How can you create your own thought leadership style?

Having spent most of my professional life as a strategy and management consultant, the words “thought leadership” have been ingrained in my brain for decades. It was what would set me apart as a consultant. What are you known for? What are you “famous” for? I find it useful to think first about a sector and/or function, and then hold on to it like a dog to a bone, who won’t let it go. You have to be consistent with the topic(s), ensuring consistency in the frequency of posts. I also find it best to add a personal touch. True storytellers will always be able to find a way to connect what you talk about to someone. And if that someone is yourself, I guarantee you will connect and engage far better with your audience.

Show up - always. Remain true to yourself. You can adapt to certain environments, but don't become a chameleon. Compassion, empathy, and integrity are character traits for thought leadership. In every business it still remains that we work with people. Relationship economy is a whole thing.

How do you identify your niche? It is the intersection between your - 1. Expertise (What knowledge and skillsets do I have that I am confident about?) 2. Passion (What can you talk about for hours without getting bored?) 3. Pain points (What are the gaps in the Industry and market that I can fill?)

Find a status quo to be angry about within your area of expertise. Thought leadership should invite change. And change comes from envisioning a different, better future from the status quo.

How can you create your own thought leadership style? In my opinion, the main ingredient to creating any genuine or authentic leadership style is awareness. Self-reflection and self-awareness are essential for a perspective view on leadership roles of any kind. Know your industry, know your product, and form your own opinion based on your experiences. Thought leadership basically boils down to your own unique perspective and observations based on your current expertise. I'm a big believer in focusing on what we have control over, and using the past as a mentor, The only constant in life is change, or the fear of change.

Be authentic. The best way to develop thought leadership is to be yourself. Incorporate unique stories from your own experiences into the stories you tell online. Use your own tone and voice. You're likable just the way you are, and you don't need to create some fake persona to impress people.

From my point of view, your thought leadership should reflect your true nature and personality. Your ability to communicate and motivate your intended audience is enhanced when the content is authentic and resonates with your life experiences. By being passionate about what you are trying to express, you could have an impact on others, that is the most powerful way to reach and engage with your audience, and inspire them to action.

In defining your voice, rather than trying to develop and remembering a list of attributes, think about embodying the persona whose "voice" / "tone and manner" most closely match the one you wish to demonstrate. You could use your favorite personalities / celebrities or even superhero characters, from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In my opinion, a thought leadership style must be an alignment between a personality and their tone or language. Even when corporates want to become corporate thought leaders, the tone should align with their corporate culture and ethos. I think authenticity should be the rule of thumb. Identifying your audience and then refining your voice to suit an identified audience is counter intuitive and unsustainable. I believe authentic messages always find its true audience, particularly if it seeks a solution to an existential problem. “What we know matters but who we are matters more.” – Brené Brown

Apart from considerations about what your audience wants, it’s important that you’re prepared to put in the hard yards and be consistent with your chosen voice. You need to be able to keep showing up and stay true to what you not only believe in, but can sustain. We hear time and time again the importance of showing up and that it takes 10 years to become an overnight success, so you need to be prepared for the long haul with your approach. Be that podcasts, essays, videos, etc it doesn’t matter, consistency is key.

Many mistakenly assume thought leadership is the remit only of those at the top of an organisation, or senior positions. When, in fact, thought leadership is an open invitation for anyone to share views and opinions that drive collective thinking forward. In order to do this, simply showing value is not enough because it can come across as a chest thumping exercise. Instead the pertinent aspect for thought leadership should be: what value did it drive for others? This engenders audiences not only to what you are saying but who you are as a person (not an engineered persona)

Good value in thought leadership is like a good headline: surprising but true, and ultimately provable. Bonus: It's memorable too, which makes it easier to apply. You can't apply what you can't easily remember.

Showcasing your values means demonstrating your principles, beliefs, and ethical standards through your actions and communication. Some suggestions: 1. First, define your values clearly. Know what matters most to you. 2. Align your actions, decisions, and communication with these values consistently. 3. Be genuine and sincere in expressing your values. Authenticity builds trust. 4. Demonstrate your values through your behavior and choices, serving as a role model. 5. Narratives and anecdotes can vividly illustrate your values, making them relatable and memorable. By showcasing your values, you create a stronger personal and professional identity while attracting like-minded individuals and opportunities.

What can you offer the audience that others cannot? The world today is an information democracy and more people have information at their fingertips more than ever before with Chat-GPT providing information just by asking. The value Thought leaders bring today is not to provide information but to help people convert the available information to knowledge. How? This conversion from information to knowledge ignites when a thought leader takes the information and shows you the different perspectives on how to use the information to create value. Thought leaders help people connect the the dots flying about until they see pathways. I think stories about failures in connecting dots would be more important that success stories in this process.

Quantify past successes, case studies and measurable impact when possible to demonstrate your authority and value proposition. Weave in relevant personal anecdotes, case examples or quotes that bring your messages to life in a way dry facts alone cannot. Highlight new perspectives or frameworks you can offer through creative examples, interactive exercises or visual presentations. Experiment with multiple formats beyond writing like podcasts, online courses or workshops to showcase a full range of how you deliver value. Promote your highest-quality, best-performing content to establish credibility and attract more subscribers over time.

While its important to engage your audience, the last thing you want is to create an echo chamber. One thing I have found helpful is to intentionally meet 2-3 new people globally a week. If you have no contacts in Greece or Nigeria for example, then start to network with professionals virtually to learn about thier experimence and how culture plays a role in the type of work you do. Don't have an ulterior motive other than active listening and learning about other's perspectives and experiences. Share your stories and invite other to join.

