Rand Fishkin

The phrase ‘thought leader’ first appeared in 1887 in a description of Henry Ward Beecher, but its meaning has been redefined repeatedly over time. Forbes defines a thought leader as “an individual or firm that prospects, clients, referral sources, intermediaries and even competitors recognise as one of the foremost authorities in selected areas of specialisation, resulting in its being the go-to individual or organisation for said expertise”. Well that’s a mouth full! In simpler terms, thought leaders are knowledgeable and highly respected individuals or organisations in an industry. They are often in high demand by co-workers, colleagues, clients, customers,…