If you’ve been reading my emails over the past couple of months, then you know how strongly I feel about helping to develop more women thought leaders in the nonprofit sector.
But, the question I probably haven’t answered yet is why you really need to be a thought leader now. So here are 5 very simple yet persuasive reasons why you do, even if you don’t know it yet:
- Thought leaders yield tremendous influence, and have the power to catalyze stakeholders into action. As a nonprofit leader, this can be extremely helpful to you in securing more donations and funding, getting support for policies, attracting new board members, or advancing your mission. I’ve witnessed donors and funders happily write checks to organizations led by thought leaders, specifically because they were excited about the ideas and thinking of the leader.
- Thought leaders have the freedom to explore. In a sector that moves slowly, being a thought leader gives you a free pass to innovate, be disruptive, or simply ponder new ideas, based on your valuable expertise.
- Thought leaders are the go-to resource. As a thought leader, industry peers and the media pay attention to what you are doing, and are hungry for your insights. When they need someone to speak about a particular topic, or to provide commentary on an issue, they are coming to you. Think about all of the talking heads you see on television, sharing their views over and over again. Those people have become the go-to resource, and as a thought leader, that can be you.
- Thought leaders change the world. You likely entered the sector with the goal of changing the world, so let’s do it! Your area of focus may be that one contribution that forever changes the world, or creates a domino effect of other small changes that together, make a change.
- Thought leaders inspire others to become thought leaders. Maybe there are other women just like you, who are contemplating taking the plunge into thought leadership, but resistance is holding them back. Maybe they don’t think they have what it takes. If you jump in, you are setting an example for all of the women and girls that are watching you. You saying yes to yourself gives them permission to do the same.
If any of these key reasons sound good to you, then you may be ready to take the plunge into evolving your own thought leadership platform. We’ve developed the tools to help you make that leap successfully. Join us in October for our inaugural She Roars Master Class or Solo Sessions program. I’m so excited about what we’ve created, and I know it’s just the thing to get you in full-on thought leader mode! If you are ready to roll, and you register by September 7th, you will receive $100 off the Master Class registration fee, or $50 off Solo Sessions.
For information about the She Roars Master Class, Solo Sessions, or our signature 1-1 Training, please contact Jenn Lynn, at [email protected], or call 212.500.5953, x113.
Vanessa Wakeman
CEO, The Wakeman Agency
You excel at learning and executing in a group setting. You love the idea of designing your thought leadership platform, through collaboration with a community of fellow women change makers, who are ready to take the next steps in owning their voice, and sharing their body of work.
You are ready to take ownership of your thought leadership, but working individually suits you best. This program allows you to lead your path- reviewing our training modules at your own pace, whenever you wish to, along with checklists and templates to help you progress.
You wish to go straight to the source, for the most hands on thought leadership training possible. 1-1 work is highly focused, intense and intended for women who are seeking to get to the core of their thought leadership evolution, in the most direct way possible.