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<\/img><\/a><\/p>\nWhy Do You Want to Be a Thought Leader?<\/b><\/h3>\n
Maybe you\u2019ve never understood the draw of the limelight; even so, that doesn\u2019t mean you should shy away from it as an adult, especially if you want to make a difference in your industry. Writing on the subject for <\/a>Forbes<\/a>, Shel Israel defines a thought leader as \u201csomeone who looks at the future and sets a course for it that others will follow . . . They foment change, often causing great disruption.\u201d<\/p>\n If you like the idea of reshaping the conversation of your industry, then you already have the mindset of a thought leader. Here are just a few more reasons to lace up and start walking down the thought leader path:<\/p>\n The journey to thought leadership land can be long and challenging. If you\u2019re not sure how to get started, here\u2019s a nifty map with nine steps that can put you on the right path to becoming a respected voice in your industry.<\/p>\n From Denise Brosseau\u2019s Thought Leadership Lab<\/p>\n Thought leaders, by their very nature, stand out from the crowd. They have strong and compelling personalities that appeal to their respective audiences. Rachael Ray has perfected her folksy everyday woman brand that fits with the no-fuss meals that she promoted on 30 Minute Meals, <\/i>the Food Network show that launched her to fame.<\/p>\n Your personal brand should be a natural extension of who you already are. That said, you may want to emphasize certain aspects of your personality. Above all: Be authentic.<\/p>\n You also need to define your niche:<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget to give plenty of thought to who your audience is. Who are your people, and what ideas will capture their attention and loyalty? All of this information is essential before you even start.<\/p>\n Standing on a soapbox on your front lawn might amuse your neighbors, but it isn\u2019t going to help you build a following. As a thought leader, your most powerful tool will be a platform from which to begin spreading your ideas. For many thought leaders, this is a personal blog. For example, <\/a>Wil Wheaton\u2019s<\/a> blog cemented his reputation as a leading voice for all things nerd and geek. He amplifies his reach with his wildly popular <\/a>Twitter feed<\/a>.<\/p>\n If the thought of churning out an endless stream of blogs has you breaking into a cold sweat, rest assured that a blog isn\u2019t your only option. Plenty of thought leaders spread their gospel through podcasts and videos. Gary Vaynerchuk made his name as a social media guru in part by creating the binge-worthy <\/a>#AskGaryVee<\/a> show on YouTube.<\/p>\n Pro tip: <\/b>If you can\u2019t commit to the rigors of regular blogging, vlogging, podcasting, or whatever the next hip thing to do is, start small by spreading your ideas on your social media channel. Elon Musk gets by without a blog or podcast, but his <\/a>Twitter feed<\/a> has over 4.8 million followers. Likewise, Vala Afshar, with over 140,000<\/a> Twitter followers, is also a regular contributor to The Huffington Post<\/a>.<\/p>\n As a thought leader-in-training, you need to put a lot of sweat equity into turning your platform into a destination. One blog a month isn\u2019t going to cut it. Neither will a sprinkling of Instagram pictures. Instead, you need to produce a lot of content on a consistent basis that is as good as you can make it. In an article for <\/a>Entrepreneur<\/a>, Jayson Demers encourages readers to \u201cstart making bolder claims in your articles, and making bigger predictions about the future of your industry.\u201d<\/p>\n Most likely, you won\u2019t get a lot of attention right away. That\u2019s normal. Keep writing, recording, and posting. One of the reasons Richard Branson has over 8 million followers <\/a>on Twitter<\/a> is because the founder of Virgin Group has posted over 13,000 tweets! Want to match his influence? Start racking up quality tweets, blogs, and more content.<\/p>\n Eventually you\u2019ll want to see what\u2019s going on outside of your own little fishbowl. The world is vast, and your audience is scattered. It\u2019s up to you to expand your spotlight so they can find you. The easiest way to do this is to develop social media channels that allow you to share your daily thoughts and observations, and engage in the current conversation of the day. Social media can also let you showcase your latest blog post, YouTube video, or podcast episode.<\/p>\n Of course, you can only do so much on your own platforms. Now is the time to find new audiences. Figure out what blogs, podcasts, magazines, email newsletters, and YouTube channels your audience loves and then start pitching guest posts, interviews, and other collaborations. Craft compelling, personalized pitches. You\u2019ll probably receive a whole bunch of dead air back, but it only takes a few yeses for you to dramatically grow your visibility.<\/p>\n Pro tip: <\/b>Who says everyone has to do you favor? Invite other up-and-coming thought leaders to guest blog on your platform, co-host a podcast, or sit down for a video interview.<\/p>\n Your industry is likely already home to a wide range of thought leaders. These individuals have already built up their audiences, and have star power they may be able to bestow upon you. Effective networking could lead to collaborations and even partnerships that launch you into the big leagues. Rachael Ray was doing great at building her brand, but appearing in multiple guest segments on the Oprah Winfrey Show<\/i> and the Dr. Phil Show<\/i> catapulted her into celebrity status.<\/p>\n Of course, if you don\u2019t have Oprah\u2019s number in your Rolodex, there are other ways to start networking. Carolyn Edgecomb of iMPACT Branding & Design <\/a>suggests<\/a> writing blogs or creating pieces around your favourite thought leaders or their companies to catch their attention. Promote the post on your social media pages, making sure to tag the thought leader. You may be surprised by how many of them will share or retweet your mention.<\/p>\n Another good tactic is to share and comment on the blogs, social media posts, videos, and other content of the industry leaders you admire. Additionally, if you can, attend industry conferences and events that bring thought leaders together. A lot of small touches can help raise awareness of your name among the heavy hitters in your field.