Promoting and anchoring thought leadership in companies

Being brilliant – and talking about it: Unrecognized masterminds lie dormant in many companies. Once discovered, they can they strengthen the reputation of a company. Such thought leaders are promoted through smart training.

Thought leadership does not happen by chance. They need an environment characterized by trust and innovation. Strategy meetings, marketing campaigns or new technologies are not enough to create true thought leadership.

So what does it really take to create thought leadership?

People who provide orientation.

People who boldly think ahead.

People who make change visible.

But how do you or a company become such a voice? A voice that creates trust, gains visibility and triggers innovation?

The answer lies in targeted learning processes, coaching and a supportive organizational culture that opens up space for thought leadership.

This is exactly where we come in: We support your managers and you as a company in systematically developing and sustainably anchoring these skills.

What does thought leadership mean for companies and organizations?

Definition and meaning: Thought leadership describes the ability to provide orientation and shape discussions through expertise, attitude and clear communication.

The term first appeared in 1994. Joel Kurtzmann, editor-in-chief of “Strategy & Business”, used it to describe people who not only had specialist knowledge, but also the ability to derive new ideas and impulses for the business world from it. And whose thoughts, in turn, were valuable enough to attract attention, initiate discussions and inspire others.

Today, this definition applies more than ever. Anyone who shapes discussions, builds trust and provides orientation is not only perceived as an expert, but also as an authority to be followed.

Thought leadership clearly distinguishes itself from marketing: Marketing wants to sell products. Thought leadership aims to create relevance.

Marketing generates reach, thought leadership builds trust: among customers, partners and employees.

A practical example: While marketing offers a white paper for download, thought leadership shapes the discourse on sustainability through well-founded analyses and a clear stance.

This makes thought leadership a strategic asset and a clear competitive advantage: it positions companies and their experts as credible authorities in their field.

Why is thought leadership crucial?

In an increasingly complex world, customers, partners and employees are looking for one thing above all: orientation. Thought leadership offers exactly that. And it is people who make change and transformation tangible.

Thought leadership works on several levels that are crucial for companies:

Visibility: Making ideas visible shows that change is actually happening. Companies whose thought leaders present relevant ideas and a clear stance are noticed – not only by their customers, but by their entire industry.

Trust: People follow people. Personalities who convince with their expertise and communicate this in a comprehensible manner create credibility in the transformation process.

Innovation and transformation: new perspectives and impulses trigger change. Thought leadership thus opens up new paths in the digital transformation.

This turns the principle of thought leadership into a double engine: externally, a company positions itself as a competent partner that gives its customers orientation and creates trust.

Internally, thought leadership strengthens motivation and togetherness because employees experience that their ideas carry weight. This in turn makes the organization attractive to new talent – a decisive factor in the competition for skilled workers.

How do you develop thought leadership?

Being a source of inspiration is not an innate talent, but a process that can be learned. Especially in phases of change management and digital transformation, it is people who make the difference. People who are willing to share their knowledge and provide guidance.

This is exactly where learning formats come in: They enable employees to become corporate influencers. In other words, personalities who make a visible impact with their specialist knowledge, attitude and clear communication.

We support companies in developing this path step by step. Different approaches are used in the process:

Training & coaching: We support managers and technical experts in actively assuming their role in change. We make new things possible by enabling your employees to become aware of their expertise and communicate it clearly and effectively. This can be as a speaker at an industry event, in the form of a post, a specialist article or in an internal exchange.

Communication formats: With tailor-made learning formats such as workshops, writing training or speaker programs, we support your employees in sharing their expertise with the outside world – and thus helping to shape the digital transformation as corporate influencers.

Support during change: thought leadership becomes part of change management. Our learning formats enable your employees to become multipliers who credibly represent transformation and change.

The result: people who not only have expertise, but also the courage and ability to make it visible, to bring it to the outside world and thus to become a point of orientation. This makes thought leadership the driving force for transformation and the key to making companies fit for the future.

Corporate culture as a breeding ground

For thought leadership to flourish, a corporate culture is needed that makes this possible and rewards courage. Spaces for exchange, discussion and experimentation are important building blocks.

A key element is psychological security: employees must have the confidence to contribute their own opinions and ideas – especially if they do not conform to the mainstream. It is important to make the potential that lies dormant in your own employees visible and to strengthen joint learning and innovation. Internal speaker programs, mentoring initiatives or imaginative learning platforms are suitable for this.

ML Gruppe helps companies to actively develop this culture. Our hands-on learning formats promote exchange, reflection and dialog. This creates an environment in which thought leadership is not only permitted, but explicitly encouraged. In this way, thought leadership becomes part of your corporate DNA – and a real driver for transformation.

Thought leadership in practice

Well-known personalities and companies have shown how thought leadership works. Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, turned complex technology into simple, perfectly designed products with cult status. Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Meta/Facebook, became the face of the global discourse on women in leadership with her book “Lean In”. With transparency, clear political positions and innovative circular models, the outdoor label Patagonia shows that sustainability can be part of the company’s DNA.

But thought leadership is not just reserved for icons. It also arises in medium-sized companies, in teams and among individual employees if they are specifically encouraged. The following examples, best practices and examples show what this looks like in practice.

Example 1: Visibility through positioning as an expert

A technology company wants to make its innovative strength more visible to the outside world. To this end, it launches an internal “experts-for-the-public” program:

• Employees complete media training and writing workshops.
• The best articles are published in industry magazines and on LinkedIn.
• Several experts appear as speakers at conferences.

Best practice: The company gains visibility, is actively asked for ratings by the media and can establish new partnerships.

Example 2: Trust through a clear stance

A service provider in the financial sector responds to new EU sustainability reporting requirements (CSRD). In order to communicate these to its customers in an understandable way, the management decides on a thought leadership strategy. It is made up of these components:

• The management publishes a clear statement on the topic in the company blog and also shares it externally on LinkedIn.
• Company experts explain the changes in a series of webinars.
• In addition, a practical guide with recommendations for action is being developed to support customers directly.

Best practice: The company positions itself as a partner in an uncertain phase and provides clarity. As a result, it gains trust, benefits from stronger customer loyalty and increases demand for consulting services.

Example 3: Innovation through internal thought leadership

An industrial group introduces an internal “mastermind program” to give ideas a platform.

• Employees can present their suggestions at a monthly pitch event.
• A mentoring team of managers and coaches supports the further development of the ideas.
• Promising approaches are given budget and project time to be implemented.

Best practice: New solutions are created for the benefit of the company, for example improved production processes, better services or even new business models. At the same time, employees feel more valued, more involved and part of the transformation.

Thought leadership as part of sustainable transformation

Change is created by people – by personalities who have the courage to think ahead, provide orientation and make change visible.

Companies that specifically develop thought leadership in their team gain twice over: externally, they create visibility, trust and a strong position in the market. Internally, they create motivation, cohesion and a culture in which ideas can grow.

We support you in developing the potential of your employees. With tailor-made training solutions that set knowledge in motion, strengthen skills and make change possible. In this way, thought leadership becomes part of your transformation strategy – and a powerful driver for your future viability.

Thought leadership for your company

Do you believe that there are some future thought leaders in your company? Then let’s go! Let’s create a supportive corporate culture together.