Today’s business professors are expected to be more than traditional lecturers. Students, universities, alum and even corporate partners want faculty with strong business profiles. Being an expert in your field use to be measured by the quality of the person’s published research, professional background, teaching experience and level of education. Now, we hear the word “thought leadership” being used a lot to describe the brand profile of a professor, but what does it really mean?
Thought Leadership Lab
According to the Thought Leadership Lab, “Thought leaders are the informed opinion leaders and the go-to people in their field of expertise. They are trusted sources who move and inspire people with innovative ideas; turn ideas into reality, and know and show how to replicate their success.”
Entrepreneur Magazine describes Thought Leadership as “a type of content marketing where you tap into the talent, experience and passion inside your business, or from your community, to answer the biggest questions on the minds of your target audience on a particular topic.”
Thought Leaders
Based on these two definitions, thought leaders are considered “influencers” within the context of social media. Social media influencers are individuals “who can build relationships for you. Whether an influencer’s audience is small or large, an influencer can reach consumers via their blogs and social networks that your brand may not be able to.” – Grouphigh.com
Influencers also share and create content in real-time. They provide an expert opinion, contribute to magazine columns, write blogs and are sought after for interviews on podcast shows, Twitter chats, radio, television and other media outlets. They become thought leaders because of their level of influence on the given business topic.
Twitter and LinkedIn Connections
We created a list of faculty that are most active on Twitter and LinkedIn in creating and sharing business related content. These faculty have the highest level of influence on these two social media platforms, using hashtags with business related titles and phrases. Their followers and connections are actively sharing, citing, quoting and engaged in these thought leader’s work.
- Jennifer Aaker, Sandford University | @aaker |General Atlantic Professor of Marketing, Stanford GSB. Author of The Dragonfly Effect | Strongest influence using hashtag and subjects related #Marketing #Strategy
- Michael Porter, Harvard Business School, @MichaelEPorter | Michael Porter is an economist, researcher, author, advisor, speaker and teacher. His work in economic theory has revolutionized strategy and other fields. | Thought Leadership subject #Strategy #Economics
- Deirdre Breakenridge, Georgetown University | @dbreakenridge | CEO of Pure Performance Communications, speaker, author of Social Media and Public Relations & PR 2.0, adjunct professor & co-founder of #PRStudChat. | Thought Leadership subject #Social Media #Communication
- David Gerzof Richard, Emerson College | @davidgerzof | Masquerading as a Marketing Professor @EmersonCollege. Communication Scientist. @BIGfishPR Founder. Please feed me great design, tech, sustainability & science. | Thought Leadership subject #Sustainability #Social Responsibility
- Mike Johansson, Rochester Institute of Technology | @mikejny | Mike Johansson, Senior Lecturer, School of Communication, RIT; SM strategy consultant. Husband, Dad, Kiwi, sailor. SU alum. Won’t follow eggs, locked accounts | Thought Leadership subject #Communication #Strategy
- Bill George, Harvard Business School, @Bill_George | Senior Fellow at Harvard Business School, former Medtronic CEO, and bestselling leadership author | Thought Leadership subject #Leadership #Management
- Emad Rahim, Bellevue University and Cornell University | @DrEmadRahim | Endowed Professor, Entrepreneur, Author, TEDxSpeaker, Foodie, Fulbright, HipHopLover, FormerDean, Contributor @Forbes @TweakYourBiz @IntelligentHQ @CEO_MAG | Strongest influence using hashtag and subjects related #Entrepreneurship #ProjectManagement
- Adam Grant, Wharton School of Finance, @AdamMGrant | RIGINALS, GIVE AND TAKE. @Wharton professor. @NYTopinion writer: work & psychology. Ex-diver. Arguing like I’m right, listening like I’m wrong | Thought Leadership subject #Finance #Leadership
- Estelle Metayer, McGill University, @Competia | Tracking strategic blindspots. About CEOs boards governance trends innovation #digital strategy competitive intelligence. Prof. Board member. Speaker #davos. | Thought Leadership subject #Technology #Innovation
- Rita Gunther McGrath, Columbia Business School @rgmcgrath | Strategy & Innovation expert. Columbia Business School Professor. Top 10 business thinker & #1 in Strategy. Author of best-selling End of Competitive Advantage. | Thought Leadership subject #Strategy #Innovation
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