So, You Want to Be a Thought Leader? A Framework and Guide for Your Thought Leadership Strategy

Career Development — Tue., Aug. 17, 2021

Thought leadership is not a new concept, but what it takes to be a successful thought leader has changed in the past two-and-a-half decades. To measure, assess, and track progress in becoming a thought leader, it is important to understand the four pillars of thought leadership: credibility, profile, being prolific, and depth of ideas. To start on a thought leadership strategy, focus on a problem you have solved and work on connecting, sharing, and honing your personal brand every day.

Credibility can be positional or developed through formal credentials, and profile is about how many people know you and the nature of those connections. Being prolific involves regularly sharing content on social media, writing articles, speaking, and giving interviews. Finally, depth of ideas is about codifying insights into processes and frameworks to teach others how to replicate success.

It is important to be authentic and to focus on story-based content rather than product features when creating content. Connecting, sharing content, and honing a personal brand every day can help increase followers and build credibility. The goal of thought leadership is not to sell a product or service, but to genuinely share insights and help others.

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