Leaders play a significant role in building trust between an organization and its stakeholders – whether they are speaking up or staying silent. According to the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer, only 50% of the public trust business. But 79% trust their employer the most. That trust creates an opportunity for leadership.  

Thought leadership programs humanize leaders by making them more accessible and relatable and sparking authentic connections with their teams, customers and communities. These leaders can become credible influencers whose voices people grow to know, value and trust.  

In the past, many brands used thought leadership to highlight organizational values and beliefs. While these topics are still important, today’s audiences expect more. An overly corporate voice or broad messaging without clear industry relevance will likely fall flat. Consumers, employees and investors want to engage with businesses that not only articulate why they exist and what they stand for but also have a strategic vision for the future. An effective thought leadership platform:  

• Showcases internal experts’ authentic, human insights  

• Provides a clear stance and forward-thinking perspective on urgent issues and industry topics 

• Connects back to an organization’s purpose and larger strategic focus areas 

Done well, thought leadership defines your brand’s unique industry expertise, earns internal and external trust, breaks through media noise and delivers clarity in a world flooded with misinformation and overwhelm.  

The following three steps can help organizations develop a strategic thought leadership program.  

1. Break through with a platform that centers on your unique value and strategy 

Before developing content, thoughtfully select the issues your organization will prioritize in its thought leadership program. We recommend considering the following factors when developing a platform:  

• What are the most significant global/national/regional/local issues today?  

• What macro trends and issues are impacting your organization’s industry?  

• What do your organization’s stakeholders care about most?   

• What is your organization’s purpose or mission? 

• What does your organization do or know that others don’t? What problems are you uniquely equipped to solve?  

Let’s look at Patagonia as an example: Patagonia is known for thought leadership that goes beyond brand building. They publish expert analysis on environmental policy, ethical supply chains and climate action. Their CEO letters focus on purpose and perspective over product promotion. That consistency builds long-term trust with customers, employees and decision makers.  

Important considerations:  

AI can be a helpful partner when identifying white space for your thought leadership efforts, but should always be validated by members of your team.  

Organizations considering building a thought leadership platform around a controversial issue should first ensure that your organization has no financial, political or operational contradictions. It can be tempting to organize your thought leadership platform around the trends capturing the most attention today. But authenticity and relevance matter more than virality when developing a sustainable message that resonates with your audience and your organization. 

2. Identify and activate authentic thought leaders and influencers

Selecting whose voices to elevate through thought leadership is as important as identifying the right platform. An executive’s platform should be true to who they are and their personal beliefs. It should also relate to their role within the company.   

Thought leaders don’t need to be members of the C-suite, and not every member of the C-suite needs to be a thought leader. A medical institution may have a highly skilled, specialized physician with the expertise and personality needed for a particular platform (e.g., funding research for a medical condition). On the other hand, there may be a C-suite executive who wouldn’t be as effective or charismatic as a public figure or speaker.  

When selecting a thought leader, look for individuals who can humanize your organization and create connections with others. Pairing the right leader with a strategic thought leadership platform can:  

• Build internal trust with employees and teams  

• Strengthen credibility with customers and partners  

• Differentiate your brand with a real human perspective

No matter who you partner with, communicators can support your thought leaders with coaching to build confidence, consistency and effectiveness across all channels.  

Note:  Organizations will sometimes identify a thought leader first and then work backward to determine the right platform for that leader. This approach makes sense when it’s critical to elevate the visibility of a particular leader.  

3. Develop a cross-channel strategy to amplify your message 

The media and content ecosystem is evolving at an unprecedented pace due to rising AI adoption. However, AI can also be an effective tool to help thought leadership content extend efficiently across channels to reach and engage stakeholders. This could include adapting content for events, media and publications, podcasts, webinars, white papers, social media networks like LinkedIn and more. Repurposing thought leadership content from its original format extends the life of the content, provides third-party credibility, maximizes its impact and reaches new audiences.  

For example, if a thought leader speaks at a conference, an organization could repurpose that content for employees through a town hall meeting, video or internal social media campaign. Thought leadership programs should always extend to internal audiences and give employees an opportunity to support the platform.  

In addition to creating your own content, watch for moments to add your insight to existing industry conversations or current events to connect your expertise to what matters now. Continuously monitoring for an opportunity to participate helps your team engage in conversations in a way that feels timely, not reactive.  

Why thought leadership matters more than ever 

Strategic thought leadership is a powerful way to demonstrate your brand’s purpose, value and vision by supporting:  

• Greater awareness of your organization and its leaders  

• Deeper trust in times of change or crisis  

• Stronger recruitment and retention  

• Clearer differentiation in a noisy media environment  

Authentic, values-driven leadership builds relationships and attracts decision-makers. According to the 2024 Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report, 73% of executives say thought leadership is more effective than traditional marketing for assessing a brand’s value and 49% say it directly influences purchase decisions. Decision-makers spend over an hour each week with thought leadership content on average.

Thought leadership plays an increasingly important role influencing internal and external relationships, shaping industry dialogue and building credibility.  

Beehive helps leaders uncover what matters, find their voice and share it with the right people. Our strategic process ensures your thought leadership connects to your business goals, the media moment and your overall industry.  

Start your thought leadership strategy with us today.