Take a look at what your thought leadership says about you. If you’re not happy with what it says, do something about it.
Before we venture out into the world each day, we tend to look at ourselves in the mirror to make sure we look the way we want the world to see us.
When you look in the thought leadership mirror, what do you see in the reflection?
When you look back at your thought leadership over the past year or two, do you show up the way you want the world to see you?
In other words . . .
Does your thought leadership accurately reflect what you bring to the table?
How comprehensive is the content you’re producing? Are you producing content that’s broad in scope? Or are you focused on a niche? If you practice in a niche, your thought leadership should reflect that.
Does your thought leadership offer original insights? Or are you rehashing old ideas? Are you anticipating industry trends? Or are you just reacting to them? If you provide forward-looking advice to clients, your thought leadership should reflect that.
What about the quality of your thought leadership?
Is it powered by research and data? Or are you just riffing?
Is the writing clear and concise? Or is it difficult to read? If you’re known for legal advice that breaks down complex topics so they’re easy to understand, your thought leadership should reflect that.
On a related point, does your writing include a lot of jargon?
That could be a good thing if you’re writing for people in specific industries. You want to use the jargon from their industries when speaking to them because that will convey to them that you’re familiar with their industries. But if you’re using too much legal jargon, you might be driving away consumers of your content.
How consistently are you producing your thought leadership content?
Are you doing it regularly, perhaps weekly, every few weeks, or monthly? Or are you producing it whenever you have something to say, which could be once a quarter or even less frequently?
(Obviously, the more frequently you produce thought leadership content, the more of an authority you’ll appear to be because of how much you have to say about the developments happening within the areas of law you practice and/or the industries you serve.)
Does it seem like you understand your audience?
Does your thought leadership address your target audiences’ concerns about what’s happening in the world and their respective industries? What about their pain points? What about their questions? Does it seem like you know what’s on their minds?
Does your content reflect how you approach your clients’ legal and business issues?
Finally, would your clients walk away from your content thinking that you see the world through their eyes?
For example, if you’re a white-collar defense attorney, are you (politely) calling out overzealous prosecutors?
If you’re an attorney for regulated industries, are you taking a stand against overregulation and in favor of smart regulation?
If you represent injured workers, are you calling out the shenanigans and games that insurance companies often play?
If you don’t like what you see, fix it!
Of course, silence can be deafening.
Your lack of thought leadership creates a perception in the minds of your target audiences about your knowledge, wisdom, and authority — or lack thereof — regarding the work you do.
The good news is that if you’re not happy with your thought leadership reflection, there’s a simple fix.
You can improve the depth of the expertise and authority you convey in your content.
You can improve the quality of your content.
You can improve the frequency and consistency with which you produce that content.
You can improve your ability to address your clients’ pain points, their questions, and the concerns you know are on their minds.
And, you can take a stand more frequently to show your clients that you see the world from their perspective.
How you present yourself in your thought leadership is how clients, referral sources, and other target audiences will perceive you.
It would behoove you to take a long look at yourself in the thought leadership mirror every so often and take note of what you see in that reflection.
Good or bad, it’s highly likely that your clients, referral sources, and other target audiences are going to see you in the same light.
