Thought leadership is about expertise. Being the smartest person in the room. Being the boss and making sure everyone knows why. Right? My answer: Not really. At least not the thought leadership I’m interested in. I think the best thought leadership is about learning, growing, stretching, and staying curious. What
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”
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
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
One of the most common misconceptions about thought leadership is that the ideas have to be big, bold, and immaculately produced. People stay in the shadows and keep their heads down because they’re too busy doing the work to cook up some big, fancy thought leadership campaign. Imposter syndrome takes
Does this script ever play in your head? Don’t get political. Don’t say anything you’ll regret. The internet lives forever. These are the old rules of the “professional workplace.” I talk to a lot of people who worry about what they’re allowed to say, what feathers they’ll ruffle, and the
Have you ever called a therapist to help you sort through a tough problem? I don’t mean the usual kind of therapist — I’m talking about a thought leadership therapist. I get emails that read something like: “Help! We have an important launch/rebrand/campaign, but we can’t get the words right.
ME ME ME ME ME ME. Oh, sorry. Just warming up my vocal cords before I step up on my soapbox. How often do we start by talking about ourselves? Especially when we’re communicating our big goals and most important ideas — the ideas we’re really proud of and excited
I’m calling it. Here it is – I have identified the Big Problem of our times. It’s a thought leadership problem, but it’s also a core problem that affects how we talk about our work and get people on board. It weakens our impact and influence. In 2022, enlightened business
I have a bone to pick with everyone who works for any business. Hello, yes, you too. It’s about “jargon.” I know what you’re thinking. You’re above the corporate jargon that everyone makes fun of. You would never dare use meaningless phrases like “leverage” or “circle back” or, God forbid,
