Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast - Episode #931. What is a thought leader? What does thought leadership look like? How do you become a thought leader? I’ve spent decades fascinated by people who undertake the job of either creating or building on great ideas (mostly in business). It’s what led me to start ThinkersOne and it’s the same thing that keeps me inspired to show up here - week after week - and have these types of conversations. This week, we’re doing something a little bit different. I reached out to Peter Winick - the founder and CEO of Thought Leadership Leverage and host of the Leveraging Thought Leadership Podcast - and asked him if he would mind leading a conversation on the business of thought leadership. We were both eager to discuss and debate the value of thought leadership, the changing landscape of book publishing, building a personal brand, the power of thought leadership in corporate settings, the role of social proofing and more. We both agree that it’s all about relationship development, balancing vanity metrics and strategic networking, developing thought leadership skills and leveraging thought leadership for business opportunities. We explore the importance of creating mid-tier products, amplifying thought leaders' voices, and democratizing intellectual property. The conversation delves into building a sustainable thought leadership business, using thought leadership as a business generation strategy, and the real money in thought leadership. While we both might not love the title of “thought leader” we both agree on the value of people who chose the importance of lifelong learning, content creation, and balancing creativity with business strategy as a profession. Enjoy the conversation...
Takeaways
- Practice and refinement are essential for thought leaders to deliver valuable content.
- Social media can serve as an R&D lab for testing ideas and gathering feedback.
- Thoughtful thought leadership focuses on adding value and engaging with the audience, while influencer marketing aims to persuade and sell products.
- Respecting the publish button and ensuring the quality of content is crucial for thought leaders.
- Artificial intelligence can be used to enhance thought leadership by improving writing, generating opposing perspectives, and providing new insights.
Chapters:
- 00:00 - Introduction and Background
- 01:31 - The Value of Thought Leadership
- 06:20 - Building Personal Brand and Thought Leadership
- 10:36 - The Power of Thought Leadership in Corporate Settings
- 11:36 - The Role of Social Proof in Thought Leadership
- 15:19 - Balancing Vanity Metrics and Strategic Networking
- 25:13 - Monetizing Relationships and Thought Leadership
- 27:10 - Democratizing Intellectual Property and Broadening Offerings
- 29:21 - Building a Sustainable Thought Leadership Business
- 30:19 - Thought Leadership as a Business Generation Strategy
- 31:21 - The Real Money in Thought Leadership: B2B
- 34:06 - Creating Personalized Experiences and Extending the Event Impact
- 37:27 - The Limitations of Speaking and the Need for Behavior Change
- 39:18 - The Importance of Lifelong Learning and Content Creation
- 47:58 - Experimenting with Different Formats and Reaching the Target Market
- 49:36 - Practicing in Public and the Challenges of Thought Leadership
- 53:18 - Using Social Media as an R&D Lab
- 54:15 Thoughtful Thought Leadership vs. Influencer Marketing
- 56:52 - Adding Sizzle to Thought Leadership
- 58:38 - Using AI to Enhance Thought Leadership
