with a colleague who wanted to talk thought leadership. I’d been looking forward to the conversation, knowing this person to be the type of guy who can twiddle a Rubix cube into place while waxing poetic about the future of AI—a veritable goldmine of thought leadership.

As we started talking about the possibilities, his foot rapped impatiently against the floor. He leaned forward, eyes wide.

“So what I’d really like to talk about is our cloud analytics offering,” he said. “There’s a huge opportunity there and we’ve got to get the word out next quarter. I’ve got a good deck we could use for starters…”

He chattered on excitedly, while I thought about how to break the news that selling an offering does not thought leadership make.

So what is thought leadership?

True thought leadership is empathetic, not promotional (at least not overtly). It helps people solve a problem or develop knowledge or skills they can use to improve their jobs or lives, and it can take form in all different shapes and sizes. Thought leadership is an overused business term, but it represents the essence of what’s pushed humanity forward over time: ideas. Ideas that challenge (and sometimes dismantle) conventional wisdom. Ideas that help us grow and change and see the world through new eyes.

A “strong demand has emerged for new ideas and vibrant ways of thinking,” writes Daniel W. Drezner in The Ideas Industry (related: read this brilliant critique in The New Republic on the rise of the thought leader). But as corporations clamor to produce more and more great ideas to please their customers, they’re struggling to get it right. When done well, thought leadership can boost brand authority and bring in leads. But when it’s ill-conceived, bland, or sales-y (the worst offense), it can have the adverse effect.

What’s it take to do it well? Here’s a handful of tips to dip your toes in.

5 tips to get started

1. Find your voice.

Think about the things you know and care about and the experiences that have shaped your point of view. What have you learned? What fascinates you? What bugs you? What’s going on in your field that people aren’t talking about? What trends need some critical examination?

It helps to pick a topic that’s dynamic and multi-dimensional, allowing plenty of room for new perspectives. Steer clear of generic, broad-sweeping points of view and the urge to say “me too.” Let the bandwagons pass by; find your own voice.

2. Know your audience.

Connect what you know and care about to what someone else needs to know and care about. Get as specific as you can about who you’re talking to—think about her role and industry, and what might be stressing her out at work right now.

If your audience is “everyone in the C-suite,” that’s a good sign your topic needs some refinement. Challenge yourself to get specific. People only have time for ideas that are immediately relevant and helpful.

3. Don’t sell. Help.

One of the challenges I’ve had in my role is helping people understand the difference between positioning and promoting what we do with communicating the way we think.

The perception seems to be, Hey, with all this great stuff to sell, why should I give away ideas for free? Because sharing your most thoughtful and helpful advice opens the door to new relationships, and deepens the ones you have. Because it gives prospects and candidates a taste of what they can expect when they work with you and your company. If you happen to be in the business of consulting others, your career might depend on it.

It doesn’t take much to activate our spidey senses that we’re being sold to. Trust that if your ideas are valuable to your audience, they’ll come back, and they might even pay you for help.

4. Trust yourself.

Everyone has experience and insights worth sharing, but putting your ideas out into the world might feel a little uncomfortable. As I’ve been writing this, I’ve had plenty of moments of self-doubt and loathing. I’ve erased half the page, rewritten it, sworn a little, ate some Cheetos, regretted those Cheetos, came back, kept going.

You know what that’s called? The creative process. As you explore your ideas and let them roll around and grow, you might find yourself in a very different place than you started. And it’s probably a better place.

Also know that some people will probably disagree with you, and that’s okay. Your experience and expertise is valid, and it doesn’t need to represent your (or your company’s, for that matter) comprehensive, definitive, final view on a topic.

That said, be honest about the limits of your knowledge and experience. Don’t pretend you have all the answers or make lofty claims you can’t back up. Share thoughtfully and generously, with a heaping dose of humility.

5. Don’t rush, and get some help.

Every business wants to move faster, faster, faster. In content marketing, especially, the crack of the whip sometimes comes at the expense of craft, which is what creates the value of the content in the first place. But that’s another blog post.

The business of unearthing and articulating wisdom and insight takes time. Start capturing the seeds of your ideas now, and tend to them regularly so they can grow.

And bounce those ideas off your friends and colleagues. They’re often the best folks to challenge your point of view, or add new dimensions to it that you might have failed to consider.

A good editor is handy to have in your corner, too. Editors can refine your story structure, identify gaps, round out your thinking with supplementary research, and yes—clean up your misplaced apostrophes and dangling modifiers. Our editorial team does all of the above, plus ensures that the ideas we put into the world connect with what our clients need and reflect well on our brand.

Your ideas, wanted

According to a Demand Gen Report from 2016, 96% of buyers want more input from thought leaders. Translation: Everyone needs good ideas. You’re the source of a lifetime of hard-earned lessons, skills, and perspectives that could help someone solve a problem. Treat that opportunity and responsibility with care, and you and your employer will reap the benefits.