Or maybe I should ask, which one do you want to be?
First, let me explain the difference.
Experts connect rationally, they teach us the “how” and walk us through the process.
Thought leaders connect through emotions, they get us to understand the “why”. This is important to know because the information is retained better when there is emotion involved, different parts of our brain are active when we get to have a full experience of a subject.
So, what Thought Leaders help us to do is to understand not only what’s happening in their area of expertise, but to help us understand why that is important to us. When we think about moving from an Expert or a Changemaker into a Thought Leader, there are really three things that we need.
- The first is you need to communicate your ideas, your thing, your area of expertise, that thing that you’re bringing or that you’re passionate about, so the information is important.
- The second thing you need is a personal brand, how are you showing up in the world? Do people know who you are? Do they trust what you’re saying? Are you consistent in how you’re saying it?
- And number three, you need a community in which you say it. When you have a community of people who follow you, you have the ability to create impact and change. That’s being a Thought Leader!
To be successful, you need to be an expert communicator. James Humes said it best:
At Talk Boutique we don’t just want you to present, we want you to succeed and create impact.
We believe that everyone can be a Thought Leader, including you!