It’s a new year, and many thought leaders – aspiring or already established – are thinking about how to have the biggest impact with the months ahead.

Want to develop your big idea, own your market position, and win over better clients? Write a book.

You know you’ve been mulling on it for a while now. It’s time to get something done about it and have the impact that you’ve been wanting to have.

There are few better ways to showcase your thought leadership than with a book. Books still have the prestige factor that’s hard to match. The 30-50+ thousand words between the covers earns a special place in readers’ heads. And with that comes a chance to invite people to really engage with your ideas – plus plenty more opportunities to persuade, inspire, and connect.

Here are three great reasons why you should start your thought leadership book.

You’ll expand your thinking

Can you write a book in a month? Sure. Will it be good? Probably not as good as it could be.

Writing a book is, realistically, a year-long affair. While you could churn out a title in as little as 30 days, we advocate for the slower route – the one that sees you challenging and developing your ideas, refining your thinking, and becoming a better thought leader in the process.

As you go on your book writing journey, you’ll develop your ideas to the point that even your harshest critics can’t find cracks or finger holes in them. And as you do that, you’ll find your ideas evolving, too – you’ll see where you can refine and improve upon your thinking, challenge your own preconceptions.

We think that the world will be a better place because of better ideas. So the more you write and think, the better your ideas will become, and that gives you better odds of having a meaningful impact on the world.

Books give you a chance to develop your thought leadership approach

Just as the work of a book allows you to explore your thinking in the development stages, it also gives you a chance to showcase all of your thinking to your readers – and that’s a premium that’s hard to beat.

A simple idea is effective, sure. But by developing your ideas, you’ll no doubt have encountered plenty of objections and push-back that’s enhanced and challenged your thinking.

That is gold when it comes to your book.

When readers commit to your book, more often than not they’re there for the whole journey, and that gives you the chance to show how and why your ideas and methodologies are robust enough to trust. So while the concept of a book can often be summarised in a pithy phrase, the journey you take readers on allows you to explore often widely complex and deeply interconnected ideas about how the world works. Taking your reader along with you shows that you’ve done the thinking, and that your idea won’t fall over in a stiff breeze.

Secure higher value clients

This one’s often the most attractive: being able to work with clients who are really in your wheelhouse.

It starts with better reach. Being a published author means your ideas are going to get a wider spread than when you’re working one-on-one with clients. Obviously that’s a huge bonus!

But what we’ve also found, working with our book clients, is that their readers aren’t just aware of their book material. They’re engaging with it too, responding and reacting to it before they reach out. They’re turning from “I like the sound of your ideas” clients to “I love your ideas and want to go further with you!” clients. 

Being a published author with great ideas means that your “Hell yeah” clients will select themselves, forming a queue at your door and fighting for the chance to work with you. Not only does that mean you can be a bit more selective about the kinds of people you want to work with and support, but you’ll also find yourself spending less time on the introductory material and more on the gritty challenges they face.

Make 2024 the year you write your book

The best part about being a thought leader is that you’re always working on both parts: the thinking, and the leading. And the more thinking you do, the more you see the bigger picture and the micro details, the more compelling and refined your thinking can be.

Got the kernel of an idea? Great! Let’s see how far you can take it, test and trial it, oppose and reinforce it ready to hit the world. 

If you want to have an impact with your ideas, and really fulfil your purpose, then let’s use this year to your advantage. We’ve helped aspiring and established thought leaders to get their ideas heard – and we’d love to see what we can do together.

Book a discovery call with one of our team, and make 2024 the year you call yourself “author”!