What is a Thought Leader, Anyway?

OK, real talk folks: what on earth is a “thought leader”? Why is that guy with the perfect teeth being revered on Linkedin? Why do we keep retweeting whats-her-face? This question has stuck with me for a while.

According to Wikipedia thought leaders are, “An individual or firm that is recognized as an authority in a specialized field.” It’s one of those “you don’t really need credentials” areas of expertise. A gray area that spans over actual experts to suspicious charismatic stereotypes.

As a content writer, I’ve done many ghostwriting projects for people who consider themselves thought leaders. That means people are reading and responding to my words, but the general public thinks it’s someone else. I am often the words behind the face. It’s an odd feeling, to see people digest my work through someone else’s persona. I try my best to be thoughtful! but it is spooky sometimes. Confusing!

This got me thinking. So much of thought leadership is colorful turns of phrase. We want someone magical to come into our lives and speak the truth, drink their delicious Koolaid, and cut through the bullshit cake of life. And sometimes we find them. There are, without a doubt, thoughtful, wise, beautifully powerful people in the world, perfect for digesting in small pieces or the whole pie. (How many dessert references can I make?)

But those thoughts are regurgitated thoughts by someone else. And Gandhi? He probably heard his profound quotes from his neighbor.

A new, truly original thought is likely not possible. But that doesn’t mean that humans can’t breathe life into old ideas. Dynamic church leaders interpreting the bible, modern meditation techniques from ancient texts, are all relevant and needed by so many people.

A lot of humans, especially in the age of the internet, want to be noticed, smart and special. And sometimes we are. And then we really, really aren’t. There are many thought leaders to look up to (Hello, Dr. Fauci and Bill Gates, I hate that I could only think of two white dudes off the top of my head, but there you have it!), and there are people who want to give you a lot of thoughts, but without the years of context and experience. There are people who want to go viral and people who want to do good, and sometimes those intersect.

It’s an interesting space to be in, being both a thought leader, a beacon of light and wisdom, and your uniquely flawed self.

In other words, how many times should I post on Medium before you to notice me, I ask you?