Building a strong thought leadership presence can help leaders and brands open doors to new partnerships, strengthen their reputation, and differentiate their expertise in a crowded market. But becoming a recognized thought leader requires strategy, credibility, and a clear point of view.
Below, Fast Company Executive Board members share their proven strategies to help leaders and brands establish meaningful thought leadership. Follow their recommendations to craft an effective approach and measure its impact.
1. PUBLISH VALUABLE, ORIGINAL CONTENT.
One strategy to build thought leadership is creating valuable, original content, like a podcast. Our company podcast engages experts, shares insights, and strengthens our brand’s position as a trusted authority. Success is measured through audience growth, engagement, and industry recognition, including a recent industry award. – Marija Zivanovic-Smith, IEX
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2. LEVERAGE AI AS A THOUGHT PARTNER.
Use AI as a strategic thought partner. Instead of asking it questions and hoping it can reason for us, we should flip the script and have it ask us questions. Specifically, we should do four things: 1. Give LLMs context, 2. give it a role, 3. ask it to interview you, and 4. give it a task. You have a Ph.D.-level thought partner available for you to use 24 hours a day—don’t miss the chance! – Michael Aaron Flicker, XenoPsi Ventures
3. SHARE INSIGHTS IN MEDIA OUTLETS.
I’ve seen firsthand how thought leadership can spark conversations, build trust, and make a measurable impact. By sharing valuable insights in top media outlets and on LinkedIn—not just to get noticed but to be credible and transparent—the results speak for themselves: engagement, media coverage, and investor interest. In an industry built on trust, staying visible and authentic is a must. – Scott Lyman, Belhaven Biopharma
4. COLLECT AND PUBLISH ORIGINAL DATA.
Original data establishes a brand as a trusted authority and demonstrates expertise that sets it apart. This strategy provides genuine value to audiences, showcases industry knowledge, creates citable content, and can support unique perspectives. Brands can measure success through multiple metrics, including lead generation, media coverage, and content engagement. – Cynthia Price, Litmus
5. TAKE A UNIQUE STANCE.
Building thought leadership requires a unique message and perspective that demands attention and cuts through the noise of corporate speak. Take a stance that will actually help people and get them to trust you because you’re saying something different. There are already plenty of “yes people” in business, so instead of catering to your audience, tell them what they’re doing wrong and how to fix it. – Elliott Parker, Alloy Partners
6. SPEAK ON STAGE AND IN THE PRESS.
One strategy I’ve used is speaking on stages, joining podcasts, and being interviewed in the press. Speaking on stages has served me well, positioning me as an expert, boosting my credibility, and connecting me with diverse audiences. You can measure success through more engagement, growing followers, and media mentions, showing how your influence is expanding. – Victoria Chynoweth, Victoria Chynoweth
7. EMBRACE ‘RADICAL CURIOSITY.’
One strategy leaders can use to build thought leadership is embracing “radical curiosity” through public questioning rather than answering. This approach succeeds because it demonstrates intellectual humility while engaging audiences in meaningful dialogue. Companies implementing this strategy have measured success through higher financial returns and greater innovation rates. – Karen Gilhooly, True North Collaboration
8. AMPLIFY YOUR CONTENT WITH A STRONG PROMOTIONAL STRATEGY.
Once you’ve developed and published your authentic and informative insights, amplify them with an integrated promotional strategy. Drive social media conversations by packaging your insights onto shared media channels, creating blog posts, POVs, or other owned content, diving deeper into the topic of your content piece, and leveraging your published pieces to secure earned media opportunities. – Bonnie Moss, Moss Networks
9. SHARE AN ORIGINAL VIEWPOINT ON EMERGING TRENDS.
To build thought leadership, consistently share in-depth, research-backed insights on emerging trends through highly visible channels. Rather than simply recycling what’s already out there, show up with an original perspective—backed by data, case studies, or hands-on experience—that challenges assumptions and sparks lively conversation. – Eddy Vertil, Vertil & Company
10. CHALLENGE EXISTING PERSPECTIVES TO SPARK CONVERSATION.
Challenge perspectives and spark conversations around your insights. Create content that addresses misconceptions, shares bold ideas, and is backed by real data or experience. This builds credibility and engages your audience. Success can be seen in how your ideas shape conversations, influence decisions, and open doors to collaboration. – John Hall, Calendar
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11. USE YOUR PLATFORM TO BRIDGE OPPORTUNITY GAPS.
