2022 Year in Review
How do you measure a year of work? In my work life, 2022 has been a banner year. I started and finished my second ghostwritten business book, and watched the project move from an idea through many rounds of research and manuscripts to a published book on bookshelves. I worked closely with longtime clients and […]
The Thought Leadership Cycle
How can normal people turn their work into thought leadership? If you aren’t creating thought leadership now, how could you squeeze it into your already full schedule? A lot of people assume that thought leadership is for other people. But I’ve seen that thought leadership can and should be a part of most people’s everyday work […]
How to Set Goals for Your Thought Leadership
When you look ahead at next year, you could probably name a few business goals. But what are your thought leadership goals? When I talk about thought leadership goals, I’m really asking: What would happen if more people knew about your ideas? What could you accomplish? A lot of people want to “be a thought […]
So You Want to Make a Business Podcast?
One of my favorite reports came out last week… 🤓 It’s the NPR/Edison Research Spoken Word Audio report. The 2022 report shows that podcast listenership is growing, big time. The quick stats that stood out to me: Podcast listening hit an all-time high in 2022: 62% of the U.S. population has listened to a podcast […]
Personal Branding vs. Thought Leadership
In this post: Who gets to be a thought leader? How is thought leadership different than personal branding? And who pays for thought leadership? This week, I was chatting with an executive coach. I told her that I help business leaders build thought leadership platforms. Her response: “But how do you get the OK from […]
How to Build a Thought Leadership Platform
I’m nearing three years of running a thought leadership consultancy. And as I reflect on what I’ve learned, I came up with one major epiphany from my work with leaders: if you want to make a big impact with your ideas, don’t focus on one-off projects and posts. Instead, build a thought leadership platform. What […]
How to Avoid “Creativity by Committee”
When you hear “BIG, BOLD IDEAS,” what do you picture? I think of a writer smiling at her computer screen, typing out her masterpiece with conviction and confidence. Or a trailblazer cresting a mountain peak. Or someone standing on stage, power pose activated, lit by a spotlight. You know what doesn’t come to mind? Endless […]
What’s Your Premise?
Bet you’ve never heard this description used on a podcast: “We interview CEOs from various backgrounds.” Or on a blog: “We share actionable insights.” Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. If your content is promising something this vague and general, you might need to develop a more specific premise for your content. The word “premise” has come up in a […]
Reflection: A Thought Leader’s Superpower
One thing we don’t do enough as humans? Reflect. We don’t pause to think about what’s happening, as it happens. We don’t take enough time to learn and wonder and grow. And reflection is definitely missing at work. Especially if your work is busy or high-pressure, it’s easy to just keep swimming through the waves […]
Where Does “Thought Leadership” Happen?
What is a thought leader? Where does thought leadership happen? When the phrase “thought leadership” comes up, people almost always make a face. “No, I’m not trying to be a thought leader (yuck)”. Or “I’ll leave that to the LinkedIn bros.” People always assume that “thought leadership” starts and ends with LinkedIn. It’s self-serving, it’s […]
