This conversation comes up frequently, both from inquiring minds, marketers and from companies seeking to leverage the title. Being a thought leader is both simple and complex – and not something you just grace yourself with. Consider it gifted to you as a title more as a knighthood is bestowed upon those deserving the title.

I’ve always believed it is something done naturally when one has deep expertise (and perhaps visible credibility, but not always at first) in a topical area. In exploring this in the latest episode of the Digital Well – I try to sort out the best qualities of a thought leader. In my view, it is always an individual and never a brand. Though brands can benefit, as I note in the episode, from cultivating and transparently surfacing their thought leaders.

I’ve shared this discussion of thought leadership from Forbes blogger Shel Israel many times as well.

The four quadrants of social media I reference in the podcast is below – many will recognize it as a common slide in my presentations.

The post Are You a Thought Leader? appeared first on Blane Warrene.