If you were a thought leader – right now – who would you be?
Let’s explore this for a moment.
Do you admire any influencers and thought leaders? Here’s a personal example.
As I mentioned in Lesson One, I really admire Seth Godin.
He teaches a lot of online courses and has written several books. I especially like his practical, no-nonsense style. He’s not a fluffy writer. He gets right to the point and it generally hits the target.
In my personal journey to becoming a thought leader and influencer, I think I would want to be someone like Seth Godin.
Not exactly like him – but by following his blog, reading his books, and taking some of his online courses, I know that I can learn from him, while exploring and developing the specific talents I have, to find my own space.
Now, you may think that discovering your talents on your way to becoming an influencer and thought leader is easy.
But have you thought about how you’re going to distinguish yourself and stand out from all the other noise?
Start by determining what your strengths and weaknesses are.
This is not a pass or fail test, so be honest.
Ask yourself what you have struggled with.
What have you succeeded in?
You don’t have to reinvent yourself to become a thought leader. But you do have to develop the qualities that will make you stand out.
Here’s an example: if I had decided to create a course on thought leadership for high net-worth executives, I’d never be found.
There are hundreds of courses, books and consultants already doing that. But what about thought leadership for ordinary people? There’s not as much information out there for this market.
And I happen to believe that people just like you and me can become more.
So, while I may be good at coaching people to become thought leaders and influencers, it’s the special talent I have, to get to the point in a non-fluffy manner, that can help regular people rise from ordinary to extraordinary. This is what makes me stand out.
Now here’s an important step, so don’t skip it.
Be honest with yourself and write down the answers to these three questions:
- Who do you admire as a thought leader and influencer?
- What do you want to achieve?
- Are you willing to commit to maintaining self-discipline?
Don’t think about whether these are attainable right now.
Just write down what is deep inside that you want to achieve.
Take your time with this and think it through.
If you’re stuck, ask yourself these questions:
- What strengths do I have?
- What qualities do people admire in me?
For example, people I coach and mentor, tell me that I give them inspiration.
That I can cut through the muck and get right down to what the issue is.
So those are qualities I can use on my journey to become an influencer and thought leader.
And remember this because it is true: you know more than you think you do.
So, don’t shortchange or underestimate yourself.
