Thought Leadership: What Is It and How To Do It?
According to Wikipedia, a thought leader is a futurist or person who is recognized for innovative ideas and demonstrates the confidence to promote or share those ideas as actionable distilled insights
How does this apply to the real world? I am still thinking on this, but here are my early reflections:
• You need to be original in your thinking.
• You must have enough edge to force people to have an opinion.
• You must address issues that broaden everyone’s horizon.
• You must act as a gate-keeper that finds and share relevant information.
• You need to build a following that buy into and help spread your ideas.
What do you think? What can you add?
Focus. You can't be a thought leader in everything. You need to lead in a specific area. (So the "everyone" in the third point really ought to be "everyone who cares about a specific issue. imho)
Good point!
Stefan, thanks for your points. I'd like to add the following – it is split into separate comments:
1.) Research your target audience – identify their challenges and issues and focus your thought leadership direction on those.
2.) What do you want to be famous for? – Identify what area you want to own in your sector or industry then research it and back up your opinions with empirical data.
3.) Scan your competitors – don't bother competing in a space they own.
4.) Deep dive – go really deep into your chosen area if you want to be seen as an expert.
5.) Set objectives and kpis for your campaign – your thought leadership should support your business objectives and it must be measured.
Next four to follow
Here are the next four poitns following from my previous comment:
6.) Say something new – this is about differentiating yourself from your competitors you can't do that with the 'same old' content everyone else has.
7.) Thought leadership champions – Identify and involve your thought leadership champions from the beginning and preferably someone senior.
8.) Leverage and packaging – cleverly package your content across every touch point of your target audience and prospects.
9.) Make it part of your culture – there are many great examples of this e.g McKinsey, Deloitte, Booz & Company, IBM, etc. it is part of their DNA.
You must become an Imagineer !
Thought leadership should be innovative and out on the edge, By all means follow through with influences from your chosen champion,but think beyond ……..