{"id":70128,"date":"2017-06-16T15:07:24","date_gmt":"2017-06-16T14:07:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.strattoncraig.com\/insight\/thought-leader-time-everyone-else\/"},"modified":"2025-03-07T17:18:56","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T17:18:56","slug":"thought-leader-time-everyone-else","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.strattoncraig.com\/us\/insight\/thought-leader-time-everyone-else\/","title":{"rendered":"How to be a thought leader (at the same time as everyone else)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nThought leadership isn\u2019t something you get, it\u2019s something you earn. It\u2019s about being known for your clever thoughts, rather than just being known. When you\u2019re a thought leader, you have earned genuine respect and admiration, which comes from being innovative and sincere.
\nIt\u2019s all very inspirational, isn\u2019t it?
\nEven more inspirational are the potentially massive business returns. If people admire what you have to say, and look to you as an authority in your industry, they will invest in you and trust your brand. It\u2019s the same for both B2B and B2C organisations.
\nNow comes the hard part \u2013 being the innovative one who stands out over everyone else trying to be a thought leader at the same time. Luckily, we\u2019ve got some little tricks up our sleeves.<\/p>\n

He shoots, he scores<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As with any strategy, you\u2019ve got to set some goals. Otherwise, how do you know when you\u2019ve gained thought leader status? You need to be able to tell whether your hard work is paying off, or if you need to adjust your strategy to get your marvellous thoughts heard.
\nSet KPIs, whether that\u2019s being quoted in X number of media articles a month or getting retweeted X number of times a day. Be realistic, set milestones and make sure they\u2019re measurable. Maybe save your getting-asked-by-the-BBC-to-give-your-opinion-on-a-story goal until you\u2019re a bit further along.
\nAnd all of a sudden, the journey to being a thought leader seems achievable.<\/p>\n

Because you\u2019re worth it<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For once in content marketing, it\u2019s time to think about you<\/em> rather than your audience<\/em>. Start with what you know and what you\u2019re passionate about, and you won\u2019t run out of interesting things to say. Stick with your specialities and go niche to make sure you\u2019re different to others trying to do the exact same thing. You may be surprised by how much more you have to talk about when you\u2019ve established a unique train of thought.<\/p>\n

A quick chat<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Who is your favourite broadcaster? Is it Jon Snow with his funky ties and dry sense of humour, or Jeremy Paxman with his unashamedly probing and controversial questions? It\u2019s likely that your favourite has a personality and isn\u2019t afraid to engage in a robust debate. It gives them authority, which engages you.
\nThe point is that getting involved in conversations and having the confidence to engage in an open exchange of ideas is important for establishing credibility and authority. Rather than merely stating your views to whoever happens to be listening at the time, develop them by connecting with others. It\u2019s great to join in with conversations that current thought leaders are having to show that you can engage with the big dogs and give your own spin on a topic. And remember not to try and sell something when you\u2019re getting involved in these wider conversations. When people admire you, they will seek out what you have to offer, but revealing an ulterior motive just turns people off.<\/p>\n

How may I help you?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Becoming known for your well-written blog and stimulating comments on social media is one thing, but genuinely helping clients is even more important. Offering all the help you can for your clients is a great place to start, and here is where you can really put down your thought-leadership roots. Don\u2019t be afraid to offer suggestions when you think something could be done better, and do send letters and emails just to offer advice and open up conversations, rather than merely sell customers something. You will be rewarded with referrals and recommendations, making you well on your way to being a trusted thought leader.<\/p>\n

Get offline<\/strong><\/h3>\n

And while you\u2019re busy helping clients and getting involved in conversations online, you really must find some time to get out there and network in person. Try to go to events and make presentations where you can. Of course, you can blow your own trumpet about being there on social media, but gush about the other people you got to speak to, not yourself. No one loves arrogance – which leads us on nicely to\u2026<\/p>\n

Much more Mr Nice Guy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Where thought leadership is concerned, you\u2019ve got to put politeness and intelligence over arrogance. No one wants to admit that they\u2019re arrogant, but demanding to be listened to when you haven\u2019t got anything interesting to say is egotistical.
\nDon\u2019t try to be too clever, just be you and be interesting. And never think that your views and ideas are better than anyone else\u2019s. You want people to think you know your stuff and have something interesting to say, but not that you\u2019re haughty and out of touch with a reality. Being approachable is far easier to respect and admire, and when people genuinely like you, respect your opinion and feel you\u2019re authentic in your contribution, they\u2019ll stick with you as you grow to become a thought leader.
\nOkay, that\u2019s enough of us sharing our words of wisdom in thought leadership. It\u2019s time for you to get out there and EARN IT.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thought leadership isn\u2019t something you get, it\u2019s something you earn. It\u2019s about being known for your clever thoughts, rather than just being known. When you\u2019re a thought leader, you have earned genuine respect and admiration, which comes from being innovative and sincere. It\u2019s all very inspirational, isn\u2019t it? Even more inspirational are the potentially massive […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[305,314],"tags":[458,510],"class_list":["post-70128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-content-strategy-us","category-copywriting-us","tag-content-marketing-us","tag-thought-leadership-us"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to be a thought leader (at the same time as everyone else)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Thought leadership isn\u2019t something you get, it\u2019s something you earn. 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