Week 7: Assignment 2: Practice Thought Leadership Exercise Instructions We’ve discussed the importance of personal branding and establishing yourself as an expert or go-to person in your chosen fiel

Week 7: Assignment 2: Practice Thought Leadership Exercise Instructions We’ve discussed the importance of personal branding and establishing yourself as an expert or go-to person in your chosen field or profession. There are several ways that this can be accomplished. Writing thought leadership articles is one such method, and a fantastic way to showcase your innovative thinking and expertise within your industry. This exercise will give you a chance to practice doing just that. For this assignment, you’ll practice writing your own brief Thought Leadership piece, or article. You get to choose the topic so pick something that is relevant to your personal brand/career, and that you can share with others. You can approach it from a number of angles. You can identify or propose a solution to a business issue, discuss industry trends, or suggest an idea/innovation that you feel is important. Begin by brainstorming about your current business, or a business that you hope to get into. Think about the trends that you’re seeing, and what type of challenges or opportunities that you’ve encountered or that are occurring within the industry. Choose an issue (or two) that you believe will have a significant impact on the companies or clients in this space, and then research and write about it. Consider what you want to emphasize, and the point you wish to convey. Be sure to use intriguing stories and relevant data and examples to support your sentiment. To complete the article, use the following format (1-2 pages in length) in the provided template. Practice Thought Leadership Exercise I. Catchy Title/Hook II. Introduction of the Idea or Problem- 1 paragraph III. Body/Discussion of the Idea or Problem – 2-3 paragraphs including supporting statistics/data and stories (focus on and outline 2-3 main ideas or points) IV. Conclusion/Recommendations- 1 paragraph V. References- must be included in the form of a reference page (APA format suggested) Formatting Requirements for this assignment are as follows: • Typed in a Word document  Double spaced using font size 12 • References must be included in the form of a reference page (APA format suggested) • Use the provide template which includes a cover page with your name, assignment name, course title, and the date. • Your thought leadership exercise should be no more than 2 pages in length (excluding the cover page and  COM 510 Business Communication Assignments references). Looking for Inspiration? Here are some links to Thought Leadership articles by Jon and others: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/imagineering-jon-steinberg?trk=mp-reader-card https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/end-sales-jon-steinberg?trk=mp-reader-card https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/risk-doing-something-versus-nothing-jon-steinberg?trk=mp-reader-card https://www.entrepreneur.com/topic/thought-leadership https://medium.com/@MelisOnCheddar/the-new-native-seller-189e91e1c376