ONE DEFINITION OF THOUGHT LEADERSHIP TO CONSIDER

As future of leadership keynote speakers and consulting futurists, partners often ask us where the future of management, teams, and organizations is headed. The answer isn’t all that difficult to see, when you consider the growing importance of employees learning to think like leaders at every level – and the rising prominence of practices like thought leadership. Given this, as leadership keynote speakers, we’d be remiss if we didn’t know every staffer’s potential to rise to the occasion.

That said, as some have defined it, a thought leader can be envisioned as an individual or a firm that is recognized as an authority in a specialized field and whose expertise is often sought after and often rewarded. Given this prominence and awareness in the field, they are often tapped as influential participants in their industries and frequently command a significant following among their peers and even outside their industries. To wit, those who become thought leaders generally become trusted sources who move and inspire people with innovative ideas, turn ideas into reality and know and show how to replicate their success.

In effect, as leadership keynote speakers often explain, thought leaders are often asked to speak at industry conferences, are quoted in media and are generally influential in shaping the future direction of their industry or field. You may find them characterized by their unique insights, perspectives and innovative approaches to issues or trends in their area of expertise. But again: Just about anyone in a modern enterprise or small business has the ability to become one by speaking up, taking action, and applying new strategies and approaches to solving problems.

Mind you: It’s also important to note that thought leadership is not just about being known – rather it’s about substantial contribution and providing value. That means creating and sharing content that reflects your expertise, like blog posts, public speaking engagements, social media activities and more. To this extent, a thought leader’s role (and the role that they tend to play in the future of leadership) isn’t to be a know-it-all or pretend that they have all the answers. Rather, it’s to inspire others to look at challenges and opportunities from different angles, reconsider their perspectives, and reimagine the tack that they take towards solving problems or pursuing new ventures.