How do you adopt the habits of successful thought leaders?

I have always observed that successful thought leaders revel in the success of others around them . They often see other's strengths as complimentary and appreciate that . They look forward to diverse thoughts and receive critical feedback well .

Curiosity about everything is the personal characteristic I like most about myself. It feeds creativity with connections, abstractions and analogies simplify otherwise impenetrable problems.

Lifelong learning as a journey to success. Successful thought leaders are always learning, reading books, listening to podcasts, attending seminars, taking courses, and keeping up with industry news. They know that the moment they stop learning is the moment they become irrelevant.

Two golden rules: 1) question the credibility of sources you read, or 2) pause to consider unconscious bias or (lack of) diversity when reading widely? Make this a habit.

Successful thought leadership requires constantly staying current - learning about how to evolve your business and people as the world around you is evolving. Learning and reading about strategies applied to similar business verticals that were successful, and also those that were not successful helps with your own understanding. One of the most important steps that I apply is to discuss and actively discover what those within my leadership group and my partners thought about the strategies that i believed were worth exploring.

Being authentic is critical. People can spot a phony, especially in the age of social media. Authenticity builds trust, and trust is the foundation of thought leadership. Successful thought leaders are not afraid to show vulnerability, admit mistakes, and share their journey, warts and all. Consistency is essential to staying in people's minds.

Consistently share your insights on marketing trends and strategies. Seth Godin, for example, blogs daily about marketing and leadership. Speak from your experience. For instance, Neil Patel shares real case studies from his own marketing campaigns. Use your unique voice and perspective to stand out. Rand Fishkin's transparency and honesty have made him a well-respected figure in SEO.

Great points on authenticity and consistency, both crucial for impactful thought leadership. But let's not overlook adaptability—the ability to evolve your message and medium in response to audience feedback and shifting trends. The thought leadership landscape is dynamic; what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow. The real game-changer is a thought leader's willingness to iterate based on performance metrics and audience engagement. By being adaptable, you not only ensure that your content is timely but also that it meets the evolving needs of your audience. This adds a dynamic layer to your brand, keeping your followers engaged and attracting new ones.

Thought leadership can be a game-changer to building your personal brand. Here’s influential thought leaders habits you can adopt: Write Regularly and Authentically Craft valuable insights and share knowledge. Refine your message Identify 3 areas you want to be known for to showcase your expertise, and build your brand. Reflect and Reframe Reflect on how it can impact your audience. Share these insights and also provide into actionable takeaways. Journal and Apply Write down your thoughts, ideas, and inspirations. Test and Learn Experiment with new ideas and strategies, adapt and evolve. Inspire Your Audience Share stories, anecdotes, and real-world examples that resonate.

Writing everyday, expressing your opinion is also a great way to retain information. Like they say, the best way to learn is to teach!

Thought leaders don't network just to collect business cards. They network to build meaningful relationships. They understand the power of a strong network and invest time in nurturing those relationships. This includes not only people in their industry, but also those in adjacent fields, as innovation often comes from the cross-pollination of ideas.

Adopting the habits of successful thought leaders involves more than just sharing expertise; it's about lifelong learning and interdisciplinary collaboration. As a public health professional, engaging with leaders from sectors that might initially seem unrelated to health is invaluable. For example, poor health can directly impact educational performance and workplace productivity. Understanding this correlation can lead to more holistic solutions that benefit various sectors, from education to business. As such, I create mutually supporting relationships that impact health but add value to individuals and communities.

This one is essential in my own thought Leadership Praxis. Just before meeting on a show or conference I am reaching out to other thought leaders of our industry. The mere prequalification of the contact induces trust and familiarity which eases the first contact and small-talk at the upcoming venue.

Networking is also the opportunity for thought leaders to “give back”. Instead of looking at Networking as a means to accomplish something it can also be viewed as an “exercise in kindness”. There is almost no one in this world who cannot help/teach another person - everyone’s journey is unique and his/her own. So being open-minded is a critical attitude that thought leader demonstrate.

True thought leaders don't "network" as we typically see it. They build genuine, long-lasting relationships. Building these relationships with people from all walks of life is important to get diverse and varied perspectives. Think about what you can give and offer to others.

The only constant is change, especially in our fast-paced digital world. Successful thought leaders are adaptable and open to change. They are not set in their ways and are always looking for better methods, technologies and approaches.

Thought leaders have a growth mindset - or a genuine intention to develop it. While it‘s not relevant how much they know YET, the attitude should always reflect authentic curiosity to know more at some point. Growing to the experiences instead of just passively going through them.

Creating a blame-free environment to be part of your internal culture encourages open discussions to evaluate what went wrong and why. Leaders should encourage their teams to take calculated risks and explore innovative solutions Such a proactive approach to failure not only helps refine strategies but also builds resilience and adaptability within the team, ultimately leading to more informed decision-making and sustainable success.