In offering your POVs, build on the work that's already out there. Cite and assimilate the work of others, cross-reference other valuable articles, invite questions and especially on LinkedIn, tag other thought leaders who could further build on your thoughts. On the last point, do it tactfully and genuinely.

Promptly acknowledge and respond to reader comments, questions and criticisms to build stronger connections. Host virtual networking events, live Q&As or invite guest posts from readers to foster two-way dialog. Create opt-in community groups within preferred networks and platforms to cultivate loyal brand advocates. Track usage statistics and impacts to discern what inspires sharing and real-world implementation of ideas. Test out new distribution methods like email newsletters or podcasts to find interactive formats your niche audience will embrace. Through active participation, gain genuine insights to refine your style and better serve readers.

Fusion is a great strategy for audience engagement and growth. Example: "Kim,” a Corporate Responsibility thought leader blends her passion for true crime with her professional expertise, branding herself as the “Ethical Detective." In a monthly podcast, “The Corporate Crime Chronicles,” Kim delves into white-collar crimes, from a criminal perspective and the lens of business ethics. She dissects motives, ethical breaches, and lessons. Her article series, “Forensic Files of Business Ethics,” uses investigative techniques to analyze corporate misdeeds and the need for ethical introspection. Kim's approach attracts a wide audience interested in ethical business and true crime, making her a unique voice in corporate responsibility.

Engaging your online audience is critical in becoming a thought leader. Here are a few ways you can do that: 1. Create relevant, valuable, and visually appealing content. 2. Maintain a regular posting schedule to keep your audience engaged. 3. Encourage dialogue by responding to comments and asking questions. 4. Mix up content types (text, images, videos) to cater to diverse preferences. 5. Connect on an emotional level through storytelling and relatable experiences. 6. Make all audience members feel heard and valued. 7. Use data to understand what works and refine your strategy. By implementing these strategies, you can effectively engage and grow your online audience.

Change is constant, especially in today's environment, requiring us to stay dynamic and relevant. Embracing an "experiment and evolve" mindset allows deeper connect with audience and maintain credibility in an ever-changing world of ideas and information. In my Saas leadership, here is how I see it transforming my thought leadership - 1. It pushes me to seek new perspectives and generate innovative ideas to evolve thought leadership. 2. Increases my adaptability to changing industry/ product trends and challenges, helping me stay ahead of the curve and making my thought leadership timely, impactful. 3. It makes me dive into various topics & approaches that help me gain a deeper understanding and bring in-depth insights to my audience.

Learning from failures and evolving is the only way to growth. Here are a few ways you can evolve through your failures: 1. **Reflection**: Analyze what went wrong and why it happened. 2. **Acceptance**: Embrace failure as a valuable learning experience. 3. **Adaptation**: Use insights to refine your approach or strategy. 4. **Resilience**: Develop the mental strength to bounce back from setbacks. (You can work with an app like zant to build your resiliency with a professional!) 5. **Continuous Improvement**: Apply lessons to future endeavors. 6. **Open-mindedness**: Be receptive to change and new ideas. By following these steps, you can turn failures into opportunities for growth and personal development.

Every thought leader has their own voice, and there is no one size fits all. If you are just starting out, you will need to experiment with styles and tones to see what works for you. But remember to stay authentic, otherwise, it will not be sustainable.

Put a method to the madness - with a structured guide to explore topics, formats, and styles. Through experimentation / exploration, remain conscious of what flows most naturally for you (aka what sparks joy for you), and also what your audience engages most with. Remember: in seeking the validation from your audience, don't lose your own voice/identity.

Ability to experiment requires guts & self-conviction, besides support from the management. Innovation & ability to execute upon them is a fine art which may not be replicable but used as a short term solutions to tide over a time-bound problem. Evolving from status quo, to experimenting constantly is the zing we bring to our teams, else they remain sedate.

I have a hunch that this might be the most important of the six stimulating steps to thought leadership; leadership can never survive in a vacuum. If you aren't hearing the voices around you then it becomes impossible to provide any form of leadership. The people around you may have already thought out the next steps. Good solutions are not the sole preserve of the leader, right? Your thought leadership might be to amplify the voices of your people and make sure their good ideas get a platform.

When you join a community to share your thoughts and insights, you'll come across professionals whose work you admire and respect. Drawing inspiration from them can help you develop your own unique style and better engage with your audience. I personally find it helpful when people recommend books to read, as it can provide valuable guidance and help me find my own path. Don't hesitate to ask for advice from others in the community, as it can lead to quicker improvement in your blog or posts.

Take the time to explore why you resonate to others leadership, contribution or perspectives and equally to those that who you find challenging. There the value is in better understanding why, understanding if bias exists and what you learned as a result of the content of the engagement. Sometimes bias creeps in from a past experience or persons and the key is being open to input, while reserving your right to disagree once you understood the content or offering. As an example, In emergency service, these biases can impact patient outcomes. Don't let them influence how you apply your knowledge or expertise.

Thought Leaders are the most avid readers. According to research, the average person has approximately 60,000 thoughts per day. How can one be a thought leader without being a voracious reader.

Strengthen Your Critical Thinking Skills: 1. Diversify Your Reading: Delve into articles, opinions, and books that contradict your prevailing beliefs. 2. Embrace Global Perspectives: Acquaint yourself with diverse cultures. Test your views by empathizing with individuals from different backgrounds and situations. Do your beliefs still hold firm? 3. Engage in Constructive Debates: Broaden your social circle to include those with contrasting ideas. Embrace challenges and step out of your comfort zone through intellectual exchanges. 4. Enhance Your Communication Skills: True leaders not only conceive creative solutions but also articulate them adeptly across mediums, be it in writing or orally.

Asking the right questions to provoke "Thinking" among the teams is extremely important. Quality of intervention has greater impact than a number of interventions.