Genius Cuts (🎙️)
Helping B2B Brands Be Great at Podcasting
Ever felt like thought leadership is cringey? Me too. This article sent me down a spiral of why so many thought leadership strategies need an upgrade. Because I guarantee your voice needs to be heard. Read on for a 3-step framework to help level up your thought leadership strategy.
—Jillian Hoefer, Strategic Lead, Share Your Genius
🌟 Let’s Foolproof Your Thought Leadership
“What makes LinkedIn sometimes feel cringe is everyone self-promoting. They do it to get ahead in their career, not to be helpful. When selfishness is on public display and millions of people are all doing it simultaneously, well, it feels terrible.” - Tim Denning
Not to be helpful.
Not to help our audience. Not to connect with our audience. Just to prove that we’re still here.
But—thought leadership is, in many cases, a necessary part of our job. Whether you’re founding a company, leading a team, growing your following for more business opportunities, or hoping to move into a new role…creating thought leadership content and crafting your personal brand can be extremely helpful.
So…what’s the antidote to this “sick nightmare” that Tim says we’re facing? Is there a way to establish an authentic, focused thought leadership strategy that actually achieves your goals?
💡 The 3-Step Framework
The best way to add value to your voice and find your corner in a (very) crowded marketplace is to start with you. Not your business. Not your goals.
1. Your Mission
What do you want to achieve? What are your unique strengths that impact those around you?
This one sentence should feel true to every facet of your life (or at least, it should feel like every facet of your life could align to it, with a healthy dose of intentionality and discipline). It is not career-oriented.
👉 Example: To help others realize that they have a unique story to tell
2. Your Goals
A mission statement is an amazing foundation, but sometimes it can feel a little…fluffy. So, it’s time to reflect: exactly how are you going to ensure that your mission is lived out? Set a few goals that tie back up to your mission (start with 2-5).
These goals should feel actionable—things you can tangibly say yes, I achieved this or no, I’m not quite there yet over time.
👉 Example: Teach people how to use video and audio to share their unique stories
3. Craft Supporting Messages
From your goals, you can start crafting messages that help you achieve each of them.
AKA, this is your easy content calendar. You can use the flow chart below to jumpstart your creativity and create authentic, focused messages that roll up to your mission.
👉 Examples: How to film better video at home; best practices for starting a podcast; tips to help you gain more confidence behind the camera
💡 Each of these “messages” can be its own post or piece of content, OR they can easily become a series.
🗯 So…Can You Do Thought Leadership Well?
The answer isn’t only a resounding yes—it’s a necessity. Because your voice adds value. And if you approach your content creation with authenticity and focus, you won’t just be another voice in the cacophony. You’ll be adding the value only you can add.
It’s important work. Now, go get started. We’re here to support.
Link up with us on LinkedIn, we’d love to follow your thought leadership journey. Need help with your thought leadership strategy? Drop us a line.