<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to imagine that Tony Robbins\u2014one of the world\u2019s most popular self-help gurus\u2014gave his inspiring presentations to small groups when he was first getting started. These days, he can easily fill thousand-seat auditoriums. Perhaps you will, too, but, like Tony Robbins, you\u2019ll need to start small as you build your brand.<\/p>\n Speaking not only puts you directly in front of new audiences, it also forces you to polish your special focus, lends you authority in your field, and gives you the opportunity to network on equal footing with your fellow speakers, panelists, and keynotes. Author <\/a>Dorie Clark<\/a> explains, \u201cGiven the terror that public speaking instills in most people, your street cred will automatically skyrocket when you take the stage.\u201d<\/p>\n Don\u2019t wait around for the folks at TED to call you. Instead, actively pitch yourself as a speaker, panelist, or workshop leader. Clark suggests reaching out to your local Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce to get started. With a few successful speeches under your belt, you can pitch regional conferences, major industry events, and in-house speeches to big corporations.<\/p>\n Pro tip: <\/b>Even if you think you\u2019re too small time for a specific event, pitch anyway. You never know if an event is struggling to fill all of its speaking slots or if organizers are dealing with a speaker who dropped out at the last minute.<\/p>\n If you keep your eyes on the prize, you\u2019ll slowly but surely start building a name for yourself. Now is not the time to slow down. Instead, it\u2019s the perfect moment to use all of the thought leadership mojo you\u2019ve built\u2014as well as the unique perspective you\u2019ve polished across hundreds of blog posts and speeches\u2014to create something outstanding. For many thought leaders, this is a book that shares their philosophy and insights with the world. We all know how Sheryl Sandberg\u2019s Lean In <\/i>turned her into one of the biggest authorities on empowering professional women.<\/p>\n Crafting a book (or creating premium content in some other form) is a great way of creating a new revenue stream that leverages your growing reputation. It also gives you something that you can sell after your speeches. However, the greatest benefit of having a book or a product that contains premium knowledge is the authority that it can lend to your brand. <\/a>Clark<\/a> puts it best: \u201cThere is no more definitive proof of thought leadership than authoring a good book on your chosen subject.\u201d<\/p>\n If you work hard enough and smart enough, and find a message that truly resonates with your audience, then you will reach a tipping point where things become much easier. You won\u2019t be sending out dozens of guest blog pitches only to hear crickets in return. People will ask you for interviews. Conferences will ask you speak. Your social media audience will seem to grow on its own. In other words, you\u2019ve made it, or at least a good deal of people have started to listen to you.<\/p>\n At this point it\u2019s easy to sit back and let the waves of adoration keep on coming, but the job of a thought leader never stops. Now that more people are listening, you need to be as sharp as ever, or you could become yesterday\u2019s news. Don\u2019t slack off and regurgitate the same ideas on your blog. Keep reaching for new ideas and ways to push your industry forward.<\/p>\n Now is also the time that you can make a play to break through. Rachael Ray wasn\u2019t just satisfied with one show. Today, she is a lifestyle brand, complete with cookbooks, a line of cookware, her own magazine, three shows on the Food Network, and a syndicated daytime show called Rachael Ray. <\/i>She certainly didn\u2019t rest on her laurels, and neither should you!<\/p>\n Yeah, you\u2019re kind of a big deal now, but you didn\u2019t get there on your own. Along the way, someone gave you the chance to guest blog on their bustling platform. Someone else took a chance and let you speak at a conference even though you only had a few small speaking credits to your name. Your idol may have even re-tweeted a link to one of your podcasts, giving you that big bump in listeners.<\/p>\n Now it\u2019s your turn. There are others on the trail behind you taking the long, arduous hike to become thought leaders. When you can, give them a helping hand. This isn\u2019t charity: The unknown professional you help today could become tomorrow\u2019s thought leader superstar, ready and willing to collaborate with you on the next great thing.<\/p>\n If you want to be a thought leader in your industry, you need to work at it every single day. The road is long, and it may be lonely for months (or even years) as you work to define your personal brand and build your unique platform. However, if you can find a powerful and unique message, and articulate it in a way that resonates with your audience, the sky is the limit.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be afraid to network and use the power of those who are farther ahead on the thought leader path. Push yourself to nab speaking engagements, and, when the time is right, consider launching a book to consolidate your reputation.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t leave it to others to lead your industry. Speak up. Create change, and become the trusted authority you know you are capable of being.<\/p>\n\n
7 Steps to Becoming a Thought Leader<\/h3>\n
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<\/img> <\/p>\nStep One: Carve Out Your Personal Brand<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Step Two: Start Spreading Your Viewpoints<\/b><\/h3>\n
Step Three: Build Your Platform into a Destination<\/b><\/h3>\n
6 Characteristics of Great Thought Leaders<\/h3>\n
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<\/img> <\/p>\nStep Four: Expand Your Spotlight<\/b><\/h3>\n
Step Five: Network, Network, Network<\/b><\/h3>\n
Google Search History for \u201cThought Leadership\u201d<\/h3>\n
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<\/img> <\/p>\nStep Six: Hit the Speaking Tour<\/b><\/h3>\n
Step Seven: Get Published<\/b><\/h3>\n
What You Need to Know About Becoming a Thought Leader<\/h3>\n
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<\/img> <\/p>\nStep Eight: Keep It Going<\/b><\/h3>\n
Step Nine: Pay It Forward<\/b><\/h3>\n
The Road Is Long, but the Journey Is Worth the Effort<\/b><\/h3>\n