The Power of Thought Leadership: What It Is and Why It Matters for Your Business
Being able to think differently as a business owner - in a world cluttered with advice - is a vital skill if you want to stand out in the entrepreneurial space, here Jenni Donato, founder of Altitude, explains exactly what thought leadership is and why it matters for your business.
Thought leadership is the ability to influence others through your experience, ideas, and unique perspective. It’s about becoming a go-to voice in your field, someone people turn to, not just for products or services, but for insights and inspiration. And it’s about shifting the narrative in a way that is thought provoking to your audience - so they remember you as an authority in your field.
People don’t remember the words you say, they remember how you made them feel. If you focus on this when you’re showing up as your business, your brand will stand out, even in a crowded industry.
But for women entrepreneurs and professionals, thought leadership is more than personal branding - it’s a vital part of your business strategy. Here’s why:
Credibility:
Sharing your insights consistently builds trust and positions you as an authority. Your future buyers can resonate with your message and company mission and feel more compelled to explore your business as an option to purchase from.
Visibility:
It raises your profile and makes people notice (and remember) you, even online, where almost every industry is getting more and more crowded, but also where purchasing decisions are increasingly made.
Growth:
It attracts partnership and collaborators who align with your vision and who are then compelled to connect with you and participate in partner activities which help change the narrative.
Opportunity:
Media interviews, speaking events, and PR attracts new eyes onto your business and fills your sales funnel with more and more leads.
The numbers speak for themselves. According to a joint report by LinkedIn and Edelman:
65% of buyers say thought leadership significantly improves their perception of a brand.
61% are willing to pay more to work with a business that demonstrates strong thought leadership.
55% of decision-makers use thought leadership to evaluate who to work with.
Yet, despite its benefits, only 17% of thought leadership content is rated as very good or excellent - highlighting a gap that women can fill with fresh, high-quality perspectives that not only shift the narrative in your industry, but get you noticed as someone who has value to add to the crowded world.
How to get started in thought leadership.
If you've never tried incorporating thought leadership in your business before then now's the time. It does not have to be complicated, timely or financially difficult, here are some ways you could get started today:
1. Reach out
Reach out to podcasts in your niche or events for your audience and offer to be a guest speaker. Speaking on podcasts or in real life set you out as an authority in your industry and get you in front of a large audience in one go. Plus it boosts your confidence and allows you to practice verbalising your company mission.
2. Collaborate
Collaborate with others. One of the best ways to grow in the current climate, where social media is swamped and AI is impacting website SEO, is to build partnerships with those who serve the same audience but don’t compete with what you do. This sets you out as an authority figure, allows you to share your message and gets you in front of a new audience.
3. Network
Get addicted to networking. Not only does networking stop you from feeling lonely and consumed by your own business, it forces you to have real life conversations with real people. Building mutually beneficial relationships and allowing you to share your message.
These three things are ideal for all business owners who want to see what the power of thought leadership can do for them.
