Idea Collecting
As a thought leadership ghostwriter, I’m really an idea collector. My job is to interview people and pull out the one golden nugget — the juicy idea — that stays lodged in my brain. A Tuesday morning drive over a big bridge reminded me of a good idea I’ve collected lately.
The Life-Changing Magic of Constraints
Not enough time to get your next project done? Having a hard time expressing your big idea succinctly? It turns out, creative constraints can actually have a magic impact. They give us boundaries and a framework.
Says Who?
Brands don’t have ideas; people do. Find your coworkers with the best ideas. Those are your thought leaders. Then teach them to share their ideas and their work.
Inspired by Humans
Thought leaders are inspiring humans who push us to think in new ways. So how do we recapture that human magic without veering into corporate jargon?
Is Your Content Just Adding to the Noise? Change Your Frequency
It’s easy to add more content to the pile. Instead, step back and figure out your unique angle. What are you adding to the conversation? What do you have to say?
How to Find Your Big Idea
Do you understand your unique perspective — your “onlyness”? I’ve been inspired to ask people NEW questions to help them develop their next big idea.
What I’ve Learned About Interviewing Thought Leaders
I research and prep before the call, but once we’re talking, I try my best to BE QUIET, listen, and work toward those magic words, “What I hear you saying is…”
Who’s in Your Idea Club?
Who powers your ideas? Who are the people you go to when you need to refine your ideas and inspire new thinking? Maybe you need an “idea club” or a thought leadership power circle. Here’s how I’m building mine.
A New Vocabulary for Thought Leadership
If your thought leadership is about creating big change, you probably need a new vocabulary to talk about it. Are you using old words and ways of thinking? You have the power and influence to talk differently about your work, starting today.
The Burden of Being a Thought Leader
Do thought leaders have a moral responsibility? I’ve been thinking about the complete 180 that happened at Basecamp. The public outcry isn’t an example of “cancel culture” — it’s holding leaders accountable to the ideas they built their business on.
