How can you align your strategic plan with Thought Leadership for senior executives?

When asked to speak with early career professionals, I would often give an overview of the corporate strategy followed by some "Hedgehog" questions: (1) What are you deeply passionate about? (2) What do your advisors say are your differentiators? (3) What are your professional aspirations? So what do you love, where are you a hero, and who do you really want to be? Articulate the "You 2.0" Second, I ask the participants to visualize how "You 2.0" intersects with the company's strategy (which defines how the company expects to deliver value). Sitting at this intersection gives you the assurance that the work you do moves you towards a fulfilling career while creating value for the company. This is where you want your employees to live.

A strategic plan shouldn't be designed by one leader but a collective process that engages top stakeholders. This allows for a collaborative vision to be formulated by those who are accountable to the objectives.

To align your strategic plan with your thought leadership isn't just about defining your goals. It's also identifying how you'll articulate that goal/vision in a way that will resonate and move others to action. We often develop the strategy, define our goals, and start producing content/speaking - but we lack emphasis on how we're connecting with our audience so they'll actually listen.

Defining goals is the most critical of the first steps. You must decide how you want to position yourself and where your points of differentiation are vs. the rest of the space. From there, you must analyze audience data. Who are you trying to reach, and what is the desired outcome? It could be as simple as your ICP is more likely to pick up the phone/open their email when your sales team reaches out. You may be looking to combat a misconception about your brand or introduce capabilities you're not known for. Either way, the best approach is to codify these goals and hold yourself accountable.

The question is: How can you align your strategic plan, thought leadership and senior executives with responding to the organizing principle of the enterprise? Why ask this question? The organizing principle of an enterprise is the genesis for its creation, existence and continuation. The organizing principle brings forth mission, vision, and values. Thought leadership, known as profound knowledge, is discovered through theory and its application that through observation, may lead to innovation, efficacy and results. Senior executives who internalize the organizing principle, grow in profound knowledge and become a means of harmonizing the plan, mission, culture, operations and people toward what I call "strategic optimization."

Me: "Which audiences are you trying to reach?" Typical answer: "B2B decision-makers." It's not helpful when your target is overly broad. Yes, I know you'll work with a broad spectrum of customers, but for content marketing, you must narrow your efforts and focus on your niche. Typically, there's a cohort or ideal customer who — percentage-wise — represents a better opportunity for your business. Start there, then figure out what their pain points are. Does your product solve any of those pain points? If yes, you're onto something. If not, go back to the drawing board. Once you're done with that step, you can create content around your customer pain points and weave in (subtly) your solutions.

Completely agree with Chris. In my experience too little time is spent on thinking about the target audience AND what the response or action is desired from the audience. It is important to take the time to align the message to the audience.

The importance of staying adaptable is also important. Question if it still aligns with current industry trends and audience desires. The dynamism and fluidity of thought leadership shouldn't be underestimated. A thought leader evolves with time & demonstrating this flexibility can provide its own unique appeal.

Reflect on your passions and interests. Identify the problems and needs of your customers. Research the competition. Define your niche and its profitability. Test your product or service.

Many years ago as a new Business Consultant with a consulting firm in starting with a portfolio of clients ranging from unix-based international software developer to construction companies, I had to learn the business drivers of success for each company's industry. So began the pursuit of profound knowledge! Throughout the years in thought leadership, I have learned you never stop learning. Critical thinking, empirical analysis and applied theory all go into the art of attaining clarity on subjects of study. Yet intrinsic motivation is key. My colleague, Tor Dahl met with the 40 most productive people in the world; they discovered that they all were: #1. On a quest, #2. Freely chosen, #3. That is never ending! What is your quest?

One thing Ive found helpful is to visualize your executive's content strategy as a venn diagram. On one side you have your executive's experience and personal interests. This combination of professional and personal can be as unique as a fingerprint, and is the cornerstone of develping both credibility and authenticity. On the other side are audience's needs - a combination of key motivators and white space opportunities. At the intersection point is the content strategy, which if done correctly, is a bespoke and focused list of topic areas that allow for unique POVs that your audiences can appreciate - "Focused" being the key word. They cant be everything to everyone - otherwise they run the risk of becoming another marketing channel.

Create around your content around pillars that move the needle. Create pillars based on themes: → Personal (your real life topics) → Professional (the topic your work covers) → Passion (a professional topic you're an expert in) From there you're going to create sub-topics that fit to your pillars. This is where you create your content. Adding your own ideas, opinions and perspectives to all areas.

Personal stories rule! Discovering your exec's personal interests, their values, their family, lends a strong human element to their content- whether it's about leadership or innovation or business. People want to learn about people. And knowing the person behind that title makes that thought leadership come alive.

In my experience, content has to be very strategic to achieve its objectives. Your content should be written in your own words and not as a copycat. This is why extensive knowledge, skills and experiences are needed. Your content should also be simple enough to be understood by your audience for it to be relevant. It should also be intensive enough to meet the needs of your audience.

One thing I have found helpful is listening to understand not to respond. Creativity is key, become the differentiator. Collaborate with your team, greatness is achieved in numbers. Even the “Lone Ranger” had a horse.

