You want to be a thought leader in your industry. How can you develop the skills to get there?

Nothing beats good old experience. Lived experience from years of delivering in the field that you want to be a thought leader in. It's helpful to have held senior positions, not because of authority, but because you will have had to negotiate and collaborate with people. If people start coming to you for advice, then think about building a platform for yourself. You will have the strongest foundations. Strong and well-thought-through opinions are great on their own, but when they are backed up by pragmatic experience, they shine through.

Identifying your niche is the first thing in the journey of thought leadership. Niche is not just expertise. It should be a combination of "what you are good at" and "what value can you create" for your target audience. If you are not solving an urgent problem of your target audience, then you need to relook at your niche.

I blog on three channels including inc.com and forbes.com, have written two books and am active on various podcasts. I think it is critical that you be genuine with your point of view, and speak with an authentic voice. This requires not only knowledge on your topic, but passion that shines through in your content. We are wired to be conformists, but taking a more provocative viewpoint can carve out a lane where you are more interesting. For example, I am a strategy consultant.I have written several posts about the popular statement that culture eats strategy for lunch. The valuations of Amazon, Microsoft, Uber, Tesla and others prove otherwise. But taking a counter viewpoint is risky, so it needs to be supported with facts.

There are two approaches to thought leadership: demonstrating excellent insight about an issue or identifying a key issue to a sector and faciliating thought leadership through debate and discussion. To do either you must understand the issue, how others see it and the difference your contribution will make. Then you must decide how to communicate it: the written word, a blog, an event and so on or a combination.

Leadership training, networking withing the community of your professional field, but most importantly seeking mentorship from experienced leaders in the domain so you could improve on traits like strategic thinking & decision making, cultivating emotional intelligence, and fostering a culture of innovation & resilience.

It's all about being relevant to your audience. They should feel that what they read about (or listen to) is specifically written for them. You have to put yourself in their shoes, what matters to them or what they might still be unaware of and you are clarifying for them. Engaging with your audience only can happen when they understand your language.

To become a thought leader in the F&B industry through valuable content creation, you should: ✔️Identify your niche: Focus on a specific aspect of the F&B industry where you have expertise or a unique perspective. ✔️Stay informed: Keep up with industry trends, innovations, and consumer preferences to provide insightful content. ✔️Share expertise: Offer practical tips, expert opinions, and case studies to establish credibility and authority. ✔️Collaborate with others: Partner with influencers, brands, and experts to broaden your reach and enhance your content. ✔️Adapt and evolve: Continuously refine your content strategy based on feedback, analytics, and changing industry dynamics.

Have a point of view. Don't restate the obvious or rewarm already existing content, tell me something I don't know. Be provocative and then persuade me to your view. Thought leadership is about being out in front of the curve. Don't tell me where we are, tell me where we are going and why.

The real trick in developing powerful content is to think deeply about your topic, identify trends, synergies, gaps that no one has identified before, and then provide analysis, insight and solutions to the issues you’ve identified. In other words, you’ve got to be the real deal… experienced, wise, unique and of value. That will make your contributions acknowledged and valued! No shortcuts, no AI, YOU must be the expert, unadulterated and unique.

Shelley messaged me in the morning, she had a last minute speaking opportunity It was to a room of industry peers Her book was just out This was a great moment to amplify her ideas That morning we completely rewrote her talk What did we do? We stopped trying to educate a room of experts on what they knew already Instead we inspired them to inspire others on the benefits they knew about their industry This did 3 things 1 Made Shelley’s talk easier to master - replace facts with passion and insight 2 She stood out - the other speakers talked about what they knew - Shelley talked about what she had experienced and what they could achieve as an industry 3 People came and spoke with her afterwards to setup a next opportunity

To become a thought leader in the F&B industry through networking, engage in industry events, conferences, and forums to connect with professionals. Share valuable insights on platforms like LinkedIn, and other social media platforms collaborate with influencers, and participate in online discussions to establish credibility and expand your reach. Keep learning, stay updated with industry trends, and be proactive in offering innovative solutions to industry challenges to position yourself as a respected voice in the F&B community.

Build a robust professional network within your industry. Attend industry events, join relevant online forums, and actively participate in discussions. Networking not only exposes you to diverse perspectives but also provides opportunities to collaborate, share insights, and establish your presence among industry peers.

I have a highly engaged network on LinkedIn with over 52,000 followers. If you're trying to build a high quality network, I suggest that you engage with people both online and in person. For example, when you speak at a conference, make an effort to meet the people who attend your talk and connect with them on LinkedIn. When you publish articles on LinkedIn, engage with people in the comments section and respond to DMs. If people in your network share high quality content, like, comment, and share their content with your network. Over time, all of these things will help you build a strong, engaged network.

Thought Leadership is having the bravery to put your original thoughts, ideas, frameworks and models out into the world for all to agree or disagree. It's an opportunity for you to shift the way others think and feel about a certain topic and brings a fresh perspective to a world full of other people's quotes, stories, ideas, cliches and noise. 'Thought leadership is not thought repeatership'.

Networking provides opportunities for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and mentorship. By connecting with industry peers, influencers, and leaders, you can gain valuable insights, support, and resources to enhance your career growth and establish yourself as a thought leader

One of essential attributes to be a thought leader is to perpetually remain open to learn new things. In doing so, one should seek feedback from peers and mentors and be willing to adapt and evolve one's ideas and perspectives over time.

