The characteristics of a thought leader

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I have identified some of the broad characteristics of a thought leader as follows.

A thought leader is someone who:

1.      Expert – is an expert in their field and has a unique point of view

2.      Shares information – is willing to engage with and share insights and information with their audiences through speaking, social media, writing, mainstream media, etc

3.      Big picture – is refreshingly candid and understands the bigger picture and where they and their brands fit into their consumers’ lives and how they can add value or insights to their consumers beyond merely selling them a product or service

4.      Passionate – believes passionately in what they do or the space which they occupy

5.      Social responsibility – sometimes feels a moral or social responsibility to deliver something of value to the community in which they sell or operate 

6.      Expects nothing in return – Is prepared to engage with their stakeholders and share information and insights and literally expect nothing in return in the immediate future

7.      Values based – has long-term vision and often secures their space by anchoring their business in values-based behaviour which shows an understanding of their most important audiences

8.      Motivates – is able to motivate people to look at and to do things differently.

Please let me know if there are any other characteristics I should add to this list  

4 Responses to “The characteristics of a thought leader”

1. ENBdavies says:

   August 24, 2009 at 14:34

   Perseverance should be added.
2. craig says:

   August 24, 2009 at 22:56

   Couldn’t agree more ENB. You’re spot on. In my book, Brand Stand: seven steps to thought leadership, I talk about short term and long term thought leadership. The truly enduring thought leadership campaigns are the longer term ones which by their very nature require perseverance. I use Dupont as an example of a company which early on identified the need to really embrace sustainability as a thought leadership position. This was in the 90s when very few people were talking about it. They persevered to such an extent that it is now embedded in their company values, mission and vision.
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