The Thought Leadership Project

An important part of creating great thought leadership is consuming great thought leadership. Thought leaders tend to have high-quality information diets. They take in content that intrigues and inspires them to create their own. In this final episode for 2021, Jay and Tom discuss the people and work they found interesting this year, so you can add some new flavor to your diet. Plus, they share that registration for the Thought Leader Collaborative is closing at midnight PT on December 20th. Links for the “Lab” and all of the thought leadership - from books to podcasts - discussed in this episode are included in the show notes.

Reading & Resources

• Learn more and join the Thought Leader Collaborative

• Essentialism, by Greg McKeown - A book about the disciplined pursuit of less.

• Productivity Pivot - by Jay Harrington, a book that bridges the divide between focusing on what's at the center of our personal ambition—autonomy—with a practical approach to achieving what's truly essential to you—and only you!

• Brian Clark: Founder of Copyblogger, curator of Further (a newsletter for Gen-Xers navigating mid-life), and the creator of the "7-Figure Small" concept

  • Further

  • 7-Figure Small Podcast

  • Unemployable.com - A “personal enterprise” approach to getting more clients, creating successful products, and building your digital business empire.

  • Brian Clark on our podcast: Episode 86: Content Curation, with Brian Clark

• Michael Hyatt - Founder and chairman of Michael Hyatt & Company. He has scaled multiple companies over the years, including a $250M publishing company with 700+ employees

  • Full Focus Planner

  • Free to Focus: A Total Productivity System to Achieve More by Doing Less

• Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport

• The Snowball (Warren Buffett biography)

• The Fish that Ate the Whale

• The All-In Podcast (tech, business, investing)

• Deep Questions (Cal Newport podcast on productivity)

• Web3 Breakdowns (Podcast on Web3 - NFTs, blockchain, DAOs, etc.)

• Connect with Jay on LinkedIn

• Connect with Tom on LinkedIn

Listen wherever you cast. And don't forget to rate and review The Thought Leadership Project!

Want to be a guest on a future episode?

Share your thoughts directly with our show hosts by emailing Jay Harrington or Tom Nixon.

Jay Harrington

Tom Nixon

Jay Harrington is a lawyer, author, executive coach, and marketing consultant for law firms and lawyers. Tom Nixon has more than 25 years of experience helping experts become thought leaders. Both are prolific content creators whose work has been featured in leading publications in the legal industry.

The Thought Leader Collaborative (or the “Lab” as we like to call it) is created for lawyers and those in the professional service industry. Learn how to build your brand, become a thought leader and grow your practice on LinkedIn.

Like the proverbial tree that falls in the forest, is there any value in creating content if no one sees it? That’s a bit of a rhetorical question, but it raises an important issue that Jay and Tom address in episode 101: Should you be putting your content on your website and placing it behind “gates,” or sharing it freely on social media and elsewhere?

As with most issues, the right answer is probably somewhere in the middle. Listen in as Jay and Tom discuss:

• Rented Land v. Owned Land

• Why freely sharing content can lead to more awareness and trust

• Tom’s methodology for structuring a strong blog post

And don’t forget to check out Jay and Tom’s Thought Leader Collaborative. Registration is now open. Link below.

Reading & Resources

• The Thought Leader Collaborative

• Mark Schafer’s Article About “Rented Land”

• Link to Register for Jay and Tom’s Dec. 14 Free Webinar

• Connect with Jay on LinkedIn

• Connect with Tom on LinkedIn

Listen wherever you cast. And don't forget to rate and review The Thought Leadership Project!

Want to be a guest on a future episode?

Share your thoughts directly with our show hosts by emailing Jay Harrington or Tom Nixon.

Jay Harrington

Tom Nixon

Jay Harrington is a lawyer, author, executive coach, and marketing consultant for law firms and lawyers. Tom Nixon has more than 25 years of experience helping experts become thought leaders. Both are prolific content creators whose work has been featured in leading publications in the legal industry.

The Thought Leader Collaborative (or the “Lab” as we like to call it) is created for lawyers and those in the professional service industry. Learn how to build your brand, become a thought leader and grow your practice on LinkedIn.

To commemorate our 100th episode, Jay and Tom play a game of 💯. Do we agree 100% with these examples of conventional marketing wisdom? Can each of them get the other to 100% agree with some provocative assertions and unconventional takes?

It's all about thought leadership, the modern marketing environment, the future of content marketing, and LinkedIn as a business development platform.

Tune in and see where you fall. Are you 💯?

Reading & Resources

• The Thought Leader Collaborative

• Connect with Jay on LinkedIn

• Connect with Tom on LinkedIn

Listen wherever you cast. And don't forget to rate and review The Thought Leadership Project!

Want to be a guest on a future episode?

