Page 58 - Ignite Change: Unleashing thought leadership - A roadmap to thougth leadership

Thought leadership is not about self-promotion

Never use your platform to promote yourself or your products and services. This will
destroy your credibility and shut down the goodwill you have worked hard to build. If

you deliver a good service or have a great product and if you continue to help others

through delivering key insights and excellent content, you will build trust (and the
business will flow from that). Thought leadership is not about making sales, it is

about building relationships.

Figure 22 Quote by Jeff Bezos

What is an online persona?

In this digital age, almost everyone has a personal brand. If you have any social
media account – FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and the list continues –

you have a personal brand. This is your online persona and whether you like it or

not, people will judge you based on what they see online.

As a thought leader, you will need to develop an online persona that is aligned to
your personal vision. An online persona is essentially the digital version of yourself,

which is accessible to others through online media. It’s critical to be aware of your
digital footprint and to actively manage your online persona.

Remember, it isn’t the holistic picture of who you are. Rather, it is your best
representation of yourself and what you would like to be known for. This is where

you can get creative and have some fun, because you get to frame your story and

craft your online persona.

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