What’s your shtick?

There are almost 7 billion people in the world so if you plan to become a recognised thought leader, even within a fairly narrow professional field or industry, you need a shtick. This is your ‘thing’: the expertise you become known for and potentially some aspect of your presentation that helps you stand apart from your competitors. An example is James Strong, the Qantas director and former CEO who is well known for his business leadership skills and penchant for wearing bow ties. There are plenty of respected business leaders, but few of them wear bow ties. That makes him memorable.

Find your voice

In addition to visual hallmarks such as bow ties, Steve Jobs’s black shirts and jeans or Malcolm Gladwell’s crazy hair, it’s vital to find your voice — in writing and in speech. Voice is one of the greatest assets held by Barack Obama, for instance. From his preacher-inspired cadences and mellifluous delivery to his metaphorical vocabulary, he has a distinctive style. Obama’s thought leadership area is governance of the American state and his voice is almost always calm and considered yet engaged.