The Thought Leaders Practice: Do work you love with people you like the way you want

Valuing your expertise inspires you to keep thinking and keep working on your ideas and making them better. It also leads to the personal conviction and belief that others are looking for in a trusted advisor.

Also, never ever have your primary delivery mode on your business card. Every time we meet someone who has ‘coach’ or ‘trainer’ on their business card we cringe. This labels you — unfortunately — as being only able to deliver in just that one mode. You need to establish your expertise above the mode of delivery — and demonstrate that you have the c

There’s an old saying, tell ‘em what you’re going to say, say it, then tell ‘em what you’ve said.

Write so that even someone new to your topic can comfortably follow your thinking and absorb your ideas.

The tell channel is mainly about content. The show channel is mainly about concept. The ask channel is mainly about context.

Thought leaders need to stabilize their cash flow and grow revenue more quickly by diversifying how they deliver the information they provide.

Tell — where you deliver great ideas through stories and examples. Show — where you deliver great ideas through a learning process. Ask — where you deliver by asking questions that lead people to your ideas.

There are three broad personal communication channels. Knowing which part of your ideas to share, in which mode, is critical to ensuring how you get your message to your market.

We ask ourselves three things before we take on a client. First, can we get excited by their vision by and what they are up to in their business? Second, do we want to hang out with them, are they someone we would like to catch up with for a coffee? And finally, can we make a significant, strategic contribution? If we don’t say yes to all three, th