If there’s a dollar to be made, a marketer will find it. So, it’s hardly surprising when a shiny new marketing movement sweeps through the industry. A natural progression of the influencer and attention economy, thought leadership has become the go-to content strategy for anyone in need of an attention boost. What once was, “Can’t find a full-time job? Go freelance.” is now, “Need more business? Become a thought leader.”
At its worst, thought leadership is little more than a tirade of speculation and conjecture. At its best, thought leadership delivers an actionable insight.
Unlike freelance, the words thought leadership elicits a visceral response in many, generating Kubrickian images of metal eyelid clamps and Orwellian totalitarianism. While the behavior-modification wing of marketing is certainly alive and well, thought leadership is hardly the insidious culmination of follower culture that it’s sometimes made out to be. But it also isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for every business leader short of bread.
What is thought leadership?
Thought leadership is generally defined as a type of content that turns an opinion on business, branding, and/or marketing into an actionable insight. This makes a thought leader someone who delivers actionable insights as a recognized authority in their field, which is a direct reflection of the purpose of thought leadership: to increase professional visibility through expertise.
Attention certainly doesn’t equate to ability, but in our algorithm-addled industry, there’s no avoiding the perceived correlation between recognition and expertise. We all want to work with qualified people, and one of our quickest vetting tools (however unfortunate) is attention.
While most thought leadership begins with a strongly held opinion, it must transcend conjecture to become an actionable insight. And the good kind usually does this through a compelling story.
An insight without a story isn’t actionable and a story without insight isn’t profitable.
Thought leadership is slow media. It demands quality, intentionality, and patience. Often, thought leadership is discussed like a quick fix to jump start a stalled career. But it isn’t a 1996 Ford Escort with a dead battery that you can slam in gear while rolling down a hill.
Thought leadership is uphill. And while the road is too crowded to get a running start, it’s still absolutely doable.
Get over the guru complex.
What is a “guru”? Rick Rubin sitting barefoot on the floor of his multi-million dollar estate exclaiming that he has no discernible skill? A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada holding kirtan with the Beatles? Master Shi Heng Yi delivering an inspirational TedTalk? Or maybe Guru Singh becoming a regular guest on every podcast from Rich Roll the the Fretboard Journal.
Traditionally, becoming a guru required deep knowledge and divine experience. The title was earned by providential appointment, not a trick of personal branding. In a literal sense, Guru is a synonym for teacher, expert, guide, and mentor. So while Rubin waxes poetic in Malibu with The Red Hot Chili Peppers and ageless yogis levitate in the caves of Nepal, we all have to come to our own definition.
However you define a guru, you likely aren’t one–and the good news is that your readers certainly don’t expect you to be. To conflate business, branding, and marketing with a roadmap to Gyanganj is at best, silly and, at worst, offensive.
And yet, the guru complex remains a real and present danger of modern digital culture. The ability to generate mass influence with little more than a keystroke is unprecedented. But thought leadership is hardly the enemy at the gates. It’s a means of sharing actionable insights that establish one’s expertise in a given field. No guru syndrome needed.
Thought leadership should subvert itself.
Neem Karoli Baba explained that one only describes themselves as a teacher for the sake of their own ego. Becoming a thought leader is not the end goal of thought leadership, sharing expertise in a field is.
If done right, the result of thought leadership isn’t a thought leader, it’s a capable peer.
Simply put, thought leadership should subvert itself. It shouldn’t create followers, it should give readers the ability to lead themselves. A good teacher educates themselves out of a job. You don’t aim to keep your class in 3rd grade forever; the goal is to prepare them for 4th grade. And so goes thought leadership.
Authority should undo the need for itself. When a professor educates a student, the authority of the teacher dissipates in the relationship–they become peers. Raising the collective consciousness, contributing to the community, and sharing actionable insights is the reward. If done right, the result isn’t a thought leader, it’s a capable peer.
Where opinions end, thought leadership begins.
As the saying goes, everyone has an opinion. But in the eco chamber of news feeds, we increasingly have someone else’s opinion. How often have you asked a friend what they thought about a film or song just to have them tell you what somebody else said about it?
“Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.” – Oscar Wilde
Good thought leadership starts with a perspective. Perspective is unique by definition, and great thought leadership is inextricable from the perspective that generates it. That’s where your value shines through as the author, in the articulation of your unique perspective.
As Charlamagne tha God says, “You are a scholar but you are not a thought leader. The reason you are not a thought leader is because you are following these idiot’s thoughts on social media. You can’t tell me that you are at the highest levels of education but you are basing your commentary on what bots might be saying to you on Twitter. Get offline and get out and smell some air. Talk to people, add some lived experiences to those book smarts.”
An opinion when met with experience and perspective becomes a superfood. It is the essence of all great thought leadership. Without the right balance of perspective, experience, and opinion, you can write a lot of things, just not quality thought leadership.
Identifying a good thought leadership idea.
At the conceptual stage, the quickest way to start is by identifying your opinion.
Clarify your perspective on that opinion. How does that opinion reinforce your perspective on culture, your business’s mission, or your personal philosophy? The opinion should reinforce your relevant cultural perspective.
Find the intersection of your perspective and experience. How have you tested your perspective? Where does potential meet the proof? To Charlamagne’s point above, make sure to smell some air and test your perspective against real life. Great thought leadership takes an insight out of the potential and into the actual.
How to write thought leadership:
Good writing accrues value over time. When it comes to the nuts and bolts of writing a thought leadership article, a good article is actionable, insightful, and profitable to the reader.
Step 1: Lede with insight.
Don’t start with your credentials. Start with your insight. You can weave your authority into the explanation. If your insight is worth writing down and publishing, it’s worth letting it speak for itself.
In the business world, we’re often taught to qualify our thoughts. It’s probably the single most common piece of feedback I’ve had to give when editing thought leadership. Do not qualify your opinion, just share your perspective. Your insight is the subject of the article, not your resume. Lead with insight, and your expertise will always shine through.
Step 2: Make it actionable.
Thought leadership is actionable. “I don’t like the color yellow” is an opinion. Is Color Theory Cutting the Legs Out from Under Your Creative is thought leadership. Opinion pieces disguised as thought leadership read like a drunken Monday-morning quarterback. “If I worked at Apple, I would’ve…”
Making an insight actionable requires objective truth that the reader can implement into their work or life. Without actionable steps, the article is probably more sales pitch than thought leadership. It’s essential to turn the corner from opinion to an insight that the reader can apply to their own work. Again, show them how to do what you do. It’s not a job application; it’s education.
Step 3: It’s about you.
As important as it is to not start an article with your credentials, it’s equally important to remember that it really is about YOU. It’s about your insight, perspective, experience, and the unique cultural references you can string together. If you want credibility, you have to begin with being credible–which is to say, be authentic.
There is no better way to do that than to be honest, open, and generous with your information. Thought leadership isn’t finite–you don’t have to worry about running out. Creativity is limitless, ideas are eternal, and advice should always be free. Share without expectation.
It isn’t about what you get; it’s about what you give.
It’s impossible to have a meaningful conversation about culture without discussing branding, and vice versa. Thought leadership is an opportunity to weave a story that only your perspective, insight, and experience can bring to the industry. It’s a chance to roll up your sleeves, get off the sidelines, and contribute to the larger cultural discussion.
Who knows? Maybe you have the insight that will raise the collective consciousness of branding and marketing.
The only way to find out is to start writing.
Cover image: Alfons