71:. Kevin Money and Nuno Da Camara of the John Madejski Centre for Reputation at the University of Reading's Henley Management College write that the nebulous nature of the phrase (the unclear nature of "what is and what is not thought leadership") contributes to its reputation among cynics as "meaningless management speak." Some writers, such as Harvard Business Review contributor Dorie Clark, have defended the phrase while agreeing "that it is very icky when people call themselves thought leaders because that sounds a little bit egomaniacal."
47:
From the perspective of a thought leader as the 'go-to expert', being a thought leader means to consistently answer the biggest questions on the minds of the target audience on a particular topic. Thought leaders are commonly asked to speak at public events, conferences, or webinars to share their
33:
A thought leader is a person who specializes in a given area and whom others in that industry turn to for guidance. As the term implies, a thought leader leads others in the thinking around a given topic.
175:
92:, Kelly elicits responses from the audience that exemplify the effect he describes as the result of applying well-known marketing techniques to achieve the impression of being an erudite speaker.
232:
352:
260:
Kevin Money & Nuno Da Camara, Comment: Is thought leadership a cutting edge strategy or meaningless management speak? Financial Times (December 2, 2007).
240:
142:
184:
269:
Why the Term "Thought Leader" Isn't Gross, Harvard
Business Review Ideacast (Dorie Clark interview by Sarah Green Carmichael) (October 1, 2015).
328:
20:
209:
288:
363:
52:
Marketing section article, Patrick Reilly used the term "thought leader publications" to refer to such magazines as
78:
81:
mocked the lifecycle of the role in a satirical column entitled "The
Thought Leader," published in December 2013.
409:
151:
357:
214:
106:
404:
121:
381:
324:
183:
150:
89:
30:
has been described as an individual or firm recognized as an authority in a specific field.
116:
68:
111:
73:
398:
67:
The phrase "thought leader" is identified by some writers as an annoying example of
386:
318:
84:
A parody on the term was published in 2016 by Pat Kelly on
Canadian television's
218:
233:"Attention Thought Leaders and Evangelists: Your Business Jargon Is Annoying"
59:
In the previous decade, the term was revived and re-engineered by marketers.
176:"Council Post: What It Really Means (And Takes) To Become A Thought Leader"
278:
David Brooks, "The
Thought Leader", The New York Times, December 17, 2013.
101:
289:"This deconstruction of all TED Talks is itself the ideal TED Talk"
339:
338:
Frick, Karin; Guertler, Detlef; Gloor, Peter A. (August 6, 2013).
141:Prince, Russ Alan; Rogers, Bruce (March 16, 2012).
362:
208:
88:. In the process of the discussion, imitating
16:Entity recognized as an intellectual authority
340:"Coolhunting for the World's Thought Leaders"
8:
353:"Infosys, Tata Brands Beat Google and Apple"
48:insight with a relevant audience. In a 1990
241:National Federation of Independent Business
382:"Apple tops Google as UK 'Thought Leader'"
210:"'Thought' Magazines Weather Ad Storms"
133:
7:
380:Myslewski, Rik (November 25, 2009).
207:Reilly, Patrick (November 9, 1990).
63:Criticism of the phrase and concept
317:Brosseau, Denise (February 2014).
14:
351:Acharya, Nupur (June 20, 2011).
21:Thought leader (disambiguation)
1:
320:Ready to Be a Thought Leader?
143:"What Is A Thought Leader?"
426:
18:
358:The Wall Street Journal
213:. Wall Street Journal.
174:Biderman-Gross, Fran.
323:. Wiley/Jossey-Bass.
221:– via ProQuest.
107:Charismatic authority
86:This Is That program
19:For other uses, see
50:Wall Street Journal
367:on October 6, 2019
344:COINs13 Conference
122:Opinion leadership
330:978-1-118-64761-5
188:on April 19, 2023
155:on August 7, 2020
417:
410:Systems thinking
391:
376:
374:
372:
366:
361:. Archived from
347:
334:
304:
303:
301:
300:
285:
279:
276:
270:
267:
261:
258:
252:
251:
249:
248:
229:
223:
222:
212:
204:
198:
197:
195:
193:
187:
182:. Archived from
171:
165:
164:
162:
160:
154:
149:. Archived from
138:
425:
424:
420:
419:
418:
416:
415:
414:
395:
394:
379:
370:
368:
350:
337:
331:
316:
313:
311:Further reading
308:
307:
298:
296:
287:
286:
282:
277:
273:
268:
264:
259:
255:
246:
244:
231:
230:
226:
206:
205:
201:
191:
189:
173:
172:
168:
158:
156:
140:
139:
135:
130:
117:Futures studies
98:
69:business jargon
65:
45:
40:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
423:
421:
413:
412:
407:
397:
396:
393:
392:
377:
348:
335:
329:
312:
309:
306:
305:
295:. 10 June 2016
280:
271:
262:
253:
224:
199:
166:
132:
131:
129:
126:
125:
124:
119:
114:
112:Creative class
109:
104:
97:
94:
74:New York Times
64:
61:
44:
41:
39:
36:
28:thought leader
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
422:
411:
408:
406:
403:
402:
400:
389:
388:
383:
378:
365:
360:
359:
354:
349:
345:
341:
336:
332:
326:
322:
321:
315:
314:
310:
294:
293:The A.V. Club
290:
284:
281:
275:
272:
266:
263:
257:
254:
242:
238:
234:
228:
225:
220:
216:
211:
203:
200:
186:
181:
177:
170:
167:
153:
148:
144:
137:
134:
127:
123:
120:
118:
115:
113:
110:
108:
105:
103:
100:
99:
95:
93:
91:
87:
82:
80:
76:
75:
70:
62:
60:
57:
55:
51:
42:
37:
35:
31:
29:
22:
387:The Register
385:
369:. Retrieved
364:the original
356:
343:
319:
297:. Retrieved
292:
283:
274:
265:
256:
245:. Retrieved
243:. 2015-12-03
236:
227:
202:
190:. Retrieved
185:the original
179:
169:
157:. Retrieved
152:the original
146:
136:
85:
83:
79:David Brooks
72:
66:
58:
53:
49:
46:
43:Go-to expert
32:
27:
25:
371:January 11,
405:Neologisms
399:Categories
299:2022-01-12
247:2022-03-30
128:References
77:columnist
219:398185791
90:TED talks
215:ProQuest
192:July 28,
159:July 28,
102:Buzzword
96:See also
54:Harper's
38:Meanings
327:
217:
180:Forbes
147:Forbes
373:2012
325:ISBN
237:NFIB
194:2024
161:2024
401::
384:.
355:.
342:.
291:.
239:.
235:.
178:.
145:.
56:.
26:A
390:.
375:.
346:.
333:.
302:.
250:.
196:.
163:.
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.