Thought Leadership is karaoke nobody asked for.
I've decided to become a Thought Leader.
Step 1: Start every post with "Unpopular opinion:" even though 47,000 people said the exact same thing this week.
Step 2: Share my "framework" for success. It's a Venn diagram. Two circles. Maybe three if I'm feeling ambitious. The circles say things like "Passion" and "Purpose" and overlap in the middle where it says "Profit." Profound stuff. Definitely didn't steal it from a motivational poster at HomeGoods.
Step 3: Tell you about the time I learned something. Maybe from my 6-year-old. Maybe from a barista. The lesson will be about leadership, resilience, or "showing up." You will feel inspired for 4 seconds.
Step 4: Carousel post. Pastel colors. Sans-serif font. Slide 1: "Here's what no one tells you about [insert business buzzword]." Slide 8: Basic advice everyone already knows.
Step 5: End every post with "Let that sink in." or "Read that again." or "Agree? Repost to help others."
Calling yourself a thought leader is like grabbing the karaoke mic when no one's singing and announcing you're the best vocalist in the room. Nobody asked. Nobody cares. Now everyone's looking for the exit.
Everyone has experiences and ideas.
If you have to announce you're a thought leader, you're not one.
You're just loud.
❤️
Jake