Ensure your strategies are grounded in responsibility, not just in sentiment, but through action. Bridge opportunity gaps with guided development, succession planning, and community investment. Through mentorship programs and by speaking at events, you amplify your expertise and credibility in your field while fostering connections, which shows the commitment, values, and purpose behind your work. – Larry Brinker Jr., BRINKER
12. HAVE AN ‘ALWAYS-ON’ DIGITAL CAMPAIGN.
An “always-on” digital and social campaign keeps your brand visible through consistent content, targeted ads, and thought leadership pieces. Success is measured by engagement—clicks, shares, comments—and audience growth, fostering trust, credibility, and long-term influence across social platforms, search engines, and industry-relevant digital spaces. – Bryan Whitaker, Statara Solutions
13. UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY OF YOUR SPACE.
Credibility is a critical ingredient of trust—your most important asset in this kind of work. Nothing can replace doing the legwork to understand the roots, history, and evolution of your thought leadership space. Shortcutting this will ensure a weak foundation for your recommendations and solutions! And…give credit to the luminaries of the past when you build on their models and frameworks. – Steven Kowalski, Creative License (TM) Consulting Services
14. LEAD CULTURE INITIATIVES.
We live in a time where brand and culture are heavily intertwined. Leading the cultivation of a healthy company culture is the best definition of leadership. At my culture agency, we measure 10 key KPIs, but the number one measurement for culture as thought-leadership is Trust in Leadership (TIL). If you have trust, you have loyalty. Loyalty in today’s world is pure gold. – Gretchen Fox, MTO Agency
15. TAKE TIME TO LEARN ABOUT DIVERSE TOPICS.
One thing that helps is the curiosity to understand and learn about different domains, teams, functions, and even reading about diverse topics. Over time, this will help one see things and problems holistically and equip one to connect the dots. The measurement of success is the value and impact your idea achieved after execution. – Ruchir Nath, Dell Technologies
16. CONNECT, SHARE, AND ENGAGE ON LINKEDIN.
I’ve found LinkedIn to be a powerful tool for building thought leadership. As a CEO, being the face of your company means engaging diverse topics and audiences, including employees, partners, and customers. The key is to build your network through personalized connections and share consistent content to elevate your brand. These connections also help flatten the organization, giving people direct access to you. – Jed Ayres, ControlUp
17. SPEAK TO REPORTERS ON BREAKING NEWS TOPICS.
Sharing insights with reporters on breaking news (sometimes called “rapid response”) keeps thought leaders and their companies relevant. When done authentically — adding valuable insights to the topics rather than trying to cram promotional company messaging into responses—brands can earn more awareness in national and trade publications, boosting organic search results and SEO value of your website. – Shannon Tucker, Next PR
18. GET INVOLVED IN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.
Leverage your membership in associations and professional societies, including leadership positions and content creation. It is a great way to show subject-matter expertise, develop presentation and communication skills, and gain the imprimatur of peer review and approval. – Erin Fuller, MCI
19. PACKAGE YOUR IDEAS INTO A REPEATABLE FRAMEWORK.
The best thought leaders don’t just share opinions—they build frameworks that others can apply. Instead of vague insights, package your expertise into a repeatable system (think “First Principles” or the “Top Goal Framework”). When people can use and share your methodology, your influence scales beyond your own reach. Success isn’t just engagement—it’s when your ideas take on a life of their own – Hope Horner, Lemonlight
20. EMBRACE YOUR ROOTS.
One of the best ways to build brand thought leadership is to embrace your roots. When you tap into the unique aspects of your brand, you’ll come across as more authentic and trustworthy. For instance, when I came to my current company to help refresh its 40-year-old image, we didn’t shy away from our history. Instead, we celebrated our deep expertise to go head-to-head with competitors. – Jacqueline Woods, Teradata
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