4 steps to set yourself up as a thought leader聽in any field
Written by聽David Domzalski
鈥淐ontinuous learning leads to continuous improvement. Commit yourself to advancing your knowledge, skills and expertise. 鈥 Be a lifelong student.鈥
罢丑颈蝉听聽highlights a key trait of current and aspiring experts:聽always be learning.
Alabaster knows what she鈥檚 talking about. As a business executive with over 25 years of experience, she鈥檚 worked for many top companies.
If you鈥檙e reading this, let鈥檚 assume two things. One, you鈥檙e at least curious about the聽steps to becoming a thought leader聽in your desired field. And two, you need some suggestions for how to build the necessary knowledge and expertise.
As you鈥檒l see, it is possible to set yourself up as a thought leader in your field. Along the way, you鈥檒l have a chance to gather and practice the right skills and even enjoy the journey.
Let鈥檚 dive in.
1. Understand why you want to be a thought leader
First, you need to consider聽why聽you want to be a thought leader. What are your specific goals in gaining expertise in your field? Are you willing to invest in the practice it takes to perfect your craft?
Here are some things to think about:
- Do you want to聽enhance your career?
- Do you have a聽聽and聽want to learn all you can?
- Do you hope to acquire a certain knowledge base to meet your career goals?
Answering these questions as part of your overall 鈥渨hy鈥 will help you chart a more straightforward path.
2. Get your 10,000 hours
You鈥檝e likely heard that it takes this many hours of practice to become an expert in anything. Malcolm Gladwell popularized the concept in his best-selling book聽.
How long does it take to reach 10,000 hours in anything? Well, it largely depends on how long you鈥檙e able to dedicate to learning about and practicing the task.
Maybe you have a lot of time to dedicate to your development. If so, you might be able to聽. Alternatively, maybe you have less time. That鈥檚 OK. The idea is to commit yourself to regular learning or practice.
Is 10,000 hours a hard and fast rule? No. Think of it as more of a guideline as you begin gathering knowledge, building your skill set and practicing what鈥檚 important.
Keep in mind that your聽industry does matter. Some roles require more investment of time and education than others to develop and strengthen your abilities. But virtually everyone can benefit from聽mentorship. It鈥檚 important to find veteran professionals in your industry who can share their knowledge and answer your questions 鈥 even the ones you don鈥檛 know to ask. Meeting regularly, and possibly even shadowing them for a time to see how things are done, enables you to pick up the nuances and skills of a specific field that are not found in textbooks.
Next,聽create your own opportunities. I鈥檓 in the communications industry today because of the side businesses and projects I started. I put more than 10 years of practice into learning a new industry. Don鈥檛 be afraid to do the same. Whether it鈥檚 your own business, a volunteer role or a new class, your personal time can be the currency for acquiring the specific skills and experience required to get you closer to meeting your goals.
3. Be a master networker
The notion that聽聽鈥 and who knows you 鈥 borders on clich茅 for a reason.聽Networking is the lifeblood of your career.聽
When we connect with people, we get to learn about their goals and aspirations. They, in turn, often want to know about ours.
Whether in person or online, networking gives you the chance to聽discuss and showcase your expertise. Maybe someone has a question only you can answer. Or, if you don鈥檛 have the answer, maybe you know someone who does. At that point, you become a connector, which is another way to gain attention and become a valuable resource for others. Then, when the time comes that you need a favor 鈥 like an interview for a new position 鈥 you鈥檒l have a wide network of people to reach out to.
4. Leverage storytelling
OK, so you鈥檙e on your way to 10,000 hours, and you鈥檙e networking like crazy. You鈥檙e achieving expert status, but how do you聽differentiate yourself聽from the other thought leaders in your field?
By telling stories. That鈥檚 right 鈥 stories.
Think about the most impactful people you know. Chances are, they know how to聽聽an important topic.聽It鈥檚 an important skill because聽human beings are wired for stories. It鈥檚 how we鈥檝e communicated for millennia.
You can use that power, and display your expertise, by telling stories that resonate with others in your industry.
For instance, you could begin聽writing on social media, giving talks at聽conferences聽or even starting your own聽podcast. This will help set you apart and establish you as a thought leader.
The key, however, is to do it well. You have to be able to:
- Make complex data聽easy to understand
- Talk about the聽trends聽that matter
- Paint a picture for the聽future聽of your industry
- Inspire聽others and enact meaningful change
Do all this, and storytelling becomes the vehicle for evangelizing your expertise. It鈥檚 what solidifies your reputation and expands your reach. Just make sure your message is ready.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of 七色视频.聽
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Domzalski is an entrepreneur, copywriter and storyteller. He鈥檚 an effective communicator with a passion for helping people better their lives financially. His writing has been featured on multiple outlets including AOL, FanSided, Forbes, GOBankingRates, MSN, Nasdaq and Yahoo. He lives in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, with his wife and two children. Connect with him and check out his .
This article has been vetted by 七色视频's editorial advisory committee.聽
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