Own your expertise and be bold enough to share it. Use these 5 tips to become a thought leader in your niche.

One of the biggest challenges many business owners face in entrepreneurship is fully and confidently stepping into the role of a leader, regardless of whether they’re connecting with clients or employees and team members.

Especially in the corporate world, many of us are conditioned to collaborate and blend into the background–NOT stand out. But this mental barrier only prevents small business owners and entrepreneurs from establishing themselves as authorities in their field.

5 Key Elements Of A Real Thought Leader, One That People Listen To

1. Hone in on your core skills

Many entrepreneurs fall into the trap of wanting to sell a vision of themselves before they’ve defined what it is that they’re after, beyond recognition.

Are you a top notch strategist, an effective communicator, a savvy planner? The first step to becoming a thought leader is figuring out where your expertise lies. This is the platform that will support your message and your work.

Only once you’ve truly mastered your craft and feel confident in your skills will people begin to listen to what you have to say.

2. Aim to add value

As consumers in an oversaturated market, your followers (and I don’t just mean in social) are forced to choose what they retain and what truly matters to their success.  

This is why adding value has become a lot more than a cliché: If you’re only ever talking about you, your audience will always tune out. After all, you’re the main character in your story, but they’re the main character in theirs. Your accomplishments are inspiring, but the truth is that whenever a potential client or follower finds you, they’re looking to solve a problem of their own.

When you take the time to listen to your followers, study their needs and address their real pain points, you become the resource they’ve been after. Not just someone else trying to sell to them, but someone who’s invested in supporting their success. And they become invested in you.

Curious how to do this? I recently covered Donald Miller’s StoryBrand framework in The 5 best business books you need to read STAT 

3. Talk the talk (and walk the walk)

You’ve probably seen it all over your feed. Many so-called business leaders and gurus and sales ninjas play by “Do as I say; not as I do.” They talk big about their proven methods, their guaranteed strategies, sharing empty promises and results that sound juuust a little too good to be true. And at the end of the day, they have no results to show.

As a business owner, your reputation is priceless. Being a thought leader means leading by example and ensuring that your business and life are in line with what you present to the world. 

This is the key in demonstrating that you’re willing to put in the same that you’re asking from your followers. No double standards, no sugar coating it: You trust your own expertise enough to do the work yourself because you know it’s the right thing.

4. Present yourself consistently

You know how everyone thinks Shark Tank when they think of venture capitalists? That’s because they’ve put a face to the unknown that is venture capital. They’ve made an art of venture capital and brought it to the spotlight for people to see outside the startup world. 

I’m willing to bet that any business the Shark Tank lot invests in has no problem securing other investors. Why? Because they show up consistently and prove time and time again that they know their stuff. They’ve become thought leaders in startup culture with their sharp remarks and straightforward approach.

Emily Thompson, podcaster and multi-business owner from Being Boss, can often be heard saying, “Consistency breeds legitimacy.” 

You make yourself memorable when you present yourself in the same way in every space that you do. In doing so, you’re opening the space and making it easier for your voice to be heard. 

5. Be true to yourself

Above all, being true to your values and owning yourself, combining who you are with your unique skills, is really the cherry on top of thought leadership. Your essence is the one thing no one will be able to take away from you, no matter how hard they try.

As Paul Jarvis, author of Company of One; Why Staying Small is the Next Big Thing for Business, says, “Being vanilla isn’t going to work. A Company of One has to be the pistachio ice cream of their market.” In practice, this means that you can either choose between being vanilla ice cream, the safe choice for many; or being pistachio, the unequivocal choice for a few. In other words, being the pistachio ice cream means sticking to your guns and scaring a few (or a ton of) people off. This is good; your most loyal followers will be a select few raving fans, just like those who love pistachio ice cream ;)

Becoming A Thought Leader Starts With Owning Your Gift Of Knowledge

Establishing yourself as a thought leader is the art of crafting your brand around the notion that you are, indeed, an expert in your field. That your opinion is worth listening to.

Once you embrace your own strengths (and weaknesses!) as an entrepreneur, you’re able to tap into a new-found confidence that makes others listen when you speak. Your opinions become relevant and your followers engage and seek your voice among the noise that’s online business because they trust that you’re a sound resource in your niche.

Ready to own your expertise and become a thought leader?

Kiva Slade is the CEO and Founder of The 516 Collaborative.

She is a Certified Online Business Manager® who partners with mid 6-7 figure business owners serving as their confidante, voice of reason and manager of all things operations, teams, and projects.

Kiva holds a Master's degree in Public Administration and has operated her own jewelry business. Her 20 years of experience run the gamut from Legislative Director for a member of Congress to chief encouragement officer for her teenage children.

In her free time, you can find her indulging in gluten free desserts, playing in the dirt in her garden, or with a good book.