To become a thought leader in the F&B industry, consistently seek out new knowledge and skills, stay updated on industry trends, experiment with innovative ideas, and actively share your insights and experiences with others through various platforms and channels.

In my experience, thought leadership is an evolving practice. Developing your ‘voice’ and expertise over time in a particular area of focus. The leadership aspect means that someone other than you, follows that practice!

Always remember that your identity in thought leadership is fluid and can change over time. Embrace your personal growth and allow it to inspire you to expand and evolve your thought leadership. As you become wiser, more dynamic, and more engaged, lean into the areas that excite you and explore new identities that can contribute to your thought leadership.

I've found immense value in two key mantras to stand out in my field of practice: "Get busy!" - This simple yet powerful reminder motivates me to take action and be proactive in my work. "Keep moving forward!" (Quote by @Joseph Phillips) - This quote resonates deeply, encouraging me to persevere through challenges and continuously learn and improve. Whenever I encounter obstacles or need to make a change, I find solace in these mantras. I turn to studying and persistent effort, transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and mastery.

Read! Read! Read and Observe. The biggest mistake we make is we keep our knowledge limited by self proclaimed mastery of the subject. A thought leader is a “thinking” person. It is essential to cultivate passion for learning and inculcate the habit of reading. Absorbing knowledge and then putting forward one’s own view is that which differentiates a knowledgeable person from a thought leader. It is in developing creativity and presenting authenticity in what one conveys that makes a terrific “thought leader”.

Whatever you do, don't describe yourself as a "thought leader." It makes you sound extremely pretentious. No actual thought leaders describe themselves as "thought leaders."

Here’s the deal. Thought leadership resonates the best when it’s actually authentic. When it’s honest, straight forward, and based on real insights. You don’t do anyone favors by putting on airs. Your audience is trying to get better at something or solve a problem, and if you can share your journey in a way that helps them cut their learning time in half, they will appreciate it! And then naturally, if they have a need for what you offer, they’ll seek you out for a conversation. Thought leadership full circle is a beautiful thing. The tide rises all ships!

If your goal is to be a thought leader you’re focusing on the wrong outcome. Be a “thought learner” and share what you’ve learned.

Be yourself. Be original with your thoughts and tell your audience your real story, it can be your success or failures. This when done with the intention of sharing and getting others to learn from your journey will always be accepted at face value and create impact for good 👍

It is important to always share what you have discovered/learned but with the perspective that it is your current truth...not necessarily the singular truth. Help build a community that welcomes diversity of thought and conversation. Be curious...not judgemental! It is the "Leader" in "Thought Leader".

O líder deve inspirar as pessoas. Ele reflete a cultura da empresa. E, quando se tem uma cultura forte através de pilares bem definidos, com uma liderança transformadora sabemos que a empresa está no caminho certo.

Set yourself apart from the "How to" gang. Rather than sharing steps to do something, think about how you can change their thinking on a subject. Can you start a debate? Pose an unusual point of view and get some thoughts from your community?

Focus on innovation, challenging norms, and generating novel ideas that shape industries. Do not focus on becoming a “thought leader”. When you have a vision and push boundaries and drive change through disruptive thinking and continuous improvement, you are a thought leader.

1. Authenticity: Do not bring any voice to a topic or table that is NOT 100% your own. 2. Facts / Details: speak your truth with actual data to support the WHY in your opinion. 3. Own your voice: stand by your opinion, your message regardless of negative opinions. 4. Honesty: if proven incorrect, or if things have changed, don't hide from the past. Go back to #1 -3 and speak YOUR truth.

Thought leadership is complicated because what you share needs to be exactly what the listener needs to hear. Let me explain. If one shares a concept, a potential innovation, or anything new and the listener isn’t open to new ideas, thought leadership can fall short. To me the best thought leaders I have met are mentors and coaches. They seek first to understand and then share a different perspective, a new idea or simply validate the direction and thought process of their listener. Servant leadership is rare-but true servant leaders are also great thought leaders…not because they have the best ideas, but because they know how to draw thoughts out of others.

Thought leadership requires a great degree of curiosity, creativity and generosity. Whereas its good to identify your niche its also important to keep a broad vision - keeping a scan on different horizons and macro factors. Firstly the world is more interconnected than ever before. And there are often parallels, analogies, comparisons and contrasts that are insightful and thought provoking happening in adjacent or completely separate fields. Most impotent, the more concept (language and vocabulary) you learn, the more flexible, creative and critical a thinker you become. It allows you to imagine possibilities and adapt or fuse different concepts to create fresh perspectives.

I believe in order to be a thought leader, you must act and be a real leader in life. Leading yourself, family and others. Be genuine in trying to add value to the ones important to you and to your industry.

You need to understand the change you are trying to bring VIA your thought leadership, and the higher order purpose and outcomes of using your voice, including how your unique mix of views / experience / expertise is positioned to support that change. This will prevent the pitfall of thought leadership and visibility for its own sake, and ensure it is in service to a bigger strategy or change agenda. When we know the WHY, the WHAT and HOW of thought leadership becomes straightforward (or at least a lot easier!). People can sniff when it is self serving only and that of course undermines the credibility and success of your brand (whether individual or organisational), reputation and the content itself. So what it is serving?

First, do something useful and impactful in the industry that you would like to become a thought leader in. The rest will follow.