7 Reasons to Write (and Publish It)

You can't be a thought leader if you're not generating original content. If all you're doing is sharing, re-tweeting, and re-posting, then you are following, not leading. Without writing, all I can accomplish is to serve as an amplifier for the people with the microphone. And no one goes to their speakers to brainstorm new ideas or ask for advice on a problem. They go to the source.

Pictured: the forward progress made by only reposting.

So why bother being a source? It's a lot of work, especially if it's not your main job. (I'm only just discovering this myself.) Here are five seven reasons why it's worth the extra effort to create original content:

Constant Contact

I will be the first to admit it: I am terrible at keeping in contact with people. I'm inconsistent, I delay my replies, and when I finally do write them, who knows what you'll get? Maybe a 30-word email that addresses the main points of yours, but nothing more. Or maybe I will write you a figurative or literal letter with multiple pages and a great deal of response, and then an update on the last six months of my life as well. It's a crap-shoot--but every time I send out the quick text or email version, I wince inside that I'm not dedicating more of my poorly-allocated time to holding up my end of my relationship with that person.

That's what communication is about--relationship. It's not about fancy words, saying the right thing the right way, "proper" speech or grammar. Those aspects are important, because how one uses them affects the relationship. And following the rules or conventions for grammar, word use, and the rest make it easier to ensure that one's point is understood.