18 Feb Most Thought Leader Advice Is BS, Bring Back The Experts

Posted at 11:56h in Business, GI SAID IT, Psychology, Society by

Thought leadership is everywhere. Scroll through LinkedIn, and you’ll see posts filled with “groundbreaking ideas,” “inspiring visions,” and “expert strategies.” Here’s the thing, most of it is absolute BS. Yeah, I said it… The sad reality is that much of what passes for thought leadership is smoke and mirrors. It’s not real expertise. It’s not actual actionable advice. It’s about perception, branding, and, ultimately, money; and that’s a problem.

THOUGHT LEADER VS. EXPERT: KNOW THE DIFFERENCE

Most people don’t actually get what a thought leader is. A popular modern thought leader isn’t necessarily an expert. Their job isn’t to solve the problem or be the go-to authority in a given field. The job of a modern thought leader is to create ideas, perspectives, or “content” that gets attention. That’s pretty much it.

A real expert spends years (sometimes decades) immersing themselves in a subject, refining their skills, and delivering proven results. A modern thought leader, on the other hand, might achieve some basic success in a field, then pivot to building a personal brand instead. This is why most thought leaders’ advice is worthless as it doesn’t even have to be the truth or useful. It just has to be flashy enough to go viral.

WHY THOUGHT LEADERSHIP IS ALL ABOUT THE BRAND (NOT THE VALUE)

Building a “personal brand” is what thought leadership is all about. Here’s how it typically works:

Achieve Mediocre Success: Someone has a tiny win or some passable credibility in their field. Maybe they wrote one successful article, or launched a mediocre product that happened to catch on.

Shift Focus: They decide, “Hey, I could capitalize on this.” They realize that being a thought leader opens doors; speaking gigs, books, courses, brand deals, you name it.

Content Machine Mode: They churn out endless content; webinars, social posts, newsletters… all designed to promote their “brand.” But guess what? A lot of that isn’t even written by them. That “personal voice” you’re reading? It often isn’t even their words.

The Real Goal – Monetization: The whole play is about selling you something. Selling a book, a course, a subscription, or maybe just their image. Building their brand is the priority, not giving you authentic, actionable strategies you can actually use. When you strip away the polished posts and feel good quotes, the core focus is often, “How do I build an empire for myself?” Not, “How do I actually help people?”

SPOT THE BS EARLY BECAUSE IT’S EVERYWHERE

Here’s a useful strategy for spotting BS. Look at how a thought leader reacts when the cultural position shifts. Do their “deeply held values” suddenly change? Do they pivot away from certain causes or stances? Nine times out of ten, they were never about the movement, the mission, or whatever they claimed to stand for. It was about aligning their brand with whatever got likes, comments, and shares at the time.

If someone’s advice sounds great but doesn’t hold up to basic critical thinking, question it. Does it make logical sense? Is it something you can actually apply and see results from? Or does it only sound great on a motivational poster?

A PERSONAL STORY ABOUT THE THOUGHT LEADER PROBLEM

Here’s an example. I once worked with a client who brought in the so-called “#1 Thought Leader” in their field. Before meeting him, I expected to talk to someone brilliant, insightful; you know, an actual authority. Guess what I found instead? A guy who couldn’t articulate even the basics of his supposed area of expertise.

The whole act was smoke and mirrors. The posts, the webinars, the books; all BS. Sure, it looked impressive, but behind the curtain? Nothing of substance. That’s the reality of many “thought leaders” today.

BRING BACK THE EXPERTS

Honestly experts get a bad rap these days. Yes, some people love bashing experts, but I’m definitely not in that camp. I respect experts (given you are legit in reality rather than brand). These are people who’ve spent years honing their craft, delivering results, and actually knowing their sh-t. Experts don’t care about catchy Instagram quotes or social media shares; they care about mastering their craft.

What we need is a return to valuing actual expertise. If you’ve spent 25 years solving problems in your industry and actually getting results, I want to hear from you. I’ll take one seasoned expert over 50 modern “thought leaders” any day.

BE SMART, STAY CRITICAL

It’s easy to get caught up in the charisma of a thought leader. They’re great at rallying people, crafting speeches, and delivering just enough insight to make their advice sound plausible. But don’t forget this, they are not always here to help you. Often, they’re here to help themselves. Play smarter. Pay attention. Challenge what you’re told if it doesn’t make logical sense, no matter how many followers, books, or likes someone has. And remember, the best advice doesn’t sell, it delivers results. If someone’s just trying to sell you a product, a course, or an idea of success without any evidence of their expertise in reality, back up and walk away.

At the end of the day, the world doesn’t need more thought leaders. What we need are fewer marketers and more people who execute. More real experts, fewer empty suits. That’s who you listen to. That’s who you trust.

GI Griffin is a brutally honest cultural commentator and author, founder of The Tribe Academy, and host of the GI SAID IT show where bold perspective meets unfiltered truth. Known for his no-BS insights on human behavior and modern culture, GI challenges conventional thinking, exposes uncomfortable truths, and delivers bold insights for independent minds. View his show & essays here, or subscribe to his FREE newsletter here.

 

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