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…