In a recent post (What Do You Know) I raised the title question related to your knowledge “niche”. Many NPs have a strong content knowledge that supports growth as a “thought leader”. That is, someone with subject matter knowledge leading to their recognition as an authority or expert in their area. Thought leaders may start out as the local “go to” person on topics…. but expand their reach through thought leadership.
Take the question of what you know further. If you are a seasoned, experienced clinician (or researcher or educator), you may already be the one others reach out to for information. Why wait for them to come to you? By carefully identifying your strengths and PASSION and some developmental work, you can consider how to focus and build a reputation as THE resource via publications, conference talks, mentorship, consultations, etc.
Think about your strongest potential contribution. Document your thoughts. What is important to you? What topics are supported by your qualifications (education, practice, credentials)? Within that area, what expertise do you have that others lack, including unique ways of organizing, delivering, or simplifying knowledge? What do other speakers on this topic miss or fail to fully develop? What questions are you regularly asked?
This helps you start to narrow your topic to a niche not covered by others. Of course, you could compete head-to-head with others on a topic, but offer current, applicable, and interesting content rather than a known outline. So think about area or ways in which you are uniquely qualified to shed light on complex and actionable.
Start with those questions and WRITE DOWN AND REFLECT on your answers. If you need more of a sense of how to complete this exercise, do a search on topic of “thought leader”. I’ll share more. An excellent resource on becoming a thought leader is Dorie Clark’s book Stand Out: How to Find Your Breakthrough Idea and Build a Following Around It. This is in the business literature, but highly relevant. You can find information freely available at dorieclark.com But consider the value you can bring to others and yourself through the ability to share your wisdom!