The best way to find aligned thought leadership opportunities is through your network, so long as you continuously “curate your community” with people who are in the spaces (physical and virtual) where you want to be. By harnessing the power of your community and connections, you can increase your visibility, credibility, and impact in your industry or niche.

Let's not forget the value of connecting with individuals at every level. In my journey, I've found that interactions with people far removed from my own field and level often result in surprisingly insightful takeaways (ZigZag networking). A diverse network enriches us with variety in perspective. Additionally, building genuine, reciprocal relationships is key - a thriving network is about nurturing mutual growth. Always remember: in a network, everyone's a learner, everyone's a teacher.

Identify Your Niche Create Quality Content Collaborate with OthersEngage on Social MediaBuild an Online Presence Speak and conduct events ,Network Offline Seek and Share Feedback Offer Value

On this one I am a firm believer relationships are absolutely everything. You will get out of a relationship what you put into it. Build trust, be consistent, integrity. Be willing to roll your sleeves up and put some skin in the game, serve, give. Grace humility and respect. Practice “servant leadership.

Networking is going to be the most beneficial thing you do as a thought leader. It's not who you know but who knows you and can speak on your behalf. As a thought leader you need to once again get creative about your "product" positioning. Set a plan to do the following over the next 6 months to a year: * Attend industry events * Participate in online communities * Publish high quality content (no amount of networking will grow your audience if you do not have good content) * Speak at conferences and events * Host workshops or webinars * Build relationships with influencers * Offer mentorship or coaching * Utilize networking platforms * Attend alumni events * Follow up and stay connected * Be genuine and helpful

I can't reiterate this enough but the quality of your content will far outweigh any branding or promotion. The following are the most effective ways to promote your brand as a thought leader: * Engage with your audience * Consistently produce content * Consistently reinforce your brand * Leverage multiple channels * Collaborate with influencers * Speak at events * Publish guest articles * Offer thought leadership workshops and seminars * Share success stories and testimonials * Stay active in community conversations and debates *

Be yourself and let your brand shine! Allow people to know the person behind the brand, not just the brand to differentiate yourself. Plan your work and work your plan: develop a personal editorial calendar encompassing all your ideas and start scheduling posts. In your strategy, consider the main themes you want to convey and consistently speak to those pillars. How does your content help others while promoting your brand? What can you teach them, show them, and make them feel? Remember that the landscape is constantly evolving, and you must as well. Find ways to remain relevant through your creative endeavors. Speak to professional tips and then provide glimpses into your personal life, such as a day in the life or behind the scenes.

Brand Awareness: A good thought leadership strategy will help your brand become the “go-to” for information within your industry and help build brand awareness Builds Trust with Your Audience: When you provide your audience with content that resonates with them, you will build credibility and trust with them over time. Your brand will become their source of trustworthy information, and ultimately they will share that will their audience, extending the reach of your content

I have noticed that executives try very hard to package their message in words they believe people will understand. Often the alignment with actions is missing. People are listening for the words and the actions that go together, many times based on past experience. So in keeping with this, I encourage leaders to examine their words and recent actions and how they align. If the don't, plans need to be made to create that alignment, mostly through actions. The best thought leaders I have known reach out directly to employees or constituents, through written words or videos and events to make personal connections.

Promoting your brand must be done tastefully. Advocacy should remain subtle, letting the content of your work primarily speak for itself. Still, real brand promotion happens when the audience resonates with your authentic self and sees the passion, expert knowledge, and your persistent strive for growth. Remember, your personal brand isn't just about your achievements, but also your journey and the values you uphold. Integrity in your approach will naturally appeal to your audience and strengthen your brand.

When you are confident enough to not being absorbed with getting credit for your idea but feeling that it is more important to see your idea produce dividends for the organization. Eventually you will be viewed positively and asked more often for your thoughts. This recognition gets you promoted.

Performance evaluation in this context goes beyond personal achievements to include how well your efforts are supporting and enhancing your company's strategic goals. This dual assessment ensures that your professional growth and contributions are consistently in sync with the company's direction, optimizing both personal and organizational success.

While it's an interesting goal to want to be a thought leader, one of questions that I think every thinker needs to ask is: is what I am about to say useful? And for whom? In the age of AI content thought leadership is too easily just a rehash of old ideas

Make sure you have the resources in place to support your senior executives. They can and should use thought leadership internally and externally to support your strategic objectives.

Finally, remember that aligning with your company’s strategic plan is an evolving process. It requires continuous adaptation, a keen understanding of industry trends, and an openness to feedback. This dynamic approach ensures that as the company grows and its strategy evolves, your professional influence remains relevant, robust, and reflective of both your expertise and your organization’s goals.

Integrating a global and inclusive lens into your strategic thought leadership is also essential. This means actively seeking and incorporating diverse perspectives and experiences into your approach. By doing so, you not only enrich the depth and relevance of your insights but also ensure that your leadership resonates with a broader, more diverse audience. Emphasizing inclusivity in your strategic plan demonstrates a commitment to understanding and addressing the varied needs and challenges of different groups, which is a cornerstone of effective and impactful thought leadership in today's interconnected world.