Reputations are critical. Leadership and Influence play a major role in building reputation. Reputations do not happen accidentally. A thoughtful leadership and properly planned influence help build reputation. Here is a small guide on how to build reputation through leadership and influence.
Map a path
Reputation for charities, corporations and individuals are built on instincts, perceptions and relationships. Therefore, make a path in these areas.
Develop thought leadership
Thought leadership is expressing ideas through demonstrations. How to develop thought leadership? Demonstrate that you are an expert in a topic or an area or a field. Use social media platforms and content marketing techniques. Mostly thoughtful leadership is built in written format, that is, through books, blogs, etc. Share thoughts in a range of channels such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Also, this can be done through networking events and conferences.
Tips to develop thought leadership
Thought leadership helps to stand out from others. It is more effective for smaller audience. Always stick to the field of expertise while developing thought leadership qualities. Do not try new fields. In the chosen field, scan and push new thinking. Building reputation through thought leadership is time consuming. Have patience. Do not expect the target audience to start listening immediately.
Steps to develop thought leadership
Think beyond your sector: Speak for the community as a whole. For instance, a new rule or policy might have different impacts on your sector and other sectors as well. Consider all the impacts. For instance, Walter Morales is an entrepreneur in finance sector. But he is concerned about global warming and climate change as well.
Latest Issues: Respond promptly to the latest issues. Take a stand. Avoid being diplomatic over an issue. Always one person is right and the other is wrong. Frame the opinion supporting a side. Do not criticize the other.
Say something new: Be creative. Avoid collecting speeches from books and internet. Speak your mind. There is no substitute to real life experiences.
Be genuine: Ensure the opinion made is genuine.