You’ve been asked to present on Thought Leadership. What are the most common misconceptions you should avoid?

Thought leadership is how people perceive someone known for their expertise, insights, and innovative ideas, but some individuals don't feel they are experts; they are simply happy to share their thoughts, ideas, and learn from different opinions. In my opinion, sharing insights is one of the best ways for self-development. You can learn how to reach people's hearts and minds but also learn how to handle disagreement, train how to be persuasive, and influence.

Thought leadership maybe the latest buzz word but in principle it follows the evergreen tenets of the Gurukul system in ancient India. The Guru taught the student to focus on the subject. Lifestyle ensured that the ego never stepped up, they did all the work, and they didn't complain, inaction was discouraged. Aspirations were pretty well set and the focus was on dharma, with a spiritual overtone for the Brahmacharis. Maybe our design community (or anyone for that matter) should take a leaf out of this book. The aim is to learn the science of Design. The bigger aim is to overcome the fear of abstraction, and ambiguity and teach with the humility that we also learn from the student, its the experience that matters, not the outcome.

Advocating thought leadership and being a thought leader are different things. The article opener seems to use them interchangeably. A thought leader is usually the one inciting or encouraging the idea and discussion. Thought leadership is more a state and the advocacy of the thought, idea, program. An example for me would be the World Economic Forum @WEF which has thought leaders as members, and is a catalyst for thought leadership through their programs and advocacy for other ideas and programs.

When it comes to thought leadership, steering clear of common pitfalls is crucial. True thought leadership lies in depth, not breadth. Here are two misconceptions to avoid: a) Writing for the General Audience: While broad appeal seems tempting, impactful thought leadership emerges from specific, actionable advice. Focus on a niche topic or a segment within your industry. Notable thought leaders excel by addressing specific problems with their expertise. b) Inconsistent Publishing: Regular content creation is key. You needn’t post daily, but consistency matters. You may publish monthly, yet the influence can remain strong with rich content and consistency. Define your posting frequency and stick to it.

hmm, you think being a thought leader is all about showing off? Nope! It's more like sharing helpful tips rather than bragging. Instead of saying, "Look at me!" you should say, "Let me help you!" So, skip the bragging and focus on giving useful advice. Your audience will appreciate it, and who knows, maybe they'll even send you a thank-you card!

Thought leadership is not for everyone in your target audience. In fact it may not be for anyone. If you are targeting visionaries, innovators, or early adopters, than thought leadership is a very important credential because thinking out of the box is a way to align your brand with your target persona. It suggests that your future offerings will continue to be leading edge and will keep you and your customers ahead of the competition. If you are not perceived to be a thought leader, you are perceived to be a thought follower. That’s OK if your strategy and value proposition is focused on things like quality and execution. If that’s your strategy/audience, thought leadership may be irrelevant.

Whether thought leadership is easy or not is relative. It's about passion, an internal locus of control, and a willingness to learn, accept other people's ideas, and admit if their idea is better than ours. It requires a genuine passion for the subject matter, a sense of personal responsibility for one's actions, a willingness to continuously learn and improve, and humility to acknowledge when someone else's idea may be better than one's own.

Thought leadership is about the discourse and ideas and involvement of experts and others in the discussion. It is about sharing knowledge and smart thinking to encourage others to reflect, get involved in the conversation and act.

Uma estratégia de liderança de pensamento não é unilateral. Mesmo que, em uma situação hipotética, você seja o único profissional responsável pelo planejamento de uma terceira pessoa, é importante interagir com o meio para apresentar algo realmente efetivo. Além de ouvir a liderança em si, conhecer os demais stakeholders (em especial o público-alvo) pode fazer toda a diferença - até mesmo durante uma apresentação - por meio de argumentos, detalhes sobre os interesses e caminhos para conquistar os objetivos propostos.

One-way communication is like a commercial. Communication is about delivering ideas and messages effectively in the simplest way possible so people can easily understand. It also involves listening with empathy to others' ideas. One problem in communication is that we often think we are listening but fail to capture all the ideas because we assume we already understand. This can lead to one-way communication without us realizing it.

Shifting thought leadership from a lecture to a collaborative dialogue transforms passive receivers into active participants, fostering innovation and engagement. Leaders can initiate "Interactive Thought Forums," where discussions are not only led by the leaders but co-created with the audience, inviting diverse viewpoints and challenging conversations. Incorporate "Feedback Loops" within these forums, using digital platforms or live sessions to gather audience insights, questions, and contributions in real-time. This approach ensures thought leadership is continuously shaped by its community, keeping it relevant and dynamic. By democratizing the thought leadership process, leaders empower their audience.

• Relationships are very important for thought leaders to build trust and amplify their message. Thought leaders connect with other influencers, media, and their audience to spread ideas. • Original ideas are not an absolute requirement. Valuable thought leadership can build on existing ideas and provide a new perspective tailored to your audience. However, you do need some original commentary. • Controlling conversations is counterproductive. Thought leaders invite discussion and listen to feedback. They don't shut down debates or criticism.

Thought leadership is a collective journey, not a destination reserved for a few. Thought leadership must be accessible beyond the realm of established experts. Leaders can launch "Thought Leadership Incubators." These programs would mentor emerging thought leaders within their organizations, focusing on nurturing clear, compelling narratives grounded in their unique experiences and insights. Participants would engage in workshops to refine their storytelling abilities, learn how to back their views with evidence and research, and practice presenting their ideas in various forums. This enriches the industry with fresh perspectives and innovative solutions.

While it's true that thought leadership isn't exclusive to experts, there's value in recognizing that expertise can enhance the quality of thought leadership. Sure, anyone can have a valuable and original idea, but expertise often comes with a deeper understanding and insight into a particular subject matter. This doesn't mean you need a laundry list of credentials, but rather that knowledge and experience can enrich the perspectives you bring to the table. So, while thought leadership may not be limited to experts, expertise can certainly elevate it to new heights.

In my opinion, when people think they are experts or know everything, they will fall into the confidence paradox trap. They are so confident until they face challenges, and they will lose their confidence. For me, the more I learn and gain knowledge, the more I realize there are still many things I don't know. I never think about thought leadership; I just want to share my ideas and learn from feedback from people who have more experience than me. From there, I can learn and grow.

Thought Leadership is constantly evolving & with AI, advancements are happening exponentially. You should look at how people are harnessing this disruptive technology in other industries & look at how these can be applied for your industry. This can provide you with a different & distinct voice that can compliment your existing trend analysis.

Contrary to what this article says, the biggest misconception about thought leadership is the fact that it has no agreed-upon definition. And what's more, some definitions of thought leaders are so expansive, they're practically useless, even coming from leading authorities in the subject. For example, the "2024 Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report" defines it as: "Content that offers expertise, guidance or a unique point of view on a topic or in a field." What are we supposed to do with that? It could mean almost anything. I could do a LinkedIn post listing the different parts of speech (something children learn in middle or high school) and it would be thought leadership by this definition. Yeesh.