There’s a big difference between personal branding and thought leadership. But they often get confused for each other.
Personal branding: “You” are the rock star. 👩🎤
Thought leadership: “You” are the roadie for the idea. 🎸
Personal branding puts an individual (a “you”) into the spotlight. The individual is the aspiring rock star. You get known for your personal skills, abilities, and even your personality.
As you grow your personal brand, you will:
👀 increase *your* visibility
⭐ elevate *your* reputation.
Thought leadership works differently. It puts an idea 💡 into the spotlight. As thought leadership reaches scale, you will:
👀 increase *the idea’s* visibility
💡 elevate *the idea’s* reputation
When you practice thought leadership, you take a backstage role.
Much like a “roadie” who moves equipment and helps the band look and sound its best.
Thought leadership is about helping the idea look and sound its best.