Share your thoughts directly with our show hosts by emailing Jay Harrington or Tom Nixon.

Jay Harrington

Tom Nixon

Jay Harrington is a lawyer, author, executive coach, and marketing consultant for law firms and lawyers. Tom Nixon has more than 25 years of experience helping experts become thought leaders. Both are prolific content creators whose work has been featured in leading publications in the legal industry.

The Thought Leader Collaborative (or the “Lab” as we like to call it) is created for lawyers and those in the professional service industry. Learn how to build your brand, become a thought leader and grow your practice on LinkedIn.

Making new connections, whether on LinkedIn or otherwise, is great. But most professionals want to turn those connections into paying clients or referral sources at some point. In this episode, Jay and Tom discuss how to play the long game and nurture relationships to the point where you’re no longer held at arm’s length - and instead are welcomed with open arms. They address (with an alliterative flair) the importance of:

• Collaboration

• Content

• Connecting Dots

• Communicating in the real world

Reading & Resources

• The Thought Leader Collaborative

• Connect with Jay on LinkedIn

• Connect with Tom on LinkedIn

Listen wherever you cast. And don't forget to rate and review The Thought Leadership Project!

Want to be a guest on a future episode?

Share your thoughts directly with our show hosts by emailing Jay Harrington or Tom Nixon.

Jay Harrington

Tom Nixon

Jay Harrington is a lawyer, author, executive coach, and marketing consultant for law firms and lawyers. Tom Nixon has more than 25 years of experience helping experts become thought leaders. Both are prolific content creators whose work has been featured in leading publications in the legal industry.

The Thought Leader Collaborative (or the “Lab” as we like to call it) is created for lawyers and those in the professional service industry. Learn how to build your brand, become a thought leader and grow your practice on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Jay and Tom give you a behind the scenes listen to some of the insights they share with members of the Thought Leader Collaborative, a training platform and community for LinkedIn thought leaders. Some of the issues they address in response to Lab members’ “Ask Us Anything” questions include:

• When I’m creating content on LinkedIn, what audience metrics should I be focusing on?

• How do I translate LinkedIn connections into new client opportunities?

• What are the key differences between marketing and business development?

• Should I use a script when sending people connection requests?

• How should I be using LinkedIn direct messages, and if so how should I use them?

Reading & Resources

• The Thought Leader Collaborative

• Connect with Jay on LinkedIn

• Connect with Tom on LinkedIn

Listen wherever you cast. And don't forget to rate and review The Thought Leadership Project!

Want to be a guest on a future episode?

Share your thoughts directly with our show hosts by emailing Jay Harrington or Tom Nixon.

Jay Harrington

Tom Nixon

Jay Harrington is a lawyer, author, executive coach, and marketing consultant for law firms and lawyers. Tom Nixon has more than 25 years of experience helping experts become thought leaders. Both are prolific content creators whose work has been featured in leading publications in the legal industry.

The Thought Leader Collaborative (or the “Lab” as we like to call it) is created for lawyers and those in the professional service industry. Learn how to build your brand, become a thought leader and grow your practice on LinkedIn.

As thought-leadership marketers, Jay and Tom look forward every year to the release of the Thought Leadership Impact Study. In this episode, they have the chance to do a deep-dive into what the study says and why it matters with two of its architects, Joe Kingsbury of Edelman and Tusar Barik of LinkedIn. Some of the topics discussed include:

• How more content than ever is being created and how to break through the noise

• B2B buyers’ preferences for content to be authoritative but also fun to consume

• What it means to create high-quality content

• The importance of showing some personality when creating content

• How LinkedIn is becoming an increasingly important thought-leadership platform

Reading & Resources

• 2021 Thought Leadership Impact Study

• 4 Key Takeaways from the Study

• Connect with Joe Kingsbury on LinkedIn

• Connect with Tusar Barik on LinkedIn

• Connect with Jay on LinkedIn

• Connect with Tom on LinkedIn

Listen wherever you cast. And don't forget to rate and review The Thought Leadership Project!

Want to be a guest on a future episode?

Share your thoughts directly with our show hosts by emailing Jay Harrington or Tom Nixon.

Jay Harrington

Tom Nixon

Jay Harrington is a lawyer, author, executive coach, and marketing consultant for law firms and lawyers. Tom Nixon has more than 25 years of experience helping experts become thought leaders. Both are prolific content creators whose work has been featured in leading publications in the legal industry.

The Thought Leader Collaborative (or the “Lab” as we like to call it) is created for lawyers and those in the professional service industry. Learn how to build your brand, become a thought leader and grow your practice on LinkedIn.

