Thought leadership content has become a powerful tool for entrepreneurs and leaders to establish credibility, build influence and engage with their target audience. However, many individuals shy away from venturing into this realm due to common barriers, such as feeling uninspired or lacking confidence in their writing abilities. The truth is, anyone can become a proficient writer with the right guidance and mindset.
Below, 20 Forbes Business Council members share invaluable tips to empower aspiring writers to embark on their thought leadership journey with confidence. Whether you’re a novice or just looking to enhance your skills, these insights can help you overcome obstacles and unleash your untapped potential in the realm of thought leadership content.
1. Prepare For Criticism
Mentally brace yourself for the naysayers—they are typically the first to respond and are louder than anyone else. This will help you endure the temptation to stop sharing and keep publishing your ideas. Once you start hearing from individuals who’ve had an epiphany because of your insights, you’ll know your efforts were indisputably worthwhile. – Ken Kladouris, Platinum Wealth Group
2. Say It Out Loud
Say it out loud first and don’t let grammar or flow get in the way. If the insight is authentic and timely, it will resonate with your audience. It’s then worth devoting the resources to bring in a trusted professional to put style to your thoughts and make sure it reaches the widest array of stakeholders possible. Good communication is going to cost you less than bad communication or none at all. – Joshua Vlasto, Bamberger & Vlasto
Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
3. Focus On Your Customers
Entrepreneurs need to be cognizant of the fact that the content should focus on their customers, not them. Leaders need to ask themselves how they can support those that support them. As entrepreneurs, we inevitably have others looking to us for answers. Since we are well-versed in the problems our customers face, we are able to share actionable insights that hold immense value for our readers. – Petr Marek, Invoice Home Inc.
4. Use Your Own Stories And Experiences
Lean on your own stories and experiences to share your unique point of view. Reflect back on some of the milestones you’ve had and share the unusual lessons you received. The biggest milestones in my personal journey have led to my best experiences and teachable moments. Share some inspiration through a story. – Whitney Alexandra, Whitney Alexandra
5. Start Small And Build Confidence
The key is to start small and build confidence over time. Consistency is vital in thought leadership writing. Commit to a regular publishing schedule that works for you, whether it’s weekly, monthly or even quarterly. Remember that thought leadership is a journey, and consistency is the fuel that drives your progress and impact. – Danielle Cuomo, Virtual Assist USA
6. Be Curious And Explore Your Unique Qualities
Be curious about your work and look at your expertise. Explore your unique qualities and how you impact others in and out of your space. I’ve learned amazing nuggets from those who felt they were not inspired or too “in it.” If you share, test and know you have the nuggets, you’ll eventually find your voice. Also, as a leader, you don’t have to have all the answers but you do need to know how to find the right questions for new ideas. – Tatia Davenport, California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO)
7. Write What You Know
It’s an age-old answer but it still holds true: Write what you know. Your experience does matter and sharing it can help others to learn and grow as well. I’m a big advocate of mentorship both in my industry (logistics and supply chain) and throughout the founder community. I’ve found that reading content from other business leaders helps me to grow as well. – Daniel Sokolovsky, WARP
8. Focus On The Challenges Your Customers Or Employees Face
For entrepreneurs and leaders struggling to find the right thing to write about, I would suggest they focus on the challenges faced by their customers or employees. Consider the problems or pain points that they face and how you can solve them. This will not only help you generate content ideas, but it will also provide value to your customers and employees by addressing their specific needs. – Rachel-Yvonne Talton, Synergy International Limited Inc.
