Working hard, and hard work is no longer enough to get you in the charts. People need to be able to see what you are doing, to understand the depth of your thoughts. This thought leadership is not something that can be achieved easily. It is hard work, on top of your hard work. It’s a marathon. It requires putting your thoughts into speech, into content, into interviews, into posts, into slides.
It requires storylines, pattern recognition, content strategy. It takes courage, passion, a slice of exhibitionism and a willingness to show others why you matter, how you make a difference, how you approach things in a meaningful way. You will have to expose yourself to become a thought leader, a freethinking individual who shares innovative ideas ahead of the curve. Thought leaders earn their place at the table where the future of the company will be penciled out.
Thought leaders play a crucial role in shaping and directing their industries, they get fast-lane access to the most important roles in their respective companies, and are first in line to get handpicked by executive recruiters. The value of your personal brand, and your executive employability are mostly linked to your ability to shine as an inspiring thought leader.
