Stop Obsessing Over ‘Thought Leadership.’ Start Obsessing Over Being Useful.
“Thought leadership” has become one of those overused buzzwords that’s lost all meaning. Every other LinkedIn post promises some grand new vision, some “future of X” prediction, some executive announcing that they too have Deep Thoughts about the state of the world. The result? A mountain of ego-driven fluff no one asked for, and no one remembers. Thought leadership without usefulness is just self-promotion. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: people don’t care about your thoughts . They care about their problems. And the leaders who actually stand out aren’t the ones shouting, “Look at my insight!” but the ones consistently saying, “Here’s something useful you can apply right now.” Think about it: A CEO who publishes a checklist to help SMEs cut energy costs earns far more trust than one who writes 1,500 words about “the coming green economy.” A communications director who shares three phrases to avoid in a crisis briefing will be remembered long after the “Top 10 PR Tren...