Do you believe you can change the world the world one thought at a time? This idea might seem daunting to you. However, I believe I can change the world in this way and that you can too.

Recently, I attended Mark Lusky’s presentation: “Thought Leadership – Changing the World One Thought at a Time.”

The owner of Mark Lusky Communications, Mark is a marketing communication and content creation specialist. He presented at a meeting of the Strategic Trusted Advisor Roundtable – Denver.

We are both members of this group dedicated to connecting professionals who serve in a trusted advisor capacity. In addition, we are both part of the group’s communication team.

His observations and recommendations were very powerful. So, I asked him if I could include some in this blog post. Fortunately, he said, “Yes!”

 

What is Thought Leadership?

Mark defines thought leadership as “heartfelt, even soul-felt information on a topic that’s near and dear in an area you know something about.”

He asserts that “well-written, well-conceived thought content:

• offers value to recipients
• can help the thought leader get more business
• improves the planet bit by bit.”

Examples include articles, blog posts, white papers, e-books, presentations, and videos.

I especially related to a quote from Michael Brenner – speaker, author and CEO of Marketing Insider Group. “Thought leadership means you give the best and deepest answers to your customers’ biggest questions in the formats your audience likes to consume.”

 

What Thought Leadership Does

According to Mark, thought leadership:

• “Establishes the author as a credible, knowledgeable, and influential leader
• Provides valuable insights and information to improve life and livelihood
• Helps make the world a better place.”

“If you positively influence and provide insights to even one other person, you establish your own brand of thought leadership.”

 

What are Some Ways to Use Thought Leadership?

Mark recommends that after you create a piece of thought leadership, you should look for ways to repurpose it. Doing so “enhances credibility and influence as a thought leader.”

Some examples include:

• Break apart sections of blog posts into a series of shorter social media posts.
• Use information from articles, one-sheets, and brochures in presentations, proposals, webinars, and video scripts.
• Compile a series of articles into a book.

 

My Own Experience

To prepare for his presentation, Mark interviewed some of our group’s members, including me. One of the questions he asked me was, “How much have thought leadership articles helped you in your business?”

I told him, “I believe that such articles have significantly established my reputation as a go-to resource, especially on LinkedIn. They have contributed to the acquisition of more private tutoring clients.  In addition, such articles also have made me a sought-after speaker on LinkedIn for conferences and business meetings.”

Learn more about Mark at his website: https://www.markluskycommunications.com/

How About You?

In what ways have you incorporated thought leadership into your business? What results have you seen?

 

About Joyce

Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those age 45 and up, become more effective using social media, especially Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. She provides social media tutoring and training to business owners, business development professionals, authors, speakers, coaches, business consultants, job seekers, and many others. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com.