Exploring Thought Leadership: Thought Leadership for Authentic Experts [W/Co-Host Elzet Blaauw]

When people think of thought leadership, they often picture someone with a huge social media following, pumping out content every day. But this can feel overwhelming and, frankly, unsustainable. So what does true thought leadership look like? Elzet Blaauw, a writer and editor in the B2B space, has a unique take. She believes thought leadership should be more about guiding others to new solutions than personal visibility.

“I think a lot of people assume that thought leadership is about promoting yourself. But it’s really about making your work useful for others. You’re sharing ideas that can help people see things differently and solve their own challenges,” says Elzet.

Sarah and Elzet chatted through this topic in the most recent episode of B2B Craftworks:

This is where her idea of the Thought Leadership Quadrant Map comes in—a framework to help experts understand where they stand in terms of visibility and insight. The goal? To help them see that effective thought leadership doesn’t have to be loud. It just needs to be meaningful.

A New Way to Think About Thought Leadership

Elzet’s quadrant map divides thought leadership into four categories, based on two key factors: visibility (high to low) and insight (high to low).

Click through here to see Elzet’s Thought Leadership Quadrants:

The four categories are:

• Worker (Low Insight, Low Visibility)
• Influencer (Low Insight, High Visibility)
• Advisor (High Insight, Low Visibility)
• Thought Leader (High Insight, High Visibility)

Each of these categories has its own role, and understanding where you fit can change how you approach your work. Elzet explains that many people get caught up in becoming more visible without deepening their insights, which leads to what she calls “empty visibility.”

“High visibility with low insight might get you followers, but it won’t help people,” she says. “You end up with shallow advice that doesn’t solve real problems. True thought leadership means being deeply knowledgeable and then figuring out how to communicate that effectively.”

The Difference Between Influencers and Thought Leaders

One of the most misunderstood categories is the Influencer quadrant. Influencers often have a lot of visibility but lack the depth of knowledge that defines true thought leaders. While they may be skilled at creating relatable content, they typically reflect what’s already popular rather than introducing new ideas. For Elzet, this is where many experts shy away because they don’t want to be seen as part of a superficial trend.

“A lot of the experts I work with don’t want to be thought leaders because they see the people who are labeled as ‘leaders’ online and think, ‘That’s not me. I don’t want to play that game.’” says Elzet. “But true thought leadership isn’t about being an influencer. It’s about offering new ways of thinking and helping others move forward.”

This hesitation is often rooted in a commitment to serve rather than self-promote. Authentic experts don’t want to overshadow the value they bring to their industries. As a result, they end up hiding valuable insights that could genuinely benefit others.

Finding the Right Balance

So how can you share your knowledge without falling into the influencer trap? According to Elzet, it’s all about focusing on where your ideas have the most impact and targeting your efforts there. You don’t need to be everywhere or post daily. Instead, aim for a presence that matches your depth of insight.

“A powerful newsletter once a quarter, if it’s packed with valuable insights, can have a bigger impact than posting every day,” Elzet says. “It’s about understanding that you don’t need to cater to an algorithm. You just need to make sure the right people see what you have to say.”

This approach frees up experts from the pressure of always being visible. It’s about sustainable content practices that match your goals and values. The right message, delivered to the right people, is far more valuable than a flood of superficial content.

Elevating Authentic Experts

For writers and content strategists, supporting these experts means more than just helping them “get visible.” It means partnering with them to extract the real value they bring to the table and communicating it in a way that resonates. This could be through interviews, storytelling, or simply helping them clarify complex ideas for a wider audience.

“A lot of these experts don’t even realize how valuable their insights are because they’re so used to doing the work. As writers, we can help pull out those insights and show them how to frame it in a way that feels authentic to them,” says Elzet.

By reframing thought leadership as a way to serve rather than self-promote, Elzet hopes more authentic experts will feel comfortable stepping into the spotlight. The world doesn’t need more noise. It needs voices that bring genuine insights and new perspectives to the table.

Final Thoughts

True thought leadership is not about being loud or gaining followers. It’s about guiding others to better solutions with deep, meaningful insights. Elzet’s quadrant map offers a way to rethink what it means to lead with your ideas and how to do so in a sustainable, impactful way.

So, if you’re an expert who has been hesitant to share your thoughts, maybe it’s time to step forward—not to promote yourself, but to serve the people who need your perspective the most.

Catch this episode on audio here: