Thought Leadership

So I may have misled you a bit and, if so, I apologize.

I titled these newsletters as “What’s My Story,” but it’s really not about me.

My primary goal when I branched out as a solopreneur was to add real value for anyone I came in contact with.

During my time as a journalist, I offered this primarily in two ways:

• As a reporter, I would highlight the most important takeaways on a newsworthy topic from qualified sources.
• As a columnist, I would provide my own take on a trending topic, adding insights that were uniquely mine based on related experiences.

Both were – and are – effective ways to engage the reader and make them think.

Which is precisely what thought leadership is: the process of establishing oneself as an authority in a particular space through the creation and sharing of innovative, insightful and valuable content.

(Props to my new favorite tool, ChatGPT, for assisting in providing that definition.)

A thought leader is someone who is recognized as an expert in their field and is often sought out for their opinions and insights. Someone who can stay on top of trends and developments, while driving conversations within a particular industry or community

But it’s not me who craves that type of attention. I’d much rather shine the spotlight on others who are just as deserving.

There are so many qualified people out there who have unique perspectives that challenge traditional thinking. And if their views found the right audience, it would launch valuable – and necessary – conversations.

As opposed to when I first started as a journalist, thought leadership can now take many forms, such as whitepapers, blogs, webinars, and podcasts. The goal is to establish a reputation as being innovative and influential, and ultimately drive business growth by attracting clients, customers and/or followers.

Essentially, thought leadership is about positioning yourself or your brand as being a credible source of information by creating content that allows people to know, like and trust you.

And for me, there’s no greater reward than helping to shine that spotlight on someone deserving of that role.

Top Four Articles on Thought Leadership:

Here are four articles I discovered recently that do a great job of addressing the topic of thought leadership in the news:

• “You’re a pro. Now how to be a thought leader.”: Key Takeaway: Being FAT (following, authority, and transparency) and why you need to have all three.
• “Why sharing your thought leadership is an act of service”: Key Takeaway: The top five things aspiring thought leaders need to do to raise their profile. My favorite: identifying your three main messages.
• “Building trust and authenticity with thought leadership content”: Key Takeaway: “While driving sales can be a goal, it cannot be the only one. A brand content strategy is about building awareness, educating your audience and providing value.”
• “What it takes to craft impactful thought leadership on LinkedIn”: Key Takeaway: “There should be clear business and marketing goals that everything you do ladders up to, and a clear audience that you’re reaching out to.”