A thought leader is someone who truly innovates within the field they are in, whom then goes onto become the expert, leading and inspiring ideas, and the innovation that occurs.
Just imagine!
Thought leaders guide, inspire and support others whilst on their own quest; they know that in order to have more impact – inspiration and education is required to make a true difference.
It’s also too important to note, that leaders are not the same as a thought leader. It is so easy to mix up the two. The difference is some leaders, tend to formulate a space beneath them, so they essentially tell others what do, without inspiration and innovation. This is a hierarchical approach to doing business, and whilst it has been successful for many years, there are new ways of doing business being introduced – a more collaborative and supportive way for example.
How can I do this I hear you say?
I use five tried and tested steps to guide and inspire my clients to be thought leaders in their fields. I have even used these myself; I am the proof that this really works.
Step 1 – Understand who you are and your story
When you are clear on your story, this translates into your brand story. All experiences are relevant, and many themes we can tap into, and or our ‘zone of genius’ has been with us for many years, though we don’t always recognize it at first.
Mine was teaching.
I went from being bullied at school, to becoming a burnt-out schoolteacher, to the position I hold now – teacher and CEO of a successful multiple 6-figure online knowledge-based business, inclusive and with a mission to help others to find abundance in life.
Step 2 – Understand your audience and your niche.
One lesson learnt early on; is you can’t please them all.
So, establish who your people are. Spend time on focusing on that audience and establish connection and community. Then once you have an established community, you can widen your net.
I have a close knit online community of over 1900 people who I have worked hard to nurture and connect with. This community hold very similar values to me, and I enjoy connecting and engaging with everyone in my groups.
Step 3 – Create a Framework
This absolutely should be unique to you and your business. No copying.
Distill all your knowledge into this framework, work out your offering on a 1:1 basis and then continue to refine the process until it feels good.
Step 4 – Content and Themes
Once you have your framework, you can start to consider creating great content so you can reach and inspire more people.
Ideas include turning it into group coaching programmes, workshops, courses, books, the possibilities are endless! These are ideas and good ways to create a tribe of people, who can you can inspire and educate (and in turn inspire and educate you) so more people are able to step into their ‘zone of genius’.
Step 5 – Be seen
You have all the parts in play, the next step to truly step out and be seen as a thought leader is to be seen and move outside your comfort zone.
This is through leveraging speaker circuits, being a guest on podcasts, working with other influencers, writing a transformational book and investing in publicity.
One final thought
The final thought I’d love to leave you with is to know what you are good at, and outsource some of the things you are not an expert in or don’t enjoy, to clear the way for the things that light you up!
I know many business owners trying to do it all – accounting, social media scheduling, copywriting, organizing diaries, promotion, online course creation – in building a structure of a team to support you, it means you get to stay in your zone of genius, and you don’t burnout.
Also start with a good morning routine – a gratitude practice and meditation is a great way to connect to yourself and determine your focus for the day.
About the author
Rosie Peacock helps coaches, thought-leaders, change-makers and visionaries step into their power, know their purpose and reach their potential making a huge positive impact online. She has a master’s in positive psychology and coaching psychology, she is also a qualified yoga and meditation teacher. With over 6 years of experience working online, blogging, teaching, coaching and course creating, Rosie teaches how to create soulful success online through heart-centred business strategy, magical modern marketing and soul-aligned sales strategies.
If you are a job seeker or someone looking to boost their career, then WeAreTheCity has thousands of free career-related articles. From interview tips, CV advice to training and working from home, you can find all our career advice articles here.
