In every segment of society from business to politics, from science to social innovation or entertainment, there are people who rise to the top of their league and become more well known for what they do. These people stand out partly because of their reputation and also because of the way they have cultivated their personal persona to ensure that how we view them, as professionals, is in line with the ‘brand’ they have.
It’s important to have an opinion. It’s important to know what you uniquely stand for. No two people are the same. We must celebrate our unique ability and ensure we hone our skills and personal package to reflect the very best version of who we are.
People buy people. If you want to raise your game to achieve ‘thought leadership status’ thought about you, then you need to pay attention to the finer details of raising your profile and be congruent and consistent with it.
Be sure to make yourself visible in various mediums – the right mediums you are comfortable with – and that your messaging is congruent across of your platforms. Work on refining the words that best describe you and what you do in your online profiles and bios.
Participate as much as you can with the media. You could offer to write some pr articles for your trade press, you could get yourself speaking slots at prime events and you could get yourself onto prime time broadcast if you are prepared to use the ‘comment PR’ rule (which isn’t about promoting yourself – it’s your comment on a news related feature).
- Hone your opinions.
- Raise your profile.
- Be consistent and congruent.
- Know what you stand for.
- Contribute for real value and with consideration.
Remember, you cannot call yourself a thought leader. This is an egotistical standpoint. If you aspire to be a REAL thought leader, forget about promoting yourself as an activity and be magnificent in every you do anyway.
I would love to hear your view on who you think has natural thought leadership status.
Please do comment below
