First of all what is a thought leader? Here is the wikipedia definition:
A thought leader is an individual or firm that is recognized as an authority in a specialized field and whose expertise is sought and often rewarded.
Funny enough the word “authority” comes out in most definitions of the Thought Leader! Being an authority means that people perceive you as the person with the knowledge in the “room”.
In the movie “Catch me if you can”, Di Caprio’s character acts as a professor even though he isn’t, he just shows as the authority as he always was one chapter ahead of the students.
OK, your expertise needs to be sought after … hmmm
Let’s back track: tp be a thought leader you have to be perceived as the authority and people should be “running” after you.
millenniums ago this was called the … Tribe Leader! The strongest guys protecting the group, the tribe.
Nowadays you can’t, of course, squash the heads of your “enemies”. You have to be more diplomatic.
In fact you have to be persuasive, ethically that is. Because being ethically persuasive implies that you know what drives their decisions : a subconscious frustration, but not only.
To be that ethically persuasive leader, that thought leader you have to know who you are, who you really are. Because they will need to resonate with you, and for that you have to resonate with yourself!
You also need to know why you do what you do. What’s at the most human level in you that drives you. You will never be perceived as a thought leader by everyone, only by those who will resonate with you!
These are the people who will join your tribe!
Sounds complex, well yeah, it requires you to be candid with yourself, to let your brain be honest with itself – not his best role.
You can learn more in this free webinar HERE , must be the very first webinar without a sales offer at the end 🙂