Proving the effectiveness of my thought leadership approach starts with delivering real value. I back up insights with data, case studies, and tangible results, showing clients the direct impact of strategic expertise. Engaging in meaningful industry discussions, publishing authoritative content, and leveraging testimonials further reinforce credibility. Most importantly, I listen—addressing their concerns with tailored solutions, not just theory. Thought leadership isn’t about claiming expertise; it’s about consistently demonstrating it in ways that drive real-world outcomes.

Thought leadership isn’t just about putting out content—it’s about building credibility and trust. I’ve seen firsthand how sharing insights, engaging in industry conversations, and adding value leads to stronger relationships and better business opportunities. It’s not an overnight strategy, but the results speak for themselves. Clients don’t just look for services; they look for expertise they can rely on. When your voice becomes a trusted source, business naturally follows. In my experience, the real impact of thought leadership is measured in trust, influence, and long-term success—not just immediate sales.

Clients doubting your thought leadership approach? It doesn’t even make sense. I blame the overuse of AI generated questions but that issue aside, if someone doesn’t care for your thought leadership they are welcome to follow and work with someone else. Nowadays, people use the term thought leadership to refer to any written or recorded content, but the truth is that you are not practicing thought leadership unless you are sharing your own, original ideas. If you do that and someone doesn’t care for your content, God bless - they are welcome to live a long and happy life without you in it. You were not put on this earth to please everyone!

The root cause could be that you're missing the mark, and this is a good time to be curious. It's a trigger to listen more and understand where the gap is. In 2012, I delivered a speech about the importance of being more flexible with employee technology and moving away from a one-size-fits-all model in IT, and though it got good marks from vendors, it fell flat with the IT leaders in the room. Why? BYOD and allowing for more autonomy so employees could be more productive was perceived to be a waste to an IT leader whose goal was to remove as much cost from the delivery of tech services to employees. This triggered a stream of successful new research on the business value of employee experience. Empathy helps you meet them where they are.

I would not rush in to offer a response. Instead I would probe and understand the aspect of thought leadership that they doubt. Based on their responses I would plan my next step. My usual principle is “if I have one hour to chop down a tree I would spend a lot of that time sharpening my axe”