Creating Compelling Thought Leadership: Five Questions to Ask

Is the term thought leadership overused? Probably. In the world of business, thought leadership means bringing to light innovative ideas or new ways of thinking, being the first to champion a particular hypothesis or uncovering a concept and then guiding the rest of us there, as well.

Is it possible that so many people are having and sharing truly innovative ways of thinking? I have been known to say that all art is derivative. I believe that, in many ways, a lot of what we call thought leadership is derivative, too. Being an expert on a subject doesn’t necessarily make someone a thought leader, and it is actually okay to be the former and not the latter.

Here are five questions to ask before calling something thought leadership and sending it out the door.

Is it new?
It might be if you have never seen anyone talking about the subject in a particular way or if it is an unusual take on a topic. It probably is if you are throwing conventional wisdom on its head or introducing legitimate controversy. It is not if you are simply repeating current wisdom.

Is this something only I or my company can say?
True thought leadership is based on wisdom gained from your experience in your industry and your company. If the idea or concept is something that your competitors do not know or do not think about in the same way, there is a good chance it could be thought leadership.

Is this idea worth sharing?
Is it a new paradigm that will cause people to think about something in a new way? If the idea is simply another way to express an existing idea or feels like an average response to the situation, it is not leadership.

Does it fit with my marketing or communications plan?
While the actual idea may have popped into someone’s head in an aha moment, if it is truly thought leadership, the communication of the idea requires a plan. If it doesn’t fit with your current plans, do the plans need to be updated to fit this new concept? Make sure you know the best way to share this information:  who, what, why, when, where, and how. True thought leadership probably should not be slipped quietly into a blog post or tossed off as an afterthought in a presentation. It deserves to be in the spotlight.

Am I ready to fight for this idea?
Thought leaders aren’t afraid to take a stand and defend an idea. There are those who will try to prove you wrong because they question your methods or your motives or the underlying basis for your idea. Thought leaders welcome this kind of challenge and are willing to take the hit if they are proven wrong. It is hard to get far as a true thought leader without making a few mistakes or ruffling a few feathers.

-June 2011