The Two Keys to Thought Leadership
I see a lot of people talking about thought leadership, but many miss the core point: great ideas alone don’t make leaders—communicated ideas do. The term itself tells you everything you need to know because it has two parts: “thought” and “leadership.” To be effective, you need to master both. Have Good Thoughts First, the “thought” part. This may seem obvious, but it’s the foundation. You can’t be a thought leader without having powerful, original ideas. These are the concepts you build upon, refine, and obsess over. Without strong ideas, the leadership component has nothing to stand on. Learn to Lead The second part is “leadership.” It’s not enough to have great thoughts—you also need to communicate them effectively. Many people are strong communicators with weak ideas, which shows just how critical communication is. To become a thought leader, you must learn to market your ideas, persuade others, and inspire teams and audiences. When you can do this, you turn great thoughts into ...