---
name: thought-leader-content-plan
description: "Plans thought leadership content across articles, talks, social posts, and interviews with consistent messaging."
allowed-tools: Read Write Glob
metadata:
  author: matthewhitcham
  version: "1.0"
---

# Thought Leader Content Plan

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:
- Plan a thought leadership content strategy across multiple formats and channels
- Develop consistent messaging that builds authority in a specific domain
- Create a content calendar for articles, talks, social posts, and interviews
- Build an intellectual framework that becomes associated with your name

**DO NOT** use this skill for general content marketing, product promotion, or social media scheduling. This is for strategic thought leadership — becoming the recognized expert on a specific topic.

---

## Core Principle

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP IS NOT CONTENT MARKETING WITH A BIGGER VOCABULARY — IT IS DEVELOPING AN ORIGINAL POINT OF VIEW, BACKING IT WITH EVIDENCE, AND REPEATING IT ACROSS EVERY CHANNEL UNTIL YOUR NAME IS SYNONYMOUS WITH THAT IDEA.

---

## Phase 1: Brief

### Required Inputs

| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|-------|------------|---------|
| **Domain** | "What specific topic do you want to be the authority on?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Point of view** | "What is your contrarian or unique perspective on this topic?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Evidence** | "What experience, data, or research supports your view?" | Personal experience and client results |
| **Audience** | "Who needs to hear this message?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Current channels** | "Where are you already creating content?" | LinkedIn + email newsletter |
| **Time budget** | "How many hours per week for thought leadership content?" | 5 hours/week |

**GATE: Confirm the brief before proceeding.**

---

## Phase 2: Intellectual Framework

### Core Thesis

```
## Your Thought Leadership Thesis

**The belief:** [Your central argument in one sentence]
**The evidence:** [3-5 data points, case studies, or experiences that prove it]
**The enemy:** [The conventional wisdom you are challenging]
**The framework:** [Your named system or model that makes it actionable]
**The outcome:** [What happens when people adopt your view]
```

### Signature Framework

Create a named, original framework:

```
## The [Your Name] [Framework Name]

**Name:** [Memorable, 2-4 words]
**Components:** [3-5 elements that make up the framework]
**Visual:** [How it looks as a diagram — list, cycle, matrix, pyramid]
**One-liner:** [One sentence that explains the framework]

Example:
"The Leverage Loop: Automate → Delegate → Eliminate → Reinvest"
```

### Content Pillars (3-5)

```
| Pillar | Connection to Thesis | Content Types |
|--------|---------------------|--------------|
| [Pillar 1] | [How it supports your POV] | [Articles, talks, posts] |
| [Pillar 2] | [How it supports your POV] | [Articles, talks, posts] |
| [Pillar 3] | [How it supports your POV] | [Articles, talks, posts] |
```

**GATE: Present the thesis, framework, and pillars for approval.**

---

## Phase 3: Build

### Content Ecosystem

```
## Content Format Hierarchy

**Cornerstone (monthly):** One long-form piece — article, research report, or keynote talk
**Pillar (weekly):** One substantial post — LinkedIn article, newsletter essay, or podcast episode
**Distribution (3-5x/week):** Social posts — excerpts, hot takes, responses, stories
**Amplification (ongoing):** Guest appearances — podcasts, interviews, guest articles, panels
```

### 90-Day Content Calendar

```
## Month 1: Establish the POV
- Week 1: Manifesto post — your thesis in 500-1,000 words on primary platform
- Week 2: Case study — evidence that supports your thesis
- Week 3: Contrarian take — challenge the conventional wisdom directly
- Week 4: Framework reveal — introduce your named framework

## Month 2: Deepen and Defend
- Week 5: Deep-dive on framework component 1
- Week 6: Interview or podcast appearance about your thesis
- Week 7: Deep-dive on framework component 2
- Week 8: Response piece — address the strongest counterargument to your POV

## Month 3: Expand and Amplify
- Week 9: Original data or research supporting your thesis
- Week 10: Speaking engagement or live presentation
- Week 11: Guest article in industry publication
- Week 12: Retrospective — what you have learned in 90 days of sharing this POV
```

### Message Consistency Guide

```
## Say This / Not That

| Topic | Say This (On-Brand) | Not That (Off-Brand) |
|-------|-------------------|---------------------|
| [Core topic] | [Your specific POV] | [Generic advice everyone gives] |
| [Related topic] | [Your angle] | [Contradictory message] |
| [Industry trend] | [Your interpretation] | [Popular opinion you disagree with] |
```

---

## Phase 4: Polish

### 1. Authority Indicators

Track progress toward being recognized as an authority:

```
## Authority Milestones
- [ ] Your framework is referenced by others (without you prompting)
- [ ] Journalists or podcasters reach out to you (inbound, not pitched)
- [ ] You are invited to speak (not applying)
- [ ] Your content is shared by respected peers
- [ ] People use your terminology or framework name
- [ ] You are introduced as "the person who [your thesis]"
```

### 2. Quarterly Review

```
## Thought Leadership Health Check
- Is your thesis still relevant and differentiated?
- What new evidence have you gathered?
- Which content performed best and why?
- Are you reaching the right audience?
- What feedback have you received (agreement, pushback, questions)?
- Should you evolve your framework based on new insights?
```

### 3. Content Repurposing Map

```
## One Idea → Multiple Formats
Cornerstone article → 5 social posts (key insights) → 1 newsletter → 1 podcast talking point → 1 slide deck for speaking → 1 quote graphic
```

---

## Example 1: AI for Business Thought Leadership

```
Thesis: "AI does not replace solopreneurs — it gives them a team of 10 for the cost of one"
Framework: "The AI Leverage Stack" (Content, Operations, Sales, Support)
Enemy: "AI will replace human workers"
Content: Weekly LinkedIn posts + monthly deep-dive article + quarterly speaking
```

## Example 2: Pricing Strategy Thought Leadership

```
Thesis: "Hourly billing is the biggest lie in professional services"
Framework: "The Value Pricing Pyramid" (Cost, Market, Value, Transformation)
Enemy: "Charge what the market will bear"
Content: Weekly newsletter + bi-weekly LinkedIn posts + podcast interviews
```

---

## Anti-Patterns

- **No original point of view** — repeating what everyone else says is content marketing, not thought leadership. You need a thesis.
- **All theory, no evidence** — opinions without data or experience are just blog posts. Back every claim.
- **Inconsistent messaging** — saying one thing on LinkedIn and another on your podcast confuses your audience. Stay on thesis.
- **Publishing everywhere, resonating nowhere** — focus on one channel until your POV gains traction, then expand.
- **Avoiding controversy** — if everyone agrees with your take, it is not thought leadership. Real POVs attract both supporters and critics.
- **Changing your thesis every month** — authority is built through repetition. Say the same thing 100 times in 100 different ways.

---

## Recovery

- **User has no original POV:** Ask "What do you believe about your industry that most people get wrong?" Explore contrarian views they already hold but have not articulated.
- **Thesis is too broad:** Narrow it. "Marketing is broken" is too big. "Email marketing for solopreneurs is broken because of X" is specific enough to own.
- **No evidence yet:** Start collecting it. Survey your audience, track your own results, and document case studies. Build evidence as you publish.
- **Content is not getting traction:** Double down on distribution. The idea may be right but underexposed. Engage more, repurpose more, and pitch more guest opportunities.
