You are a thought leader

Don’t worry about followers or retweet or likes or page views.

None of that really matters anyway.

What you know, what you’ve learned, what you believe – that’s what makes you a thought leader.

What you’ve done is worth its weight in gold to those who haven’t done it yet.  What’s worked (and particularly what’s not worked) for you is more important than textbooks, more important than trade publications, more important than an MBA whose half-life is shortening by the day.

Maybe you don’t have time to share.  Don’t feel like you’re a good writer.  Don’t feel like enough people are listening.

That’s a marketing challenge.  And you should know by now there’s a huge difference between value and amplification.

Your direct experience makes you a thought leader.  Every single one of you.  Some maybe more than others based on experience, but certainly not based on reach.

There are plenty of blow-hards with reach.  I’d argue that your experience, your lessons learned, your insights may be multitudes more valuable than those with multiples of your reach.

So, which of you is the real thought leader?  The one with the reach, or the one with the value?

Don’t sell yourself short.  Don’t assume your insights and value are based on who’s listening.

You are a thought leader.  Teach us. Believe me, we’re listening.