The 5 Best Ways to Communicate as a Thought Leader

A thought leader is someone who is a trusted expert in the industry. Building this trust and expertise takes years. Thought leaders are often required to speak at events, share expertise, and lead their
chosen industry. Here are some simple techniques that thought leaders apply to engage their audiences.

1. Tailoring your message to the audience
   Let’s say you want to speak about the same topic to two different groups of people. One of the most important approaches through which thought leaders get their audience to listen is by speaking at the level of the audience. This might be common knowledge, but the audience is in the process of drawing out “What’s in it for me”. By tailoring your message to the audience, you can engage them and motivate them to take action. For example, let’s say you’re talking about single-use plastic to a general audience, or maybe students from the general streams. They will not be able to understand scientific terminology or technical terms. So rather than using terms such as ‘polymers’ if you would define it as plastic that is discarded after being used only once. They are called disposable plastic and are commonly used in packaging. Straightforward statistics is a good way to bring home the point – 1. Or “An estimated 4 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide each year”. Or, if nothing changes, it is estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.                                                                                                                  
2. Telling a story                                                                                                                     One of the best ways to communicate as a thought leader is to tell a story. A story doesn’t just convey the essence of your message. It takes your audience into the scene and helps them experience and feel the events you are narrating. This makes them fully engaged. Like when you start with a sentence – “It was a warm full moon night, yet a gentle breeze blew across the plains. In the distance was the coast, you could see the lights of the ship glimmering in the distance”.                                                                                                                                   
3. Use clear and concise language
   A lot of times, technical terms might confuse or alienate your audience. It is better to use short sentences and direct statements that precisely convey the meaning.                                                              
4. Active listening
   Speaking as a thought leader is about not just speaking all the way but listening actively to your audience. That’s not only a way for feedback, but also for taking important cues. In public speaking, you may ask close-ended questions with a Yes/No answer, or say, ‘raise your hand if…you agree with this’. If your audience group is small, you might be able to address their concerns individually.                                                                                                             
5. Seeking feedback
   Feedback helps you identify what the audience thinks of your message. You can seek feedback from various sources like mentors, peers or clients. Feedback may be collected along the way or at the end of your presentation. Find out what works most effectively in your situation.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              In the end, thought leadership brings with it great value. Along with the depth of knowledge that you have acquired, your unique style gives you a personal brand and boosts your presence in the industry. It stimulates you to focus on what you know best, and more importantly, to express it clearly and simply. Ultimately, it induces a kind of forward-thinking.