There are many proven ways to establish yourself as a thought leader in any industry.

A strategy pushes your message as far as possible. Start with these steps

1. Identify your industry: The first step is to define your niche and area of expertise. You cannot be an expert in tech, sales, and finance at the same time. Starting in a specific industry will make your audience to see you as an expert in that field. When you keep moving from one industry to another, you confuse your audience. You also make it difficult to speak to a target demographic in their language.
2. Build your digital presence: The world is digital, and if you don’t have space in the digital world, you’re not positioned to be a thought leader. Building a digital presence ranges from having a website and writing blogs to joining suitable social media platforms, groups, and connecting with like minds all over the world. When you have a following in the digital space, you can easily reach out to many people around the globe.
3. Secure speaking engagements: One way to prove your expertise and be seen as a go-to source is speak on an authoritative platforms or podcasts. When you have the opportunity to speak to people of different classes about a particular topic, they will see you as an expert. This is why you seek ways to secure speaking engagements. You mustn’t start with the crowd. No matter how small, you will grow with time. Your goal is to let your audience know who you are and what you do.
4. Be accessible: As a thought leader, you’re not hiding from anyone. You’re in the spotlight, and as such, you must connect with your audience. If your audience cannot reach out to you, it will be difficult to hear their problems and find solutions. You are accessible through your social media handles, emails, phone, and websites. Whichever way, you need a means of communicating with your audience.
5. Network with people in your industry: No one knows it all. Therefore, you may need help from people around you. Your network can have a way of making your journey easier. You can connect with people in and outside your industry as long as it positively impacts your life and goals.
6. Get published: One way for people to recognize your impact is to publish, as an author. Avenues include on an authoritative newspaper, website, or any other reputable platform. You can also write articles or have your book published. Whichever way, you will proof of whatever you’re sharing with your audience.
7. Keep learning: On your journey as a thought leader, you will not grow if you stop learning. The world is constantly evolving, and when you lack knowledge of new trends, you will gradually fade away, and your ideas will become obsolete. The only way to avoid this is to be updated on new trends within and around your industry.

 

Being a thought leader is not something you do for the short term. So many persons may start but will not be able to finish. If you’re not consistent enough, you will not meet your goals. To become a thought leader, you need to have long term goals because it doesn’t happen overnight.

Finding a specific niche can be a little bit daunting, but you will scale through when you have a good strategy. The journey is not easy because you are in the spotlight, and your audience is watching every move. If you miss a step, it can affect your progress. Being careful is one way to avoid pitfalls and grow higher.