What is it you do again?

The term thought leadership often comes with an eye-roll. But call it what you like, our work has influence — we just need to explain it better.

On the rare occasions someone asks me what I do, I’ll say: ‘I work for the FT’ and hope that’s the end of the matter. 

Sometimes I pre-empt their disappointment. ‘I’m not a reporter, but I am a journalist by trade!’ As if they’re waiting for me to whip out my NCTJ and Teeline shorthand certificates. 

Self-esteem issues aside, there’s a reason for my reticence. It is thanks to two words: thought leadership. 

On the surface, and especially to people outside our ‘industry’, it’s a faintly ridiculous term (as the Financial Times hasn’t hesitated to point out, here and here). 

It’s not just that it’s hard to explain succinctly — it can also make you sound pompous and dull: ‘Well, I mostly deal in stakeholder alignment and interactive PDFs.’

But shift the conversation to what we actually do — who we work with, the issues we cover, the impact we have — and I’ll happily open up.

Beyond the buzzwords

We interview influential leaders and renowned specialists. It’s a privilege to hear how they see the world and are changing it — and to bring that thinking to life. 

The best of our work is rooted in the colourful reality of those individuals and their businesses. It’s perceptive, has emotional appeal and contains stories of substance. It makes audiences think differently. About the subject and about the brand behind the campaign.

And it draws on influences from other disciplines: the best of advertising, news media and creative industries.

The term ‘Thought leadership’ doesn’t do justice to the expertise and experience of the brands we work with or the mix of creativity and craft that goes into our work. 

From brand strategy to copywriting, data storytelling and podcasting, this is an expansive, experimental field. It’s no longer a narrow, formulaic place where the foreword sends us to sleep.    

I’m fortunate to work with clever and curious colleagues, and for brands that lead their industries. And in a cynical time, it’s important to remember that creating and shaping new ideas and stories is a privilege. Let’s not reduce that feeling to jargon that makes us cringe.

Thought Leadership

In a previous job, a colleague and I kept a whiteboard to write down pretentious or pseudo-intellectual words in a bid to eradicate them.

In the same spirit, perhaps we can reclaim the term thought leadership. It’s not a quasi academic pursuit or the preserve of think-tanks, and it’s no longer defined by neverending reports. Instead of hiding behind empty phrases, we can step forward and describe its impact in words that everyone understands. 

At FT Longitude, we’re not immune from lapsing into thought leadership doublespeak. But we also feel it’s our responsibility to lead the change.

So next time I’m asked what I do, I won’t duck the question. Instead, I’ll explain exactly what’s great about thought leadership — without using those words.