As a thought leader, you have valuable insights and perspectives to share with your audience. But how do you find the time and space to develop and communicate your original ideas, while balancing your work responsibilities and other commitments? Here are some tips to help you create a thought leadership strategy that works for you.
Before you start sharing your ideas, you need to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve and why. What is your purpose and passion as a thought leader? What are the topics and themes that interest you and your audience? How do you want to position yourself and your brand in your industry or niche? Setting your goals and priorities will help you focus your efforts and avoid distractions.
If you're doing it right, it should all fit together like a puzzle piece. I don't believe in work life balance. That has it all wrong. I do believe in harmony among the different roles you play in life. What this means for making space? If you're plugged into your mission and feeding your whole life and being the things it needs to not only perform at peak performance but in a healthy way, finding time for things gets a whole lot easier. Plus, living this way and working this way connects you with the big picture. The why behind it all. Nothing beats knowing your why, your mission, your purpose. You won't just FIND time for that, you'll make it work and make it play nicely with everything else.
One of the biggest challenges for thought leaders is finding the time to create content. Whether you prefer writing, podcasting, video, or another format, you need to carve out some dedicated time to brainstorm, research, draft, and refine your ideas. Ideally, you should schedule your creative time when you are most productive and inspired, and block out any interruptions or distractions. You can also use tools like calendars, timers, or apps to help you plan and track your creative time.
This is something I personally struggle with a lot! However, I have taken inspiration from some strong thought leaders and influencers around me, and am willing to give it a solid push especially when I feel motivated and charged. The best way for me to do this has been to prioritize, to talk about things I am passionate about, and to share things that actually interest me. Also, keeping an eye out for interesting updates has made me realize what a rich and diverse network I am already part of! And needless to say, doing this also makes it much easier to carve out the requisite time in the middle of busy schedules.
Another challenge for thought leaders is deciding where and how to share their ideas. You don't have to be everywhere or do everything, but you do have to choose the platforms and channels that suit your style, goals, and audience. For example, you might use a blog, a newsletter, a podcast, a webinar, or a social media account to share your ideas. You might also collaborate with other thought leaders, influencers, or media outlets to amplify your reach and credibility. Whatever you choose, make sure you have a consistent and engaging presence and a clear call to action.
Sharing your ideas is not enough, you also have to engage with your audience. You want to build trust, rapport, and loyalty with your followers, and get feedback, insights, and referrals from them. You can do this by asking questions, inviting comments, responding to messages, joining conversations, hosting events, or creating communities. Engaging with your audience will help you understand their needs, challenges, and preferences, and tailor your content accordingly.
Finally, you have to measure and improve your impact as a thought leader. You want to know if your ideas are reaching, resonating, and influencing your audience, and if they are helping you achieve your goals and priorities. You can use metrics like views, likes, shares, comments, downloads, subscriptions, leads, or sales to track your performance and progress. You can also use tools like surveys, polls, or analytics to gather feedback and insights from your audience. Evaluating and improving your impact will help you refine your strategy and optimize your results.