5 days ago
The Psychology Of Influence And The Making Of A Thought Leader
As a thought leader, earning trust from your audience is essential.
getty
Why are we drawn to thought leaders?
When we hear them speak or read their articles or books, what happens in our brains that spurs us to follow them? It all comes down to the psychology of influence, the subconscious processes that drive audiences to pay attention to what people we respect have to say.
While there's certainly an art to becoming a thought leader, the roots of establishing a connection with your audience are also grounded in neuroscience. Our brains are wired to seek and connect with those who offer valuable insights and guidance.
Research shows that perceived expertise and authority can enhance the persuasiveness of their message by influencing brain activities in areas associated with memory and attitude formation.
The psychology of influence in the thought leadership context is a two-way street, involving both why the thought leader's audience responds positively or negatively, and the keys to how the thought leader can reach and attract people to their persona and message.
As a thought leader, earning trust from your audience is essential to connecting with them. The components necessary in building trust are well defined in The Trust Equatio by David H. Maister, Charles H. Green, and Robert M. Galford.
The Trust Equation uses four objective variables in this formula to measure trustworthiness.
Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy / Self-orientation
Here's what each variable in The Trust Equation means:
Finding ways to emotionally and informationally connect with your audience as a storyteller, in written content or as a speaker, is key. That's storytelling with a purpose, and it will help your audience better understand you and your message. Well-told stories stay with us, especially when those stories move us, recall an experience common to many, or present a solution that relieves pain points that lots of people feel.
Good storytelling as a connector is directly related to neuroscience. A white paper by University of North Carolina professor Heidi Schultz shows how stories create strong connections between speakers and audiences.
Schultz reported that 'fMRI scanning suggests that speaker and listener brain patterns synchronize more closely during a story being told and listened to.'
Personalizing or humanizing stories can reach people on a deep emotional level. When hearing a good, meaningful story, the brain releases oxytocin, known as the bonding hormone, which causes listeners to think about similar stories or themes in their own lives.
Showing readers and listeners your vulnerability and humility as a thought leader are central to making you relatable to your audience and integral to authentic storytelling. Pointing out your flaws, remembering getting fired, being at a low point, inspiring people and giving them hope by recalling how you overcame adversity or reinvented yourself—all these human experiences put the thought leader on the same plane as their audience. It says to them, 'We're all in this together and learning together.'
Connecting with your audience—and growing your audience—can happen when you're authentic. That authenticity stems not only from revealing your struggles but also from focusing on your listeners' and readers' curiosity, the concerns and problems they face, and seeking to understand them and help them. It's all of those things—more than the thought leader defending their own ideas or focusing primarily on telling them everything they know.
However you tell it, remember to be intentional in portraying your message in a way that is going to educate and entertain at the same time. And in the big picture, remember this: This relationship between you, the thought leader, and your audience can't be fleeting.
It's about building a continual ecosystem for your thought leadership. You don't want to be a flash in the pan. You want your stories to have lasting legs and to stand the test of time.
Many entrepreneurs and thought leaders have a natural proclivity to challenge the status quo and think original thoughts—i.e., 'What if we tried this? Here is a better way.'
Those traits differentiate them as a visionary thought leader from somebody who's just a subject-matter expert. They see headwinds coming and run toward them as an opportunity. They challenge the status quo. They think outside of the box, possess a high level of optimism, and they're risk-takers. As an example in my career:
When I thought about my company becoming the business book publisher for Forbes Media, I believed in it and stood behind it, and had a meeting with Steve Forbes. If you don't ask for it, you don't get it.
Research on creative problem solving indicates how brains can respond favorably to the thought leader when presented with an 'Aha!' moment of discovery. Surprising information—a novel idea or different perspective, such as a challenge to the status quo—can trigger a dopamine release in the brain's reward centers.
That leads to a potential increase in audience attention and engagement. So, for the thought leader, the psychology of influence is also much about being open to thinking creatively, and getting their audience to do the same.
Reaching your audience as a thought leader, keeping their attention, and increasing your following is indeed both an art and a science. Research shows they can be receptive if you take the right approach—by building trust, telling a compelling story, being authentic, vulnerable, curious, creative, and bold.
A successful thought leader is in it for the right reasons, making an impact on others that will make the world a better place.
