How to Become a Thought Leader at Work
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“A thought leader is recognized by peers, customers and industry experts as someone who deeply understands the business they are in, the needs of their customers and the broader marketplace in which they operate. They have distinctively original ideas, unique points of view and new insights.” — Joel Kurtzman, founding editor, Strategy & Business
“A thought leader is someone who looks at the future and sets a course for it that others will follow. Thought leaders look at existing best practices then come up with better practices. They foment change, often causing great disruption.”— Shel Israel, a writer
“I define thought leadership as creating a conversation that informs and shapes people’s thinking.” — Nicole France, former head of thought leadership, Cisco
1. Listen
Thought leaders should seek out knowledge. To do that, they need to listen to others. They need to be humble and learn from others. To understand how your ideas are different from others, you must first find out what ideas exist in the marketplace.
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - 2022
2. Develop a Strategy
After you know what ideas and thoughts exist in your industry, you can form a deep understanding of the trends and forces impacting your sector. You must understand the questions that your target audience is asking.
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3. Create Compelling Content Consistently
The next step is to create thought leadership content such as opinion articles, blog posts, speaking engagements, podcasts, and YouTube videos that are outlets for your thoughts. Thought leadership must be educational, genuine, and of high quality. It would help if you stayed away from buzzwords.
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - 2022
3. Create Compelling Content Consistently
4. Be Forward Thinking
When you are forward-thinking, you think about the future and plan.
“A hallmark of true thought leadership is the confidence to take the route that 99.9% of industry experts don’t even see.”
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— Craig Badings and Dr. Liz Alexander, thought leadership authors
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• Help you build your personal plan.
• Content by Persona & Industry.
• Industry specific news.
• Blogs in your name.
• Edit and format review.
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5. Resources Provided
• Specific activities to support your efforts.
Bringing It All Together
Thought leadership is about having original ideas and seeing beyond today to make things better now and in the future.
“The goal is to be the best resource possible on your particular area of expertise, so you can start new relationships and enhance existing ones by consistently providing valuable insights and resources to your customers.” — Danielle Sabrina, thought leadership consultant
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - 2022