What is #ThoughtLeadership? Is it mindless self-promotion, or is it more like some fancy management fad? Is it more like your social media presence, or sharing stories? What is the real deal here? In this talk, I have shared some ideas from others, and also some of my own learning over the years. Hope you find the answers you were looking for...

1. Thought Leadership
Tathagat Varma

2. Welcome to the world of thought leaders!

3. Not another fancy name!

4. Do you like, seek or crave…
• Comfort in certainty or conformity to rules?
• Always achieve closure, often at any cost?
• Rabid fan following, undying professional fame, or
overnight celebrity status?
• Rapid financial success and a matching social status?
• Moral gratification by “educating” the “underlings”?
• Shameless self-promotion by outshouting the noise?
• Boorish behavior, condescending style, establish cognitive
superiority?
• Pontificate over things?
• Join the herd?
• …
STOP
!!!

5. But if you seek to…
• Influence how people think (and not necessarily what they think,
and certainly not forcing them what they think!)
• Letting people discover what’s their “thing” without pushing
them
• Pursue your inner calling…pursuing knowledge, chasing ideas,
entertaining cognitive conflicts,
• Inspire others to …
• Take a principled stand, even when minority view
• Be an original thinker
• Seek comfort in exploring different perspectives
• Say something and not just anything?
• …

6. Thought
Leader
• A Thought Leader can be recognized
as an authority in a specific field and
whose expertise is sought and often
rewarded,[1] that can be an expert, a
historical figure, or a 'wise person'
with worldly impact.
• A Thought Leader is an individual or
firm ascribed the quality of ‘Thought
leadership’. Thought leadership is
influencing a narrative by
understanding what needs to be
done.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought_leader

7. Not just a thinker…

8. Leader…not manager!

9. Types of Thought Leaders
• A thought leader is an influential person who influences their personal networks.
Thought leaders have the powerful ability to resource information that exists beyond
the immediate social network. They take “outside” information and messages and
return to their social networks with a uniquely translated message.
• According to Robert K. Merton, who is considered a founding father of modern
sociology, thought leaders come in two forms: monomorphic and polymorphic.
• A monomorphic thought leader has expertise within a single field. For example, Steve
Jobs is a monomorphic thought leader on technology. You wouldn’t value his opinion
on fashion design or crocheting.
• Someone who is an expert in multiple fields is a polymorphic thought leader. Many
people consider Leonardo DaVinci to have been a polymorphic thought leader, due to
his many abilities and talents.
• A polymorphic thought leader has influence because they have any of the following
factors: expertise, intelligence or personality. Professional competence, social network
standings and/or avid expression of inner-values strengthen the thought leader’s
position.
https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/thought-leadership

10. You don’t have to be the the CEO!
• In fact, 34% of respondents
said “I don’t think the type
of person matters; anyone
can be a thought leader.”
• But role and title still play
some part in credibility.
Executives make better
thought leaders than
consultants.
• And around 30% of
respondents think that
writers of books and
speakers at events make
good thought leaders.
Publishing and presenting
are strong plusses, but not
essential. Analysts
who publish original
research also have an
advantage.
https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/what-is-thought-leadership-marketing/

11. What constitutes effective thought
leadership content?
https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/what-is-thought-leadership-marketing/

12. It can be beyond the personal
brand!
https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/what-is-thought-leadership-marketing/

13. Its not just about the number of
social media followers!
https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/what-is-thought-leadership-marketing/

14. Its not about playing too safe!
https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/what-is-thought-leadership-marketing/

15. What should it lead to?
https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/what-is-thought-leadership-marketing/

16. Qualities of thought leaders
https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/what-is-thought-leadership-marketing/

17. Qualities of a thought leader
https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/what-is-thought-leadership-marketing/

18. Benefits
• Differentiate: if I took away your title, your affiliation, what
would you be known as and known for?
• Visibility: how are you known to the world in a meaningful
way?
• Recognition: how does your professional circle value your
expertise?
Fine print: Any celebrity status, commercial success or professional elevation may be
a totally unintended side effect of pursuing thought leadership diligently over or
towards the end of your career span!

19. Why, but why?
• You have an obligation to serve others, help them, and
inspire future thought leaders – the more (you think)
you know, the more you (need to) serve!
• A personal quest…a journey to know yourself and to
discover your real purpose on earth and pursue your
inner calling!
• What else could be the essence of being a human
being?

20. So, how do you
become one?
• Who are you?
• What’s your niche?
• What’s your medium?
• What do you share?
• Whom do you serve?
• What’s your routine?
• What’s your tribe?
• What’s your story?
NB: This is not a cookbook recipe!

21. Who are you?
• What’s your identity?
• Do you seek newer and newer truth?
• Are you bubbling with ideas?
• Do you have a sense of obligation to share these
ideas with the world?
• Do you have the itch to bring these ideas to life?
• Do you care if others get better because of your
ideas?
• Do you care if you get credit for your ideas?
• Is it all about you?

22. What’s your niche?
What’s your
“thing”?
What is is that you
do extremely well
compared to your
peers?
What’s your real
passion?
What is it you can
see yourself doing
rest of your life even
if no one paid you
for it?

23. What’s your
medium?
• Writing?
• Presentation?
• Teaching?
• Research?
• Coaching?
• Mentoring?
• Facilitating?
• Thinking? (Is it “thinking”
or are you still thinking J

24. What do
you
share?
What goes around, comes around!
There is no withdrawal without deposits
We owe so much to the society,
community and the people before
us…that we can never really pay back
them back. The only meaningful thing
we can do is the pay it forward…

25. Whom do you serve?
• Being a thought leader doesn’t mean you don’t care for your
audience, your target segment, and all that!
• Who are they?
• What are their pain points?
• How do they solve them?
• Why should they trust you and your advise?
• Where do they hang out?
• Who else is serving them?
• What are the gaps in the market?
• How do you engage with them?

26. What’s your routine?
Daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly,….occasionally? Thought
leadership lies someone between being too modest and too
noisy!
Remember…if you want to be perceived as a “leader” in your
space, you have to earn it, and you earn it by being of service to
others, and in this case, you provide service by providing
“thought service”
You can continue to remain modest and not indulging in self-
promotion while delivering on your routine
Key is to be consistent and reasonably frequent while always
staying genuine and relevant to your audience

27. What’s
your tribe?
Great thought leaders don’t just push their
ideas…they stand on the shoulders of giants
and see further!
Do you genuinely appreciate other’s ideas and
thought leadership?
Do you connect with others looking for help?
Do you reach out to people who are too shy or
scared to ask for help?

28. What’s your story?
• Telling other’s stories is a bit like being a news reporter.
• Telling your own stories makes you a bit pompous!
• Sharing “gyan” without real-world stories it too abstract
for most people (and who wants gyan anyway?)
• Telling too many war stories without any meaningful
insights might be great for a social mixer, but…
• So, what’s your story?

29. When do
you
know
you’ve
arrived?
Don’t chase that moment. Just
selflessly indulge in your passion
irrespective!
You will know if when that moment
arrives – you don’t really declare
yourself as a thought leader –
others anoint you!
It is a high position of responsibility
and accountability.

30. Recap

31. References
• https://www.inc.com/john-hall/7-steps-to-becoming-a-
thought-leader-in-your-industry.html
• https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/359058
• https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/358323
• https://www.entrepreneur.com/slideshow/349024
• https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/what-is-thought-
leadership
• https://www.ama.org/marketing-news/what-is-the-
definition-of-thought-leadership/
• https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/what-is-thought-
leadership-marketing/