Simplifying Complex Ideas Using Thought Leadership | Jeffrey Wheatman | 483

Cyber risk and cyber security are very important, and the field is filled with experts. So how can thought leadership elevate your work in a way that connects with a larger audience? Today our guest is Jeffrey Wheatman, Cyber Risk Evangelist for Black Kite, a company that is disrupting traditional third party risk management practices worldwide by providing cyber security experts with greater visibility. While the topics that Jeffrey talks about are of the utmost importance, many people just don’t have the technical knowledge to understand the details - and risks. Jeffrey explains that through thought leadership, he is able to convey complex ideas in a language that helps people connect the dots, and puts the material into a context they can clearly understand. Part of his thought leadership includes speaking at conferences and other events. Jeffrey shares why he speaks about topics such as executives who don’t understand IT and understanding risk in 3rd party ecosystems, instead of focusing on the services Black Kite offers. By speaking to the issues in an authentic way, he is able to build a relationship and get potential clients thinking of what they need to solve the presented problems, which ultimately leads them back to his services. In addition to speaking, Jeffrey uses LinkedIn to spread his thought leadership message. He discusses his target of posting at least once a day and how he judges the success of each post. He also talks about why it is important to take part in the discussions others are having, offering support and why it’s alright to be contrary to the original idea. Three Key Takeaways: * You need to find and embrace your own voice, with its quirks, because that authenticity will draw in an audience. * Thought leadership comes down to being able to say something short and pithy, that makes people lean in and say "I've never thought about that before." * Take what you know and compartmentalize it, so that you can share it in a way that it land with the largest audiences