thought-leadership

Original source / Raw SKILL.md

---
name: thought-leadership
description: Create thought leadership content including long-form articles, essays, and opinion pieces. Use when the user needs authoritative content, wants to establish expertise, or needs to articulate a unique perspective on industry topics.
---

# Thought Leadership Content Creator

Create authoritative, perspective-driven content that establishes expertise and shapes conversations in your industry.

## Before Writing

1. **Read context profiles**:
   - `/context/voice-dna.json` - Maintain authentic voice
   - `/context/icp.json` - Understand audience sophistication
   - `/context/business-profile.json` - Align with positioning

2. **Check knowledge base** for supporting content in `/knowledge/`

## What is Thought Leadership?

Thought leadership is NOT:
- Generic how-to content
- Regurgitated industry advice
- Safe, consensus opinions
- Purely promotional content

Thought leadership IS:
- Original perspectives on industry topics
- Experience-backed insights
- Contrarian (but substantiated) takes
- Forward-looking predictions
- Framework creation
- Problem articulation that others haven't voiced

## Content Types

### Type 1: Perspective Piece
Share your unique POV on an industry topic

```
STRUCTURE:
1. [SETUP] - The current state or common belief
2. [TENSION] - Why this is problematic/incomplete
3. [YOUR PERSPECTIVE] - Your contrarian or nuanced view
4. [EVIDENCE] - Experience, data, examples
5. [IMPLICATIONS] - What this means for the reader
6. [CALL TO THINK] - Leave them with a new lens
```

### Type 2: Framework Introduction
Create a new way of thinking about a problem

```
STRUCTURE:
1. [PROBLEM] - The messy problem everyone faces
2. [WHY EXISTING SOLUTIONS FAIL] - Gap in current thinking
3. [THE FRAMEWORK] - Your new mental model
4. [COMPONENTS] - Break down the framework
5. [APPLICATION] - How to use it
6. [RESULTS] - What changes when applied
```

### Type 3: Industry Prediction
Share where things are heading

```
STRUCTURE:
1. [CURRENT STATE] - Where we are now
2. [SIGNALS] - What you're seeing that others aren't
3. [PREDICTION] - Where things are going
4. [TIMELINE] - When this will happen
5. [IMPLICATIONS] - What to do about it
6. [YOUR POSITION] - How you're preparing
```

### Type 4: Lessons from Experience
Share hard-won wisdom

```
STRUCTURE:
1. [THE SITUATION] - What you faced
2. [THE STAKES] - Why it mattered
3. [THE MISTAKE/CHALLENGE] - What went wrong or was hard
4. [THE INSIGHT] - What you learned
5. [THE PRINCIPLE] - The generalizable lesson
6. [APPLICATION] - How readers can apply it
```

### Type 5: State of the Industry
Comprehensive analysis of where things stand

```
STRUCTURE:
1. [OVERVIEW] - The big picture
2. [KEY TRENDS] - What's happening
3. [ANALYSIS] - What it means
4. [WINNERS/LOSERS] - Who's positioned well
5. [PREDICTIONS] - Where it's going
6. [RECOMMENDATIONS] - What to do
```

## Writing Guidelines

### Voice & Tone
- Confident but not arrogant
- Specific, not vague
- Opinionated with reasoning
- Accessible to ICP
- Personal experiences included

### Structure
- Strong opening hook
- Clear thesis statement
- Logical flow of ideas
- Subheadings for navigation
- Memorable conclusion

### Evidence Types
- Personal experience (primary)
- Client/customer stories
- Industry data
- Historical examples
- Logical reasoning
- Expert quotes (sparingly)

### Length Guidelines
- **LinkedIn article**: 800-1,500 words
- **Newsletter essay**: 1,000-2,500 words
- **Blog post**: 1,500-3,000 words
- **Comprehensive guide**: 3,000-5,000 words

## Content Creation Process

### Step 1: Define the Perspective

Ask:
- "What's the common belief you're challenging?"
- "What's your contrarian or nuanced take?"
- "What experience backs this up?"
- "What's the 'so what' for the reader?"

### Step 2: Structure the Argument

- Lead with the most compelling point
- Build logical progression
- Address counterarguments
- Land with actionable insight

### Step 3: Draft with Voice

- Match voice DNA throughout
- Include personal stories
- Use signature phrases naturally
- Maintain energy level

### Step 4: Polish for Impact

- Strengthen opening hook
- Sharpen key insights
- Remove hedging language
- Ensure clear takeaways

## Output Format

```
TITLE: [Compelling title]
TYPE: [Perspective/Framework/Prediction/Lesson/State of Industry]
TARGET LENGTH: [Word count]
TARGET PLATFORM: [Where this will be published]

---

[FULL ARTICLE CONTENT]

---

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
1. [Main point 1]
2. [Main point 2]
3. [Main point 3]

SUGGESTED SOCIAL SNIPPETS:
- [Quote 1 for social promotion]
- [Quote 2 for social promotion]
```

## Quality Checklist

Before delivering:

- [ ] Original perspective (not generic advice)
- [ ] Clear thesis statement
- [ ] Backed by experience/evidence
- [ ] Voice matches voice DNA
- [ ] Appropriate for ICP sophistication
- [ ] Actionable for readers
- [ ] Strong opening hook
- [ ] Memorable conclusion
- [ ] Would establish/reinforce authority

## What to Avoid

- Wishy-washy "on the other hand" without taking a stance
- Purely theoretical (needs experience backing)
- Clickbait promises without substance
- Attacking competitors by name
- Arrogance or talking down
- Generic conclusions everyone agrees with
- No clear "so what" for the reader