Strong thought leaders develop other thought leaders by modelling constructive curiosity and influencing others to keep the possibilities wide open. Constantly striving to produce safe spaces for teams explore and draw on eachother's knowledge and points of view- "strong opinions but loosely held."

Thought leaders are not afraid to try new things but also share what they learned - both good and bad. Not everything is a success the first time but share what you have learned with others and make it better next time.

It’s more than just listening attentively. It’s about genuinely comprehending both what you’re hearing directly AND reading between the lines. People choose their words carefully when talking to leaders, so it’s important to be attentive to other signals and cues to respond constructively and authentically.

Understanding and relating to people is a key trait of successful thought leaders. They are able to read people and adapt their communication style to resonate with different audiences. This makes them effective leaders and influencers.

By listening carefully, they grasp what their audience and colleagues really need and think. When they respond, it's not just a reaction; it's a thoughtful reply that aims to help and improve. This approach allows them to connect deeply with others, solve issues, and build trust. In simple terms, being a good listener and giving helpful feedback is essential for anyone aiming to be respected and make a difference in their field.

Successful thought leaders listen actively both to the external and internal voices, seeking opportunities for networking as well as pay attention to own gut feel and intuition. They are constantly validating the options and have a strong vision to address the needs of target audiences and users. They also are quick learners, risk takers and choose to respond with empathy rather than react to difficulties.

If you don't feel like you do this enough - most of us don't these days -, this is completely trainable as a skill. Search for "actively listening", read Dale Carnegie's book "How to win friends and influence people", and start changing your game.

When feedback is valuable, it deserves to be acted upon. In some cases, it could be important for the leader to show to their team he received feedback and is acting upon, which results they expect. This shows humility and also an example to be followed when feedback is received.

I have a secret weapon process to get daily feedback using AI that I recommend to clients for daily LinkedIn posts. It’s pretty simple, but saves time + improves writing ultimately. ✅ Approach: Instead of letting AI purely output your daily industry or news insights, use it as a co-editor. Begin by finding a industry piece + draft your perspective. YOUR WORDS ONLY! It can be short, but make it your unique POV. 🖥️ AI Edge: Process your draft via AI. Make sure your prompt says retain my tone + writing style. 🔑 The Key: Edit the output to even more of your tone - this is where you are improving! Post-edit, feed it back to AI to analyze, offer insights on your style + remember this is your writing style. SAVE THREAD for daily use.

Feedback gives us insight, assessment, and potential gems of opportunity for self-improvement that we might otherwise miss. In many cases, feedback also identifies powerful blind spots that could otherwise torpedo our reputation if not addressed. We can’t possibly see ourselves the way others see us. While it is most important to assess the feedback, how we respond and react to the feedback is where we create opportunity for our personal brand.

Feedback is probably the only way for thought leaders to grow (arguably). And it’s not just the one on one conversations but even the analytics driven by our content, the critical comments, and diversified ideas for the same topic, etc. In all these cases, engagement is the key. Thought leaders with skills to engage with their audience allows them to receive faster feedback which in turn accelerates continuous learning. An important point to remember is that thought leadership isn’t a one way street, it’s a valuable circle that only deepens as we orbit around it each time. For me personally, there are certain people with whom I’ve loved to have conversations often and who are great critiques; that’s my consistent stream of feedback.

Thought leaders should embrace feedback as a catalyst for growth. Constructive criticism and diverse perspectives can refine their ideas, enhance communication, and expand influence. The willingness to adapt and improve not only strengthens their leadership but also fosters a culture of continuous learning and innovation.

Leaders need to create a space for reflection and reconnection with purpose to counter the blindfolds of a busy schedule. The only real priority is what gets scheduled to execution. So, deliberate planning for quality reflection time is paramount for long term sustainable effectiveness. Travel, learn a different language, know people outside your industry are important tools to kaizen.

Thought leadership isn't a solo act but a duet of sharing and learning. To adopt successful habits: Listen actively to peers. Pose questions for deeper understanding. Expand your reading horizons. Fearlessly collaborate. Stay humbly open to growth. In the symphony of thought leadership, harmony comes from this dual melody of giving and receiving knowledge.

Thought leadership is a journey, not a destination. It's about constantly evolving, learning, and contributing to the broader conversation.

Take your time to share knowledge and teach. When you teach, you learn twice. You also get the opportunity to structure your thoughts and present them in a digestible manner (think: simplicity is the highest form of sophistication). Additionally, find pleasure in helping others and seeing others succeed. The more you help others, the more you learn with them!

To truly shine as a thought leader, you've got to hit the sweet spot of relevance. Either latch onto the pulse of what people are already talking about and inject your unique angle, or be the trailblazer who uncovers the questions people didn't know they should be asking. Authenticity is your secret sauce; serve it up with every interaction.