DEFINING THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Badings et al define thought leadership as “promoting thought-provoking viewpoints that reframe the way customers think about their key issues, helping them toward new insights and solutions.” In essence thought leadership is showing your expertise in a particular field by expressing them through content. Usually thought leaders have been in their industries for quite some time and they are well-vested and passionate in whatever they express.
Thought leadership is not targeted only towards customers but any key stakeholder depending on the individual or companies’ main cause to pursue it. It also taps into originality and knowledge, aside from the array of marketing tools that exist as humans we tend to gravitate towards people or products that are innovative and give us hope for positive change and better solutions.
THE VALUE OF THOUGHT LEADERSHIP & HOW IT WILL LAND YOU YOUR NEXT JOB
There are two possible ways that thought leadership provides job opportunities;
1. Inspiration and guidance provided by established thought leaders online and otherwise,
2. Establishing yourself and being recognized as a thought leader.
By constantly showing your expertise to your audience you position your brand as a credible source of information and heighten your perceived value in your industry. This creates a sense of trust between you and your target audience making it easier for your voice to easily influence the right people.
Now that you are cemented in the minds of key targets you become their outlet for guidance, knowledge, and insights. This further opens the opportunity to cultivate progressive, innovative thinking and advocate for change. Your efforts as a thought leader automatically position you without having to centre content around yourself. Remember, you are expressing your expertise on key issues, hence you attract more people who want to know more of what knowledge you offer.
Through the deep relationships you’ve harnessed between you and audiences/stakeholders, you will be exposed to better opportunities to talk about your area of interest and, secondly, land more job opportunities.
Here are some notable thought leaders to look out for from various industries.
REFERENCES
Badings, Craig, et al. How to Differentiate Your Company and Stand out from the Crowd: Thought Leadership. pp. 3–9, sweetfishmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Thought-Leadership.pdf. Accessed 19 Nov. 2022.
Shaoolian, Gabriel. The Value of Thought Leadership and How to Use It Effectively. 7 Aug. 2018, www.huffpost.com/entry/the-value-of-thought-leadership-and-how-to-use-it-effectively_b_59b04f61e4b0c50640cd6430. Accessed 19 Nov. 2022.
What Is Thought Leadership. 28 Dec. 2020, www.wgu.edu/blog/what-thought-leadership2012.html#close. Accessed 19 Nov. 2022.
What Is Thought Leadership and Why Is It Important? 17 Oct. 2019, www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-thought-leadership-why-important-ken-de-kort/. Accessed 19 Nov. 2022.