We know business development is important. We know a book of business has many benefits. But…we often don’t know where to start. In this episode, Aaron Baer joins us to discuss the what, why, and how of business development for lawyers. Topics addressed include:

- The benefits of business development

- Common impediments that stop lawyers from taking action

- Elements of an effective business development training program

Reading & Resources

• Connect with Aaron on LinkedIn

• Build Your Book

• 4L Academy

Listen wherever you cast. And don't forget to rate and review The Thought Leadership Project!

Want to be a guest on a future episode?

Share your thoughts directly with our show hosts by emailing Jay Harrington or Tom Nixon.

Jay Harrington

Tom Nixon

Jay Harrington is a lawyer, author, executive coach, and marketing consultant for law firms and lawyers. Tom Nixon has more than 25 years of experience helping experts become thought leaders. Both are prolific content creators whose work has been featured in leading publications in the legal industry.

The Thought Leader Collaborative (or the “Lab” as we like to call it) is created for lawyers and those in the professional service industry. Learn how to build your brand, become a thought leader and grow your practice on LinkedIn.

“I just don’t see the value,” is something we often hear from lawyers who aren’t on LinkedIn, or who have a presence but aren’t taking action there. On this episode, Alexis Robertson, Director of Diversity & Inclusion for Foley & Lardner, joins us and makes the LinkedIn value proposition clear. Topics addressed include:

- What stops lawyers from using LinkedIn and what they’re missing

- The importance of storytelling

- Growing and gaining confidence by learning new skills

Reading & Resources

• Connect with Alexis on LinkedIn

• Connect with Jay on LinkedIn

• Connect with Tom on LinkedIn

Listen wherever you cast. And don't forget to rate and review The Thought Leadership Project!

Want to be a guest on a future episode?

Share your thoughts directly with our show hosts by emailing Jay Harrington or Tom Nixon.

Jay Harrington

Tom Nixon

Jay Harrington is a lawyer, author, executive coach, and marketing consultant for law firms and lawyers. Tom Nixon has more than 25 years of experience helping experts become thought leaders. Both are prolific content creators whose work has been featured in leading publications in the legal industry.

The Thought Leader Collaborative (or the “Lab” as we like to call it) is created for lawyers and those in the professional service industry. Learn how to build your brand, become a thought leader and grow your practice on LinkedIn.

From what they are taught in law school to what they consume in the popular culture, there are many messages that lawyers receive that lead them to believe that stiff formality is the appropriate professional posture in interactions with clients and colleagues. In this episode, Lewis Kappes partner Scott Oliver joins us to discuss how it’s possible (indeed, advisable) to let your guard down, be yourself AND be a great lawyer. Topics addressed include:

- The reasons lawyers come to believe they have to be so formal

- How being more human is appealing to clients and colleagues

- How and why to let your personal side shine through on LinkedIn

Reading & Resources

• Connect with Scott on LinkedIn

• Connect with Jay on LinkedIn

• Connect with Tom on LinkedIn

Listen wherever you cast. And don't forget to rate and review The Thought Leadership Project!

Want to be a guest on a future episode?

Share your thoughts directly with our show hosts by emailing Jay Harrington or Tom Nixon.

Jay Harrington

Tom Nixon

Jay Harrington is a lawyer, author, executive coach, and marketing consultant for law firms and lawyers. Tom Nixon has more than 25 years of experience helping experts become thought leaders. Both are prolific content creators whose work has been featured in leading publications in the legal industry.

The Thought Leader Collaborative (or the “Lab” as we like to call it) is created for lawyers and those in the professional service industry. Learn how to build your brand, become a thought leader and grow your practice on LinkedIn.

Too much legal writing is overly verbose, needlessly complex, and laden with jargon and legalese. Our guest, Laura Genovich, is on a crusade to change that. Laura is an advocate for clear legal writing and she makes her case frequently on LinkedIn. She joins Jay and Tom to discuss:

- What clear legal writing is and why it matters

- Specific tips for how lawyers can improve their writing

- Her approach to writing LinkedIn posts

Reading & Resources

• Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

• Connect with Jay on LinkedIn

• Connect with Tom on LinkedIn

Listen wherever you cast. And don't forget to rate and review The Thought Leadership Project!

Want to be a guest on a future episode?

Share your thoughts directly with our show hosts by emailing Jay Harrington or Tom Nixon.

Jay Harrington

Tom Nixon

Jay Harrington is a lawyer, author, executive coach, and marketing consultant for law firms and lawyers. Tom Nixon has more than 25 years of experience helping experts become thought leaders. Both are prolific content creators whose work has been featured in leading publications in the legal industry.

The Thought Leader Collaborative (or the “Lab” as we like to call it) is created for lawyers and those in the professional service industry. Learn how to build your brand, become a thought leader and grow your practice on LinkedIn.