Essential Traits of Effective (and Ineffective) Thought Leadership
Attention, wannabe thought leaders. This is a badge that gets thrown around a lot these days, and I get it. Great thought leaders wield powerful influence that can dramatically impact a company’s bottom line, an industry’s strength, a national conversation and even the public’s perception at-large.
According to PRDaily, thought leadership content is more trusted than marketing materials, and 75% of decision-makers say thought leadership prompted them to research products or services they had not previously considered.
But it might surprise you to know that a big job title, large social media following and “hey, look at me” vibe are not the surefire attributes to achieving this. In fact, there are plenty of personalities out there who check these boxes, flood social feeds, and still miss the mark by a mile. So, what makes a great thought leader?
What Makes a Great Thought Leader?
After 15 years of streaming, Social Geek Radio recently released its first-ever Franchise Thought Leadership Awards and it got my attention. Social Geek demanded no entry fee for nominations, didn’t coerce winners to pay for the rights to use the logo if chosen, and named said winners via a separate and impartial panel of judges with deep industry experience. That won my respect and so did this year’s honorees.
Troll the inaugural class (there were five, not 100!) and perhaps you’ll notice some very distinct attributes.
Essential Traits of Effective Thought Leadership
1. A Distinct Voice
This may come as a shock, but effective thought leaders have actual thoughts. They have a voice, tone and candor that are transparent, relatable, informative, and unique. You look to them because you value what they have to share. When done well, one of two things happens. You feel like you really know them or you desperately need to get to know them.
2. The Trust Lens
Some 64% of buyers say that an organization’s thought leadership content is a more trustworthy basis for assessing its capabilities and competence. Strong thought leaders are believable and authentic, and these are non-negotiable characteristics. Said another way, this is not an exercise in hype, but honest-to-goodness truth and perspective.
3. A Position on Issues
Being a face of the business or an authority on a subject also means having positions on issues relative to that business or subject. [Examples specific to franchising might include who does or doesn’t make a good franchisee, private equity, absentee ownership, labor unions, small business vs. big brand hurdles and more.] Take your pick of issues, just make sure the shoe fits. Effective thought leaders don’t spout off on every single thing just because it’s making headlines. They know their audience, their niche of expertise, and speak accordingly.
4. The Human Factor
Sorry AI, but we don’t like you invading this space. In the case of effective thought leadership, communications should not be overly produced or sound like they could come from any ol’ person on the planet. The more robust AI becomes, the more impactful human outreach from a unique individual also becomes. Being real these days is actually a real differentiator.
5. A Powerful Storyteller
People don’t want to be sold to. They want to hear captivating stories. The best thought leaders are powerful and emotional narrators. And, when shared, those stories can impact brand perception and reputation, talent recruitment and retention, sales, consumer sentiment and loyalty, and more.
If all of these things sound doable, then you may be well on your way to thought leadership greatness. But a word of caution if the following applies:
Traits of Ineffective Thought Leadership
1. “It’s not about me.”
Sorry, but it is. If you do not wish to inject your voice, your journey, your perspective, or a bit of experience or storytelling that is unique to you, please run – don’t walk – to the nearest exit. Good thought leaders can be humble. Heck, they can even use their voice to put the spotlight on others and often do. But they must reveal some of their true selves in the process and why everything they say matters to them. [Sidenote: This can be done by even the most introverted but authoritative leaders out there. We’ve counseled CEOs who couldn’t take a selfie to save their life, but deployed thought leadership programs that earned praise, growth and authority for their organizations without invading personal space.]
2. “I just want to repost good content that I see.”
Please don’t unless you also tell people why it’s significant to you. Again, thought leaders must have thoughts. Context is everything. Otherwise, save us from one more thing we must scroll past. Resharing, reposting, re-anything that doesn’t also include original thinking as a prelude is…unoriginal.
3. “I want to use my platform to inspire people by sharing quotes from famous people.”
Trust me. They’re famous for a reason. Chances are we’ve already seen it and heard it. This is an exercise in laziness and an empty attempt to borrow on the celebrity factor without relating it to anything you know, feel, or deploy in your own business or life by comparison. If a famous person said it directly to you, great. If that was the quote you put on your bathroom mirror that led you to build the company you founded, super. Tell us about that by all means necessary. But quoting someone just to quote someone doesn’t make you a thought leader. It reinforces why they are.
