Life & Work

Do you want to be a thought leader?

leader

A leader and his deputy should often sit and talk about how their partnership can work better to the benefit of both. Photo/Fotosearch

Who is a thought leader? Have you ever desired to be a thought leader? Are there well-tested and proven methodologies or strategies that help one graduate into thought leadership?

If there are certain people who you admire then you have been touched by a thought leader.

If we all painstakingly observe people of influence we will discover certain consistent patterns and traits. Yes, success leaves clues.

This makes the process of emulating thought leadership a little easier. You can also become one. Why not?

Thought leaders are a product of sleepless nights with endless benefits. Top thought leaders are quite incessant in growing and elevating their brands.

The most obvious synonym for thought leadership is an influencer. They have a well-crafted reputation that has a certain aim in mind.

This is a person who furnishes people with valuable perspectives and insights in a particular industry or profession. Thought leaders are quite visible on diverse platforms.

They are quite colourful. They are very charismatic. They are pathfinders. They are trendsetters. These are people who dream big and want to unleash the best versions of themselves.

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They are self-actualisation chasers. They break barriers.

So, what are the fundamentals of being a profitable thought leader?

a) Expertise: One of the sources of power is profound expertise in a particular area of specialisation. Thought leaders morph into round-the-clock creations of knowledge and information. They are reservoirs of wisdom, data, or intelligence. One cannot become credible without useful knowledge.

b) Long-term goals: Most people brands that I have met have strategic and tactical mindsets. They play the game with long-term goals in mind. They think outside the box. For those who aspire to become inspiring, they have to relentlessly use digital publications, speak at industry conferences, be featured in podcasts, have social media accounts that consumers share, like, or engage with, get invited to a live broadcast and contribute articles to industry-specific blogs or trade journals.

c) Consistent content creation: Top-notch thought leaders are relentless content creators. They don’t give up easily because of failures. They have a lot of enthusiasm for their work. Consistency implies an element of being prodigious in a relevant manner.

d) Networks can predict and promote our net worth. Quality connections can attract countless opportunities. These visionaries have an admirable network of supporters. They are very deliberate in attracting and retaining their audience.

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d) Public speaking skills: In the pursuit of thought leadership excellence, one has to develop public speaking skills because the speeches and presentations have to be memorable.

Why should one invest in becoming an influencer or a source of inspiration? One of the obvious reasons is to increase business opportunities.

Magoma is a human resources practitioner and trainer, [email protected]