Thought Leadership - Mazlan Abbas

Speaking at a technical conference is often daunting for many speakers as they invest their time and resources without any monetary compensation. However, the benefits of presenting at such an event are numerous and go beyond financial gain. Here are some of the benefits:

Establishing Personal Brand: One of the most significant benefits of speaking at a conference is the opportunity to showcase one’s skills and expertise, which can help to build and solidify a personal brand.
Public Relations: Speaking at a tech conference is a great public relations opportunity that can help promote your brand and bring new business opportunities.
Networking: These events provide an excellent opportunity to network with peers, establish new connections, and build lasting relationships that can be valuable in the long run.
Promotion and Recognition: Speaking at a conference can help you gain exposure and recognition within your industry and provide a platform to promote your services or products.
Engaging with a Diverse Group of People: Engaging with a diverse group is one of the most valuable aspects of speaking at conferences. It allows you to meet and learn from individuals from different backgrounds and cultures, expanding your perspective and knowledge.
Giving Back to the Community: Finally, speaking at a conference is a chance to share your knowledge and expertise with others, contributing to the community and leaving a lasting impact.

Speaking at a technical conference provides many benefits beyond financial gain. It can help establish a personal brand, provide public relations opportunities, network with peers, gain recognition and exposure, engage with a diverse group, and give back to the community.

Who is a thought leader? A thought leader has significant influence and credibility in their field of expertise. They are often well known and admired by the people they influence. They may be the subject of books and articles, but more importantly, they impact other people’s lives. Think of people like Gary Vaynerchuk, Simon Sinek, or Tony Robbins. They are all thought leaders.

How to become a thought leader?

It’s simple. All you have to do is spend your time and effort reading the best thinkers in your field. As you read, you’ll notice that most of them have the same basic things in common. They are all well-educated, they’ve thought deeply about their subject matter, and they’re usually knowledgeable.

In addition, you’ll find that they’ve created an intellectual community around their ideas. They share their thoughts, which helps them understand themselves, their ideas, and their impact on others. Finally, they’re constantly pushing the boundaries of their thinking.

Why is it essential to be a thought leader?

In business, being a thought leader can be a potent tool. If you want to succeed in your business, you need to become one. You need to think out of the box and develop new ideas that others may not have considered. It is essential to become a thought leader because it will give you a competitive edge over others.

When you are a thought leader, you can influence others in your industry. If you can influence other people, then this means that you can get their attention and even persuade them to adopt your ideas. For this reason, being a thought leader can be a potent tool. But how do you become a thought leader? There are many ways to go about doing this, but there are also certain traits that you need to possess.

What makes a good thought leader?

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about what makes a good thought leader. And I came up with some thoughts that are worth sharing in my humble opinion.

Here’s the list:

Know your audience and be yourself. This is so obvious. But I don’t know how many people take it seriously. The more you know your audience, the better you tailor your message to their needs.

And if you are not who you are, you might as well not exist. This is one of the reasons why I like to say that you should write your own book and be your own publisher.

If you want to get a book published, you need to have something valuable to share. So, be yourself. That is the only way to get it right. Know your audience and be yourself. Be the best at what you do. Have a clear vision for what you want to accomplish.

But don’t ever stop learning. And if you can’t find your niche, create one. One of my favorite quotes is, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” This means that you must first be the change you wish to see in yourself. So, be the change you want to see in yourself.

How Can I Be a Thought Leader in My Niche Area? Click To Tweet

How can I be a thought leader in my niche area?

As a writer, there are many ways you can develop your thought leadership. Here’s a simple guide:

Find the most influential people in your niche. These people are often leaders in their industry. They write books, articles, and they’re active on social media. Find the most influential marketers in your niche if you’re a marketer.

Follow them on social media. Most of these people have a blog or a Twitter account to share great content. They’ll probably follow you back.
Read what they publish. The more time you spend reading their content, the more you’ll be able to incorporate it into your own.
Write something unique. Don’t just copy and paste what they write.
Write something that makes your audience think, “I need to read this.”
Get the attention of these influencers. You can do this by writing a guest post on their blog or sharing their social media content.
Once they start following you, ask them to review your book or article. The more people you get to review your work, the better.
Finally, ask them for some feedback. They’ll appreciate the opportunity to help a writer improve their craft.

How can I achieve being a thought leader?

Here are some tips to get started:

Be the person others want to follow. This might seem like a cop-out, but you have to think about this from the other person’s perspective. You want to be the person they look up to and admire.
It’s tough to be someone else’s role model.
Focus on the positive There are so many things in your life that are great, but you just need to focus on those. When I first started looking at my life this way, I was amazed by how better I felt.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Focus on what you can control.
Have a plan of action and stick to it. If you set yourself up to fail, you’ll fail.
Think about the best version of yourself.
Know your strengths and weaknesses.
Understand that everyone has their own journey.
Don’t be too hard on yourself.
Believe in yourself and know that you are enough.
Take time for yourself.
Get out there and do something that you love.

I used most of the tips mentioned above, and that’s how I achieved from zero to an Internet of Things (IoT) influencer within less than a year. I wrote two eBooks regarding IoT – IoT Notes and Your IoT Journey.