by BART KING
Common wisdom tells us people who don’t want power often make the best leaders. Similarly, quiet people often have the most interesting things to say. Both situations can be a dilemma when it comes to thought leadership.
Contacts in corporate communications or marketing often tell me they have people inside their organizations who would make terrific thought leaders, if only they could be convinced to step up to the plate.
But they aren’t into it.
These reluctant thought leaders are incredibly knowledgeable. They know how all the pieces fit together. They aren’t buffeted by trends and buzz in the industry. But they’re hesitant to project their voices beyond the walls of their organizations.
As a result, their full potential to the company, the industry—heck, even the world—isn’t realized.
What’s Stopping Them?
Have you ever been to a conference where it seems every Tom, Schmuck and Harry takes a boring turn on stage? Or what about all the threadbare ideas that people publish and re-publish online?
If these people aren’t afraid to step into the light, what’s stopping the legitimate and unique thought leaders from doing it?
Usually, it’s some combination of humility, skepticism and fear. Below are some tips for getting past these common roadblocks.
Humility - Some folks don’t recognize, or don’t want to admit, they know as much as they do. I find this endearing in a person. But in the professional realm, it can be a problem. These same people often don’t read the opinion pieces published by colleagues. Deep down, I think they know they could do better. That’s why a little goading sometimes does the trick. Try sending them a not-so-great attempt at thought leadership with a short note letting them know YOU know they could do better.
Skepticism - Is thought leadership legit? I’ve heard this from people I know to be thought leaders. They’re busy folks who don’t want to waste time on what they think may be a useless marketing trend. I get it. As I wrote in my last post, thought leadership got a bad reputation from misuse of the term. These folks just need to hear the true strategic value.
Privacy Concerns - Some thought leaders, particularly older ones, conflate thought leadership with social media and its inherent loss of privacy. From a tactical perspective, it’s a bonus if thought leaders are active on social media. But it isn’t necessary, if the organization has its own social profiles and other effective channels for distributing and promoting thought leadership content.
Fear of Public Speaking - This one’s pretty simple to address. A thought leader doesn’t have to speak in public. His or her role can be limited to the published word. Once captured in writing, others in the organization can represent the opinions and information in person or on stage.
Poor Writing Skills - It’s the job of the PR or marketing copywriter to make sure the grammar is sound, the anecdotes are crisp, and the opinions are supported. The thought leader just needs to be willing to open up to the writer and review the drafts for factual accuracy. For more on how this process works, read “Is Ghostwriting Really Thought Leadership?”
Lack of Time - As with above, the time burden can be transferred to a professional copywriter. For a typical op-ed, we identify the topic via email before a first conversation. Then we record a 20-minute conversation that becomes the basis of an outline. If needed, the thought leader reviews and adds bullets to the outline. Then we talk through it in detail for about 30 minutes. After the first draft is done, the thought leader spends another 30 minutes reviewing and giving feedback (written or via phone). If the first draft was good, another 15 minutes for final review is all that’s needed. If it needs more work, an additional 15 minutes might be necessary for another round of review. In total, it’s about two hours of their time, spread over two or three weeks.
The important thing is to have empathy for reluctant thought leaders. By trying to truly understand what’s stopping them from stepping forward, we can help them achieve their full potential. For me, that’s the most gratifying part of the job.
If you need help taking your thought leadership program to the next level, we’d like to hear from you.
