Author Jessica Northey recently said, “A thought leader is true to themselves even when others might laugh, disagree or nay-say. They actually walk their talk.” When it comes to thought leadership, authenticity is paramount. You simply can’t launch a thought leadership strategy that is out of alignment with your corporate story (brand positioning, value proposition, key differentiators) and strategy (purpose, vision, mission, values).
Why? Because we live in a transparent world. Your target audience will know, in an instant, if your thought leadership positions are aligned with what your company stands for. To ensure thought leadership positions are anchored in your corporate story and strategy, you must go through a formal vetting process. This starts by asking the right questions:
- Are these thought leadership positions anchored in core beliefs?
- Are they synergistic with the company’s published purpose, vision, mission and values?
- Do they align with the company’s market positioning and value proposition?
You should ask these questions at the beginning of the process and then again as the thought leadership strategy comes together. This is crucial, because each topic, point of view and opinion expressed in the thought leadership content you produce must align with your corporate story and strategy. If it does not, the content will work against you — not for you.
Remember, companies that become thought leaders don’t earn that position by accident and they don’t do it overnight. It takes time. However, those executives who stay true to their company’s story and strategy and remain committed to authentic thought leadership positions will build highly successful businesses in the years to come.
