‘Thought leadership’ isn't a term to use lightly
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Too often, companies try to pass off their branded materials as thought leadership; too often, it provides little more insight than a product brochure. ‘Thought leadership’ has become one of the most overused terms in the business world—so much so that calling oneself a ‘thought leader’ comes off as pretentious.
In content marketing circles, the term is often used to describe style, not quality. Marketers must work with clients and decision-makers to determine where on the spectrum between ‘objective analysis’ and ‘sales collateral’ that content will land.
In most cases, the term betrays its true meaning. One rarely sees the term describing an academic lecture, for example, or the work of a professional research group. In practice, it is a branding strategy where marketers seek to align themselves with these genuine thought leaders. Whether or not they do so successfully is justly in the eyes of the beholder.
Thought Leadership is Not Decided, But Earned
Like most true leaders, one does not simply decide to become a ‘thought leader.’ Leaders emerge—often involuntarily—out of a genuine desire to solve problems and help others. Leaders are born from frustration with the status quo upon realizing no one else will step up to enact change.
More importantly, leaders don’t become leaders without earning the distinction from their followers. As Andrew Lark observes, “Thought leadership is the perceived advantage a company achieves in the minds of its stakeholders.” Leadership is not the end goal—the goal is to help others, who in turn may bestow that title. If you’re going to market with a content initiative with ‘thought leadership’ as your goal, this should raise red flags.
Insights, Ingenuity, and Leadership
For brands, there are two practical ways one can work towards earning thought leadership status:
Revisit the rationale for your new product, or even your entire business, then determine what insights your internal thought leaders bring to the table that your competitors cannot.
Identify an important subject for which there is not much useful material—whether or not it aligns with your core business—and invest in objective research you can disseminate to potential customers.
These approaches are practical because they are genuine and they reveal an internal curiosity, not about sales opportunities, but insights and ingenuity. When you lead with what matters most to practitioners in your industry—not necessarily the features and benefits of the products you sell—your content can become genuinely valuable to others. Only then can that content qualify as thought leadership material.
True thought leadership is not determined ahead of time, but earned. Consider what matters most to you and your customers—not in terms of products and services, but insights and even hopes and dreams—and build a genuine approach towards discovery and dissemination. Do that, and you might have a shot.
