Written by: Vickie Sullivan  |  November 21, 2024

The New Thought Leadership Definition: How It Impacts You

Remember the good ol’ days when thought leaders were considered a rare breed? That isn’t the case anymore, according to MarketingProfs. Corporate America is now commoditizing role, creating a new thought leadership definition.

To produce the expected volume of content marketing materials, mid-level executives and above are evolving beyond being subject matter experts. The author suggests that companies incorporate them into their roster of internal thought leaders who can effectively promote the organization’s brand.

This army of influencers expands the reach past the CEO, who doesn’t want to be the only brand ambassador.

How the New Thought Leadership Definition Impacts You

This new thought leadership definition impacts outside thought leaders like us in two ways:

• The thought leadership definition will become diluted to the point of meaninglessness. From a branding perspective, touting yourself as a thought leader will not differentiate you. The term will describe a list of published content and public speaking, something we all have. Being a thought leader will no longer infer exclusivity.

• Premium pricing is gone. A tidal wave of “free” anything crashes price points for everyone. Think about it: if your company had a bunch of internal thought leaders, what would be the pushback if an exec wanted to pay top dollar to hire another one? Our biggest competitor will be internal sources.

Like public speaking skills, thought leadership will soon be seen as a career booster and a must-have skill for even mid-level execs. Buckle up; this is a significant disruption.

Listen: How to Compete with Free Internal Resources

Now Read This:

• How Influencers Are Redefining Thought Leadership
• Outsmart Your Competition. Attract More Opportunities

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