In a sea of similar content, how will you make your thought leadership stand out? Hint: the answer is not to order up something interesting from ChatGPT. Instead, consider how you could follow three thought leadership best practices to level up your thought leadership and create more memorable content.
Think “barbecue content”
When I saw this headline, I immediately understood what “barbecue content” means: Instead of sharing insider baseball – the heady, complicated, in-the-weeds, technical parts of your work – focus on the stuff you’d talk about at a backyard barbecue on a Saturday afternoon. Have an opinion, think big-picture, reflect on your own stories and experiences, invite other people to join the conversation.
Brand your idea
I’m always on the lookout for really juicy branded ideas. If I see a phrase pop up twice, I know it’s something to investigate. Recently, I noticed the new-to-me phrase “human energy crisis.”
Microsoft CHRO Kathleen Hogan is using the term to describe the state of the workforce. The idea isn’t that revolutionary, but “human energy crisis” is a great example of the power of using unique and memorable language instead of repeating the same-old, same-old buzzwords. By talking about “the human energy crisis” (and not “burnout,” “quiet quitting,” or “disengagement”), Microsoft is creating a new conversation about what’s happening and how to address it.
I’ve seen leaders at other companies, like the CEO of Jotform, pick up that language in their writing. When other people borrow your new term, you’ve started a movement.
Go aspirational
My favorite thought leadership projects are the ones that give an industry something to aspire to.
In my view, a core tenant of thought leadership is that it’s aspirational. You’re showing the way toward a better outcome, a new way of thinking, a light at the end of the tunnel. And when you focus on aspirational, positive ideas (like joy, purpose, connection, peace), you’re creating something that other people can say YES to. Want to build a thought leadership platform that other people want to climb onto? Go aspirational.
Or as Robert Rose says it, fill your content with “visions your audience will want to chase.”
Try these three best practices to reframe your thought leadership and stand apart from the crowd.
