Follow the leader
Close your eyes and picture a leader. What do they look like?
If you're like most people, sadly you're probably picturing a middle-aged tall white man, because of course most CEO's (leaders) are male and white (albeit older than middle-aged).
Now, what are the qualities of a good leader? What do you think breeds success?
Luckily, the definition of a good leader has changed dramatically over the years. The qualities we look for a in a leader are no longer the loudest, boorish, most assertive person in the room (I hope).
To me, the concept of leadership focuses on someone who shares and showcases a level of expertise to guide or teach others.
Don't succumb to Thought Followship
But what does it mean to be a thought leader? As much as this term is already something we all hate, the context is important — especially for people who are trying to make their mark in their industry.
Leaders are at the front. Thought leaders are at the forefront. But what happens when your message is generic, watered down or perhaps written by AI?
In my conversation with Deb Boulanger for her Life After Corporate Podcast, I accidentally coined the phrase, Thought Followship and I love it! (I'm never too proud to toot my own horn) Here's what I said,
"If you're using AI solely to generate content and not putting your own spin on it, it's going to sound exactly what someone else is going to put out there. And that's not Thought Leadership. That's Thought Followship."
So good, right? But I digress. The point isn't to besmirch anyone using AI, it's that by not defining the kind of leader we want to be, by not having a clear picture of who we are, who we serve and what we deliver, we can't be leaders of anything, let alone thoughts.
Don't look at my bio
I've had countless conversations of late with clients and prospects and they all center around the same thing: people don't want to post on LinkedIn because they don't want anyone to look at their bio.
So, they're holding back from sharing their expertise and their authority because their bio doesn't represent them. This isn't leading, this is following. Or fading. Because if you aren't putting yourself out there, you won't be noticed.
A good bio isn't just a nice to have anymore. It's a need to have. And it needs to represent you — in all your glory. Stop hiding because you don't like what your bio is wearing (or not wearing) and give it the makeover it's been dying for. And step into the Thought Leadership role you're destined to have.
Here's how you can do that...
Profit from your Personality
Putting my full self into my own bio was transformative. And it continues to be. When you develop your Personality Brand, you truly will profit from your personality. And you'll also attract and land more clients you'll love working with. And isn't that the point of all of this? In this MEGA bundle, myself, Ilise Benun and the amazing and talented Lisa Mullis, combine three of our digital bundles into one, creating a 3-step recipe to build your Personality Brand, put that personality into your headlines and content and then use it to write winning proposals that land you clients who you love.
Plus, we're hosting an interactive session to take you through each piece and answer your questions on June 28th (NEW DATE). So snag yours today.