9. Use Your Personal Experiences In Entrepreneurship
One tip for newcomers to thought leadership writing is to draw from personal experiences in entrepreneurship. Embrace the roller coaster ride of ups and downs, and share valuable insights you’ve gained along the way. Your authentic stories will captivate and educate others, making your content compelling and relatable. – Bernd Leitsoni, riffbird gmbh
10. Identify A Topic You’re Passionate About
One tip for someone who’s new to writing thought leadership content is to start with what they know best. Identify a topic or area of expertise that you are passionate about and knowledgeable in. Then, create a clear outline of the key points you want to make. With practice and perseverance, anyone can become a more effective thought leader and writer. – Quanique Johnson, LQ Logistics LLC
11. Think Of Advice You Would Give Your Younger Self
Think about what advice you would have given yourself 10 to 20 years ago from a thought leadership perspective. What crucial advice would you have loved to have heard years ago that might have saved you time, cut expenses or helped to accelerate revenue growth? – Chris Haroun, Haroun Education Ventures, Inc.
12. Embrace Your Unique Voice And Practice Writing
Embrace your unique voice to tackle thought leadership writing. Identify your expertise and passion, reflecting on experiences and lessons. Practicing writing will refine your style and help you connect with readers. Don’t let self-doubt or imposter syndrome hold you back—your insights can inspire millions. Share wisdom and watch your confidence flourish. – Ranjeet Mudholkar, Ranjeet Mudholkar
13. Celebrate Your Creativity, Curiosity And Expression
Most avoidance is self-sabotage. Well-meaning role models in youth might have projected their fear onto you, or perhaps you were not celebrated for your creativity, curiosity or expression. That inner-child stuff is serious business. You’ve got lots to offer, so don’t sabotage yourself by replaying others’ limitations. Everyone has a story that is worth telling; why not you? – Michele Paiva, Viper Public Relations
14. Think Of A Time When You Decided To Lead
Be original. Think about instances from as far back as you can go. What was the first instance that you remember when you decided to lead—either due to frustration with how things worked or because you wanted to be noticed. Small instances—things that you find trivial—create an impression in your brain, the sum total of which shapes who we are today. – Neena Pandey, The String Code
15. Gain Experience In Your Specific Field
The fact is you can’t be a thought leader if you don’t have any experience. Get out there and dominate an area of expertise. Once you do, you’ll have no shortage of knowledge to share. I see too many people speaking from a place of authority with little to no experience in their subject matter. Reading books and listening to podcasts is great, but it does not make you an expert. – Ryan Crownholm, Crown Capital Adventures Inc.
16. Analyze Your Experiences
Thought leadership is about sharing your deep thoughts about a specific area of experience you have earned the right to discuss and teach. With that in mind, always list things you have deep experience in and earn the right to discuss. Consider things in your history that could help someone else overcome a challenge earlier than you did. – Stephen Scoggins, Scoggins International Inc.
17. Rely On Your Hands-On Experience To Create A Draft
According to Malcolm Gladwell, “10,000 hours is the magic number of greatness.” Millions of people have followed this blueprint throughout history, so rely on your hands-on experience when picking a topic and invest time into practicing the art of writing to excel. It’s not about creating a masterpiece from the get-go but rather stringing together a draft that you can then refine. – Bas Kooijman, DHF Capital S.A.
18. Provide Thought Leadership Based On Your Top Skills
Think about what your top skills are and provide thought leadership around these items. You don’t have to be a great writer, but you do want to focus on what makes you shine. Your readers will appreciate the journey you’ve been on, and they will take something away that is applicable to them. – Leslie Anne Morris, Invest in the Smoky Mountains
19. Understand Your Unique Value Proposition
My top tip would be to start by identifying your unique perspective. What sets you apart from others in your industry? Once you have a clear understanding of your unique value proposition, focus on crafting your message in a clear, concise and compelling way. Don’t worry about being the perfect writer; instead, prioritize communicating your ideas in a way that resonates with your audience. – Samuel Johnston, nth Venture
20. Write For Five Minutes Daily
Start with believing that your learnings matter. Practice writing daily at a set time for five minutes and work yourself up to more. Even if it is one sentence or one paragraph a day, those words quickly add up. Daily rituals can make a big difference as you start being more intentional with your writing. As humans, we all have life experiences others can learn from in similar situations. – Emilia D’Anzica, Growth Molecules
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