What is thought leadership?
Thought leadership is content in which a person or company shares original opinions, insights and experience from their field, to build trust as a source of knowledge rather than to sell directly. On LinkedIn, it is usually posts and articles by the CEO or the company's experts, from their own profiles.
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Why it shapes buying decisions
Edelman and LinkedIn have published a report on how thought leadership affects B2B buyers for seven years. The 2025 report, based on nearly 2,000 professionals, found:
- 56% of target buyers and 55% of "hidden buyers" use thought leadership as part of evaluating vendors
- 41% of target buyers said a C-suite executive encouraged them to consider a specific vendor after engaging with its thought leadership
- More than 40% of B2B deals stall because of misalignment within the buying group
"Hidden buyers" are people in the buying organization who influence the decision, for example in finance, legal or procurement, even if they won't use the product. You don't always know they are there, but they are reading.
What it is not
Thought leadership is not marketing content with a CEO's name on it. Edelman stresses it is "not just content marketing". A post explaining why your product is the best is an ad. A post explaining something you learned from 50 projects, including what didn't work, is thought leadership.
Another confusion: personal branding and thought leadership are close, but not the same. Personal branding is how people perceive you. Thought leadership is one of the strongest tools for building that perception.
An example
Say the CEO of a cybersecurity company writes a post about three mistakes she sees in security reviews before an IPO, with a real example from a case she saw, without naming the client. There is no call to buy. A CFO at a company preparing for an IPO saves the post. A month later, when they choose a vendor, her name is already familiar in the room.
How it relates to Velut's work
This is the heart of what I do. I write for CEOs by hand, in their voice, around 3 to 4 topics they are genuinely expert in. The material comes from them: conversations, decisions, WhatsApp voice notes. My job is to turn it into content people want to read.
Frequently asked questions
What is a thought leader?
A thought leader is someone people in their field see as a source of knowledge and opinion. It is not a title you give yourself. It is what happens after a period of consistent, original content.
How long does it take to build thought leadership?
It is a process of months. It usually takes 3 to 6 months of consistent presence to see meaningful organic leads from content.
Is it only for CEOs?
No. Any expert in a company can write from experience. But when it comes from the CEO or the leadership team, it carries special weight with decision-makers.