How To Become A Thought Leader In Your Industry

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Every industry has a few select thought leaders who lead the conversation and set the path forward for those who follow. Though most want to become thought leaders, in reality, it can be a daunting task. I spoke with ten business leaders on how to be a thought leader in their industries. Here are their responses.

Empathy may be the single most underrated trait to becoming a successful thought leader

“Developing empathy is one of the most important aspects of a leader, says David Russell, founder and owner of David Russell, LLC. Stephen Covey said it best, “Seek first to understand, then be understood.” Simply put, empathy is having an understanding of others’ feelings, thoughts, and situations. Too often in today’s world, “leaders” will continue to sell themselves and their ideas without listening to their people. Inside your business, make eye contact, ask a question and listen intently. You will learn something.

“Just as important is building empathy with your clients and audience. Check with your clients, your leads, social media followers, etc. If you want to help people and grow, you absolutely should work on your empathy and watch the difference it makes. As a bonus, it makes you much more genuine as well – another lost art.”

Share and lead with principles

“The most effective way one can be recognized as a thought leader is to establish and evangelize the guiding principles by which they operate,” says Kyle McDowell

inspirational speaker, leadership expert, and author of Begin with WE – 10 Principles for Building and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence.

“When the leader overtly shares their principles and holds the team accountable to the same system of behavior, ambiguity is removed and a brand that exudes authenticity and transparency is established. When we purchase a product that performs exactly as we expected, we have faith in the product’s brand. Leadership and how we view our leaders is no different.

“We want to know what to expect from our leader and we want to be assured the leader will deliver on those expectations. Naturally, when the leader dependably leads within the framework of their stated principles, they engender a personal brand of authenticity, trust, and reliability.”

Listening is the secret to success and thought leadership

“Listen. It sounds so simple but only a few in this industry master it,” says Roy Smith, executive protection specialist and founder of Viking EPS and TSG.

“Listen to your clients – make them feel heard. Learn what they are comfortable with and what not. Explain what you can and cannot do. This allows you to create a strategy for how to protect them while doing your job effectively. The result: A safe and happy client who trusts and respects you.

“Listen to your agents. Don’t think that you know everything. Listen to their feedback and suggestions. Go even further and encourage them to do so. It is a two-way street – not your way or the highway. Be with them in the field now and then. Show them that you wouldn’t put them into a situation you wouldn’t put yourself into. The result: Your agents will go above and beyond for the team and the client.

“Listen to other professionals. Use their knowledge or even their failures to learn, build and scale your company. The result: You will be able to think outside the box. The Security Industry needs to learn that it is not the way it used to be anymore. We don’t need egotistical owners – we need thought leaders.”

Being a thought leader is a dance between you and your audience

“The key to becoming a thought leader is answering the question: What do I bring to people’s lives that no one else does?” says Dr. Steve Turley, Founder of Turley Talks.

“This is a question I first wrestled with when researching for my Ph.D.; I had to find a scholarly angle that no other researcher had yet recognized. It’s a daunting yet incredibly exciting task, precisely because it’s a journey of discovery, like treasure hunting.

“I applied the same journey of discovery when I started my YouTube channel. I found that the more I learned about what I uniquely brought to the lives of my growing audience, the more my audience grew.

“I did this by starting with a basic sense of what pain points I was helping to relieve for others, and then I learned from their feedback on how I helped them and the value I brought to their lives. That enabled me to further refine my online content, which generated more feedback, which generated more refinement. The more refined I became, the greater the value I brought to others, and the larger my audience grew. It’s like a dance, a call, and a response whereby I continuously learn how I can better serve my audience.”

Don’t Shy Away From Being Outspoken and Stay Self-Critical

“It is essential in any business sector to stay critical and also self-critical,” says Andreas Becker CEO of Eyetencity. “Often brands can get carried away by hype or a positive trend and then don’t even allow questioning of their business sector or model. Questioning leads to reviewing and potential reassessment and ultimately growth.

“I do the same thing with myself and how others may perceive me. If someone wants to be a thought leader they have to get used to the possibility of being judged. That can be very difficult for some people. At the same time, you want to make sure your voice is heard which can lead to this judgment. I find if I can be self-critical first it allows me to continue being outspoken and not get overwhelmed by the outside noise.”

Creating trust is the ultimate currency

I look at becoming a thought leader the same way as building a brand and using the same principles,” says Marcel Frenkel, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Ten63 Therapeutics.

“In healthcare, there are numerous companies working on the same disease and it’s not uncommon for companies to be pursuing exactly the same therapeutic targets, sometimes, utilizing very similar technologies. Therefore, there is little benefit for patients, and thus little room in the healthcare and biotech market to create a brand if you are just another company doing the same thing everyone else is doing.

“By pursuing a differentiated hypothesis, such as a novel platform technology or a new insight into the mechanism driving a disease or a different angle on a therapeutic modality, etc. one can really stand out and build a recognized brand all while advancing a new approach that might just result in a cure to a terrible disease.”

Work on being the best and inspiring others

“Before trying to be a thought leader I suggest getting enough experience and expertise in your field while striving to be the best of the best,” says Tom Abbott, CEO of SOCO Sales Training.

“After developing mastery in a domain (practicing 10,000 hours) one can share that knowledge by writing books, hosting and being a guest on podcasts, and creating content online. Thought leadership is about sharing cutting-edge ideas with an external and internal audience. I’m reminded of this quote by John Quincy Adams, ‘If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.’”

Build Your Own Media Empire

“I came to Paraguay from Germany and once I achieved success, I wanted to work on putting myself out there in the world and sharing my knowledge and experience,” says Carsten Pfau CEO of Agri Terra.

“I realized when other people tell your story sometimes it does not have the same impact as if you tell it yourself. That is one reason why I decided to build my own media like TV shows; in order for me to control how I wanted to be portrayed. Plus, it created a valuable IP or asset that I own and can be used to increase my business as well. Once you get one show or media asset you can then replicate the system and create more.

Be Your Authentic Self and Share Your Story to Inspire Others

“I came from a gypsy background without academic education. Drive and determination were all I had but I knew these were essential in order to succeed,” says Alfie Best, chairman of Wyldecrest Parks Europe’s largest residential park operator.

“First, you must find your mission and what you stand for. Having been born and raised in a caravan, I felt the passion burn deep inside me to change people’s lives with affordable living in park homes, and this is what I sought to do. Once I achieved this success, I started to tell my story and work to inspire others. This allowed me to not just be known in my industry but also to others who could relate to my story.”

Inspire others to think differently

“Growing your industry presence and becoming a thought leader isn’t an easy task nor does it happen overnight but it’s something I think every entrepreneur can strive to achieve,” says Danny Mozlin, founder and CEO of Mozverse.

“It’s not only about having an impressive resume or track record — it’s also about gaining credibility in the field through leading conversations, providing valuable insights, or giving advice on how best to approach a particular problem.

“Throughout my career, I have been working at the forefront of technology which has garnered me success but at the same time, many people were afraid to take the leap. That is why I always encourage people to think differently and see solutions rather than problems. When you are seen as thinking differently it gives you an edge over others. This edge will not only help you stand out from the crowd but allows you to go against the grain. Many times, we see people who are considered different thinkers become world leaders in their field. “

Being a recognized thought leader comes down to two words, really — thought and leader. A thought leader must be someone who thinks differently than others, sees the larger picture, doesn’t get bogged down in the status quo, and has an acute sense of where she sees her industry is going.

And, a thought leader must be a leader. And a leader is someone who leads others. You may have the best ideas in the world, but if no one is listening, it really doesn’t matter. Being a leader means cultivating an audience of followers through listening to them, having integrity, cultivating their trust, and inspiring them with your story and your message.

Above all, share your thoughts and leadership consistently. This way, your people will be able to find you, and once they do, will benefit from you and your content.

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