At CityLead, we believe we all have the potential to be thought leaders: people who are recognized as authorities in a specialized field and whose expertise is sought; thinkers, innovators, and influencers.
We all have different levels of expertise and standing (visibility level) both inside and outside of our organizations. We are each at a different place in our journey. Maybe you are a technical expert: someone who is an expert at what they do, with a lot of wisdom, but little opportunity to speak into the big decisions. Maybe you’re a novice, with little opportunity and little expertise, but a lot of potential to grow. Maybe you’re a bluffer: you just pretend to be an expert, but maybe you have enough charisma to have risen to a level where others listen to you and look to you as a leader even though you don’t really know what you’re doing. You’ve got a lot of confidence and little knowledge. Or maybe you’re a thought leader. You’re an expert at what you do and you have a high enough profile that people seek out your wisdom because they want to hear what you have to say.
Which of these is you? Are you a technical expert, a novice, or a bluffer? Or maybe you’re a true thought leader?
No matter which one of these you are, there is always room for growth. Even if you’re a thought leader, and you’re at the top of your game, always remember—never stop learning and growing.
If you’re wondering what some attributes of a thought leader are, we at CityLead have prepared a shortlist below:
A Thought Leader:
- Knows their sweet spot: they know what they’re good at.
- Is always a student: If you’re not constantly learning about your industry, then you’re falling behind.
- Makes the complex simple: Not simplistic, but easily understandable.
- Overcomes fears: You can’t grow your business or organization without facing at least a little fear.
- Is always thinking and doing.
- Is a storyteller: they know their story, the story of their business, and their customers’ story.
- Builds confidence: When you have people who are confident in you, they begin to tell your story for you.
- Builds credibility.
As we often say, here at CityLead, we all have influence. We have the opportunity to change people’s lives, whether it’s our family members, our friends and coworkers, our community, or our customers. As leaders in our communities, we can make the areas around us better places to live, work, worship, and raise a family.
If you’d like to get more content and find out how to host a CityLead gathering in your city, contact cameron@citylead.com for more information.
