Two Approaches to Developing Thought Leadership Focus
??Randall Craig
Advisor on business growth, marketing strategy, thought leadership, and digital. Author. CEO at Braintrust Professional Institute. Hall of Fame business speaker.
What do you do, if you are one of those people who have two very distinct areas of expertise? After all, a well-known expression is that you "get rich in the niche", suggesting that if you do not have exceptional focus, you will never develop the reputation – or the riches – for being known as an expert in anything. When you have two distinct areas of expertise, this seemingly is a problem.
To address this challenge, there are two alternative approaches:
This week's action plan:
Many people haven't explicitly picked their lane. And of those who have, most haven't chosen their intersection. This week, choose yours. And if the lane doesn't work for you, choose your intersection.
Thought Leadership Insight: As your knowledge deepens, it becomes even more powerful to live at the intersection of as many roads as possible – you literally can be a category of one. (IP litigator, who only works on biotech, and only works with with defendants who are based in the USA.)
Your thoughts?
Contrarian views are welcome.
-Randall
[Content Authenticity Statement: 100% original content. No AI was used in creating this content.]
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My mission is to shatter the illusions surrounding money, in order to break its hold on people.
1 个月This framework is a great tool for reflection, and I love the action-oriented approach. Thanks for sparking this important conversation! While living at the intersection can be incredibly powerful, it may pose challenges in smaller markets where there isn't enough demand for a hyper-specialized "intersection." A hybrid approach—starting with one lane and gradually expanding into the intersection—could address this. Thoughts?
Does living at the intersection broaden the market? Or - does it is diffuse it? I've engaged this discussion, without conclusion, on a regular basis.
Certified Executive Coach, Board Director, Connector, Speaker, Advisor on Technology and Digital Risk Governance
1 个月Randall, This is a great topic and a popular challenge. In my Executive Coaching experience this issue comes up a lot in how people struggle to pick and focus on one area to thrive. It's true in making Career choices for students and picking an area to develop their practice for those in the Professional Services context. While I agree on your suggestions of: a) the choice of one or b) staying in the Intersection, I would add the importance of a market scan or demand sensing and more importantly doing it in the context of what outcome/goal one plans to attain by making the choice. Great article and choice of topic! ??
An interesting article on the opportunities to focus thought leadership efforts. I'd like to suggest that rather than an intersection you define the thought leadership lane you are driving in. For example, if your end objective is to get on an airplane to fly on a business trip or holiday, taking the lane of Highway 401 will not get you there. However, if you define take the lane as the one to take you to the airport parking lot you have now define the right lane to get to your plane. I like your concept of interaction however I think refining and positioning your thought leadership in the right lane to start with could be more effective than trying to please the two different directions of the intersection.