By Catherine Sandland
There’s a difference between being asked to speak because you know a lot and being invited because people genuinely want to hear what you think. Between delivering information and shaping how people see the world.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely a place for subject matter experts and how-to talks. If you’re brilliant at what you do and you can teach others, you’ll get speaking opportunities. Especially if you’re engaging on stage. But it’s a crowded marketplace. Lots of people know their stuff. Lots of people can deliver a solid presentation.
If you’re looking to extend your influence, if you’d love to speak at different venues or be invited as a keynote, you need differentiation. And often, the biggest differentiation is the move from how-to expert to thought leader. From information download to insight and inspiration. From telling people what to do to shaping how they think.
WHAT MAKES A THOUGHT LEADERSHIP TALK DIFFERENT?
A thought leadership talk isn’t about giving people a list of action points, though they might walk away with some. It’s not about teaching them a specific process, though they might learn one. It’s about offering a perspective, an insight, a way of looking at their challenges or their industry or their work that makes them lean in and think differently.
It’s the kind of talk that makes people curious. That starts conversations. That gets you invited back not because you taught them how to do something, but because you changed how they see something.
This is what some people call a signature talk. Something you can take to different organisers and say, ‘This is what I do. This is what I talk about.’ It’s the kind of content that positions you for keynote opportunities because you’re offering something distinct, something that shapes thinking rather than just sharing knowledge.
THE CHALLENGE: MOVING FROM CONCRETE TO CURIOUS
The challenge most experts face is that they’re brilliant at the detail. They know the specifics, the techniques, the processes. But thought leadership lives at a different level. It’s less about information and more about insight. Less concrete, more aspirational. Less familiar, more curiosity-inducing.
So how do you get there?
START WITH WHAT YOU KNOW
You’ve got expertise. You’ve got content. You’ve got things you talk about regularly. That’s your starting point. But now you need to clarify your core idea. You need to distill the essence of what you know into something higher level, something that transcends the detail.
Here’s a process that helps.
Ask: What Is This an Example Of?
Look at your content. Look at what you know. Then ask yourself: what is this an example of? What is this a pattern of? What underlying principle does this illustrate?
Let me give you an example. Imagine you’re an expert on cars. You could do a talk about different makes of motor cars. That’s information. That’s concrete. It’s useful if someone needs to choose a car, but it’s not particularly thought-provoking.
Now ask: what are cars an example of? Well, they’re a type of transport. Suddenly you’re not just talking about cars anymore. You’re talking about different types of transport, of which cars are one option. That’s already more interesting.
But go further. What are different types of transport an example of? They’re methods of getting from A to B. Now you’re talking about movement, about journeys, about the ways we navigate from one place to another.
And what is that an example of? Perhaps it’s about freedom of movement. About autonomy. About the human desire to explore, to connect, to go beyond where we are.
See what just happened? We went from very detailed and concrete to aspirational and abstract. From the familiar to the curiosity-inducing. From information about cars to insight about human nature.
Keep Asking the Question
The trick is to keep asking the question. What is this an example of? What’s the next level up? What’s the bigger picture?
You might identify a pattern across your work. You might spot three core themes that keep emerging. You might find an underlying principle that connects everything you do. (If you want help shaping this into a framework or model, have a look at my earlier blog on making your ideas stick.)
The goal is to move away from the weeds and find the view from above. To see what you know as part of something bigger, something more resonant, something that makes people think rather than just absorb.
WHAT THIS GIVES YOU
When you clarify your core idea at this higher level, several things happen.
First, your talks become more compelling. You’re not just sharing what you know. You’re sharing what you think, what you’ve noticed, what patterns you’ve seen that others might have missed. That’s inherently more interesting.
Second, you become more versatile. A talk about cars only works for audiences interested in cars. A talk about freedom of movement works for almost anyone. The higher you go, the broader your relevance.
Third, you differentiate yourself. There are plenty of car experts. There are far fewer people offering fresh insight about human autonomy and movement. The more abstract and aspirational your core idea, the less crowded the space.
And finally, you create curiosity. People lean in when you offer them a new way of seeing something familiar. They want to know what you know. They want to understand your perspective. That’s the kind of engagement that leads to keynote invitations, to extended influence, to being the speaker people remember.
NOT EVERYONE WANTS THIS (AND THAT’S FINE)
I should say, not everyone wants to be a thought leader. Not everyone needs a signature talk. Sometimes you just need to share what you know in a clear, practical way, and that’s absolutely fine. There’s real value in being the person who can teach others how to do something well.
But if you do want to extend your reach, if you’d love to speak at bigger venues or command a different kind of attention, then moving from how-to expert to thought leader is often the shift that makes the difference.
It starts with clarifying your core idea. With asking what your expertise is really an example of. With finding the level that makes people curious rather than just informed.
That’s where thought leadership begins.
***
Want help clarifying your core idea and developing your signature talk?
Visit www.catherinesandland.com to learn more.