What Is Thought Leadership Consulting?

By Jennifer Maloney Adab

I started my career as a newspaper reporter before moving into traditional public relations in 2005. At that time, most people intuitively understood what my job was. After having two kids — a lifestyle change that led me to sell my boutique PR agency — a colleague sold me on the idea of consulting in thought leadership for CEOs and executives.

Having worked with company leaders in traditional PR for more than a decade, the idea of diving deeper into their personal and professional paths intrigued me. So in 2018, when I was offered an opportunity to oversee the executive brand of one of the most high-profile executives in my city of Vancouver, Canada, I intentionally made the leap. 

I’ve now been exclusively consulting in thought leadership for top CEOs and executives in the USA and Canada for nearly six years. Here’s what I’ve learned about thought leadership consulting: 

A CEO’s Online Reputation Impacts Business In The Real World 

New research by Data Reportal, a digital reference library, recently revealed 17 years of our adult lives may be spent online by the time we reach 80 years old. With so much of our daily experiences happening online, it’s critical company leaders are intentional about architecting their online presence. 

It’s commonplace for consumers, investors and potential employees to look up an organization and its leaders before engaging with a brand. If company leaders aren’t proactively influencing their online narrative, the first page of Google is deciding what their first impression on these important stakeholders will be. 

Thought leadership consultants ensure the digital thumbprint of the CEOs and executives they represent is intentional. We identify the most relevant areas of expertise and tap into their authentic life experiences and leadership style to create a content strategy that humanizes company leaders and communicates to stakeholders what they stand for. 

Tapping Into Personal Experiences Builds Credibility & Trust  

More than 2,500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube alone every minute. With so much content being generated online, espousing business “how tos” or generic leadership tips isn’t going to establish a CEO or executive as a thought leader. 

To be effective, thought leadership needs to get personal. I kick off every engagement with my clients with an Oprah-style interview. We dive into their personal story; what experiences have shaped their professional path and what has influenced them along the way. 

The content themes and correlating narratives we ideate are all rooted in the leader’s unique lived experiences. Not only does this process make it impossible for competitors to duplicate the content we create, but it builds relatability and trust amongst stakeholders. Anyone can share best practices, but people want to learn from leaders they can empathize with.

When a leader shares one of the biggest mistakes they’ve made in their career and what they learned from the fall out, it shows humility and vulnerability and makes room for potential stakeholders to feel a stronger sense of connection to them. 

Thought Leadership Returns Come From Consistency 

Building and managing a leader’s reputation is a long-term investment. You don’t have to be the most prolific LinkedIn user or dominate every podcast and headline, but you do have to be consistent. 

Not only is it important that leaders maintain a realistic cadence of relevant content, but their communication, actions and interactions on and offline have to be consistent with their personal brand. 

We’ve seen many examples of CEOs and leaders going viral for contradicting the values they or their brands espouse. For thought leadership to be successful, the words and actions of leaders need to align in private and in public. When we see continuity in a leader’s character we’re more likely to be influenced by them, particularly when their personal brand positively reinforces the values of the organizations they represent. 

Investing in thought leadership for your CEO or company leaders won’t result in sales or increased revenue overnight. If done well, however, it can build long-term credibility that results in real-world opportunities that bring immeasurable value.