To be a leader means to carve paths, to show the way and to inspire, often in the most adverse conditions. When you manage to do all that not just for the government, the religion, the team, the company or the organization that you are leading but for an entire country, a field or a sector that you are active in, then you are not just a leader, but a thought leader.

It may sound like another communication slogan, but the term “thought leader” is a highly important notion for current leaders. It means to share insightful thoughts and strategies and to positively affect many more people than the ones you manage.

In today’s knowledge economy,ideas and wisdom are the new currencies of the day. “Who” you know has always been important, but “what” you know carries more weight than ever before. And since knowledge exchange is considered to be a competitive advantage, the best leaders don’t keep their knowledge to themselves. Through their experience and specialization, they generously offer guidance and insightfulness to people around them.

To be a thought leader, of course, first of all you have to be a good leader. And as any leader, you may have very good ideas. It’s just that they alone are not enough. You should have the courage to express them in public and inspire others to implement them.

This way, thought leadership can become a powerful tool for the leader who wants to share his influence with his partners or even with his sector in general. Not because he will try to turn others to his “clones”, but because by teaching his valuable ideas he will create opportunities for improvement impacting the whole country or the market he is active in.

Sharing your ideas in public allows you to magnify your impact, to unite your team and to ensure that the causes and the opportunities that you value the most get the attention they deserve. The way you will transfer your ideas to the world, in order to build your credibility, to create your “personal brand” and to attract other people like you, is the key to thought leadership.

Many true leaders and corporate executives try to establish themselves as “thought leaders” but few make it. But if you get to be considered a leading voice in your sector, that means significant trust reinforcement towards both yourself and the entity you run.

Your leader’s capital grows impressively when others see you as a leader of proven ideas, from whom they learn and to whom they turn to when they need perspective. Your positive reputation as a leader expands exponentially, when the ones that have learned things from you talk about you to others.

Thought leadership can help in attracting new followers and clients, while it can be even more valuable in attracting and retaining top talents in an organization. And that’s because true thought leaders understand that their team is the soul of a company, and they pass on their ideas, vision, values, and culture to the newcomers. In any case, thought leadership is an invaluable tool for the overall reputationboost of a leader since current audiences around the world appreciate credibility and authenticity more than ever.

Published on READER