Thought Leadership Blunders: 4 Errors to Avoid

Today’s leading executives are leveraging thought leadership initiatives to break through the noise. They know that sharing insights and opinions, along with embodying personal core values, is an effective way to get noticed and connect with stakeholders. But as powerful as this PR and marketing strategy is, your brand can be tarnished if it is poorly executed or a mistake is made because of a knee jerk reaction. The right planning and prep will help ensure that you don’t say the wrong thing to the wrong audience at the wrong time.?

Here Are Some Thought Leadership Errors to Take Note Of

Arrogance

I once had to resign an account because the client preferred his thought leadership content to have an arrogant tone. He insisted on using exclamation points throughout, which made him “sound” as if he was shouting and not a serious executive rather than sharing ideas. As a result, his content was more of a turn off than a turn on for the audience he was looking to attract.?

People want to be enlightened, not talked down to. I advise my clients to think of themselves as a guide rather than a master of knowledge. If you want your messaging to resonate with your audience, it should be helpful, not come across as boastful or arrogant. Perhaps even more importantly, watch your tone - as the saying goes, it’s not what you say, but how you say it! Take great care in crafting what you want to communicate and how you will communicate it. The executives who are most effective in their thought leadership are self-aware, accessible, and respectful. Take the time to find your executive voice, one that comes across as confident (not arrogant) and is packaged with a human touch.?

Lack of Strategy and Originality

Building thought leadership is not an overnight endeavor. It takes time and requires a strategy designed to cultivate authentic insights over the long term with consistent, UNIQUE messaging so that you stand out and people know what to expect. If your thought leadership sounds stilted and borrows phrases from another leader (in or outside of your company), you’re echoing, not leading. This can happen when the content lacks strategic focus and or is rushed. While it may seem easier to lift content from another leader or source, it won't separate you from the pack if it doesn't add real value. This will also diminish your SEO ranking.? Lack of strategy may include misidentification of one’s personal core values and unclear content pillars - the themes that should guide every piece of content throughout the year. Your content should be presenting new ideas, sharing your own insights, suggesting actionable steps, and adding value to the conversation.?

Failure to Share Real Stories

When leaders only share their opinions without backing them up with relevant stories from the field - the good, bad and ugly- messaging can fall flat. Sharing authentic accounts of challenges, unpleasant situations, successes AND how you navigated through is the sign of great thought leadership. The best way to resonate is by being your authentic self and showing signs of vulnerability. When people see something of themselves in your stories, it builds connections and inspires them to take action. So, personalize your thought leadership content with the experiences that have shaped your views and provided you with valuable insights.?

Poor Placement and Timing

Effective thought leadership doesn’t just hinge on what you communicate; it also matters where you disseminate your content. You need to engage where your target audience is hanging out. I once worked with a leader who had been sharing her thoughts and opinions on Facebook because she “thought” that would attract more readers; she didn’t assess which channels the people she wanted to reach actually used on a regular basis. Although she got a lot of accolades from friends and family, her target audience - team members and the board of directors - were rarely on Facebook and her initiatives missed the mark. After retooling her thought leadership strategy, we switched to LinkedIn, the networking platform which is more appropriate for business leaders. Optimizing her profile to look and sound like the leader she wanted to be, together with reshaping her content and consistent posting, made all the difference in her being seen and connecting with the right people.

Thought leadership is a great tool - when executed correctly. If you’re looking to boost your visibility and industry reputation, let’s connect.