4 Ways To Be A Thought Leader

4 Ways To Be A Thought Leader

Thought leadership is a trending idea in today's business world.  A thought leader is someone who has proven themselves to be an expert in their chosen field or industry.  Often thought leaders use their platforms to increase their authority and influence.

Thought leaders can stand out by showcasing their insight and knowledge.  

So, how does one become a thought leader?  We've outlined 4 ways to be a thought leader below.

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1. Your Expertise

Before becoming a thought leader, you must first decide where your expertise lies.  This means honing in on your previous experiences, skills, and education.  Your expertise will be the basis from which your thought leadership is built.

• Experiences - Your experiences can help shape your expertise.  Experiences can be previous jobs, internships, or even life experiences such as volunteer trips. For example, let's say most of your previous jobs and internships were in the tech industry.  In this case, you may want to consider tech as your expertise.  However, tech may be too broad of a subject, and you want to narrow it down.  You can do this by honing in on your experiences within the tech industry.  For example, if all of your previous jobs and internships were in tech start-ups, you can now narrow your expertise to start-ups within the tech industry.  Your previous experiences will guide you to your expertise.
• Skills - Think about all of your skills.  Your skills can be made up of hard skills, such as computer coding and financial forecasting, but they can also be soft skills. Examples of soft skills are emotional intelligence, creativity, collaboration, and adaptability. One way to hone in on your skills is to think about what people generally compliment you on.  For example, if you have been praised for how creative your problem-solving solutions are in the past, you probably can write down creativity as one of your innate skills. Or perhaps you are constantly being told you are a whiz at computer programming.  When others point out your talents, make a note of what they are saying and why.  This will help you narrow down your expertise.
• Education - Your educational background can significantly impact your thought leadership.  This is because the more knowledgeable you are about a subject, the more credibility you have when speaking about the subject.  For example, let's say you are talking about certain stocks to invest in.  If you have a degree in finance, you have more authority on the subject, rather than someone who doesn't have any formal financial education.   The more formal education you have on a topic, the more credible your thoughts will be.

Finding your expertise is critical to thought leadership.  You will want to think about how your experiences, skills, and education have shaped the person you are and how they can impact others.

 

2. Communication Channels

Thought leaders often use their platforms to broadcast their ideas.  You will want to consider your communication channels, the timing of your messages, and where your audience can find your messages.

There are a few questions to ask yourself before picking your communications channels.

• Who is your audience?
• What platforms do they use?
• Where is your largest following?

Once you've answered these questions, you can narrow down your channels.

• Communication Channels - Your communication channels can be social media, a company newsletter, a subscriber list, a podcast, or a mix of these.  The key is to make sure the channel you use is where your audience is. For example, instead of delivering your message on several platforms, think about the one that will have the maximum impact.  If most of your followers are on LinkedIn, use this outlet to deliver your message.  You can choose one or two other outlets and repurpose your content there.  You want to ensure as many people see your message within your audience as possible.

• Timing - When delivering your message on your chosen communications channel, it is important to be consistent with your timing.  This is for two reasons.  One, your audience will expect to hear from you at a specific time, and two, it will allow you to plan your message.  For example, if you always publish a message on Tuesdays at 1o am, your audience will be ready waiting for your thoughts, and you can plan out your messaging calendar to prepare for each week's message.  When you are consistent, it elevates your credibility.
• Audience - Your audience is the people you want to hear and see your messages.  Your audience must be able to receive your messages and share them.  Part of being a thought leader is making sure your audience can share your ideas.  This is because the more people who read your thoughts, the more your authority on a subject grows. As you consider which communications channel works best for you, think about whether or not your audience will be able to share your thoughts.  For example, if you are using social media to share your message, your audience will easily be able to share it with others.  However, if you are using a subscriber newsletter, or podcast - these aren't as easily shared as social media.  Keep this in mind when choosing your communications channels.

Your communications channels should be where your audience lives.  These channels should be easy to access and be shareable with anyone who wants to hear your thoughts.

 

3. Messaging

A thought leader has a message to share.  Your message is the key to being a thought leader.  The reason for this is audiences get bombarded with messages all day.  It's everywhere they look.  You will need to stand out, and the one way to stand out is to make sure your message sticks.

To make sure your message sticks, you will want to consider the value you bring to your audience, your personality, and the content.  

• Value - What value does your audience gain from reading or listening to your message?  Are they going to get specific tips only you can provide?  Consider the value-add you bring.  For example, if your chosen expertise is in real estate, your audience will probably want to know what the market will look like in 3-5 months.  Your audience will want to know if it's a good time to buy or sell.  As a thought leader, you need to share valuable information with your audience so they keep looking to you as the expert. Otherwise, your audience won't need to keep coming back.
• Personality - Your platform is a chance for you to let your personality shine. Your personality is your voice.  The audience wants to know that what they are reading and seeing is coming from you, not someone else. For example, using a personal story to emphasize a point is a great way to incorporate your unique voice.  This will help you connect with your audience and deepen your credibility.
• Content - You've cultivated an audience who looks to you as the authority on a subject.  And you've created products and services to help those looking to better themselves.  However, your content shouldn't always be sales.  This is because over-promotion can be a turn-off to your audience.  As you create your messaging, be mindful of over-promotion. For example, let's say you just published a new book.  Of course, you want your audience to know about it.  And it's okay to let them know.  However, make sure you incorporate value-added content between your promotions, so your audience doesn't get overwhelmed.

Your messaging should be valuable to your audience.  Keep this in mind as you create content.

 

4. Utilize Video

Video is one of the best ways to reach your audience.  This is because it allows you to speak directly to your audience and get your message out there exactly how you intended. Videos can easily be shared on many communications channels and rewatched for maximum impact.

When creating a video, there are a few things to consider to maintain your executive presence.

• What You Wear - What you wear on camera really does matter. If you want to have people within and outside your industry look to you as an authority, you must consider your wardrobe.  This means making sure you look professional.  For example, you will want to avoid distracting material such as satin, or sequins. Try to wear jewel-toned colors without busy patterns. Consider the late Steve Jobs.  He always wore a plain black turtleneck.  His signature turtleneck was simple, and didn't distract from his message. The more you look professional, the more seriously people will take your thoughts and ideas. 
• Word Choice - Your words are powerful.  When you utilize video, you will want to consider the words you use carefully.  This means being mindful of filler words such as ums, ahhs, errs, etc. Try to be as concise as possible for maximum impact.  For example, one way to keep your video message as clear as possible is to write a script.  You can practice this script multiple times until you have it memorized.  Once you've memorized it, you can add your personality with tone of voice.  
• Length - Most people have a pretty short attention span.  If you choose to utilize video to disseminate your message, you will want to be mindful of the length.  Most videos are two minutes or less.  However, if you are doing a live forum, where your audience can interact with you in real-time, your video length can increase.  

Utilizing video is a great way to get your message delivered across many platforms as a thought leader.

In the end, being a thought leader can position you as an expert in a specific industry or field.  Knowing how to disseminate your message will help you stay top of mind and keep your audience coming back.

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