The ROI of Thought Leadership: Calculating the Value That Sets Organizations Apart
Cindy Anderson and Anthony Marshall
Wiley (February 2025)

How and why — on average — data-informed ROI for thought leadership is 156%

Cindy Anderson and Anthony Marshall define thought leadership as “distinctive, evidence-based intelligence that gives leaders the insights they need to make better business decisions. It builds trust and credibility — which may be why so many executives regularly spend time with thought leadership. Almost nine in ten (88%) executives say they spend about two hours each week consuming thought leadership.”

Their wide and deep research reveals that the ROI of thought leadership is 16 times greater than a typical marketing campaign.  In their book, they explore “the specific calculations behind these figures [cited on Page 4e], discuss how executives use thought leadership, and quantify the exponential value that comes from producing thought leadership that is trustworthy and independent of the organization’s commercial activity. We will also  share a ROI calculator that organizations can use to justify the value of rethought leadership in budget negotiations.”

In The ROI of Thought Leadership, Anderson and Marshall make several assertions that they convincingly support. For example:

o Thought leadership boosts business performance and drives expenditures that are best viewed as investments rather than as costs.
o Producing thought leadership delivers clear ROI to maximize the efficiency and productivity of that process.
o Calculating your organization’s specific thought leadership ROI must be seamless and redundantly verifiable.

They thoroughly explain HOW TO achieve the most important strategic objectives. For example: HOW TO

o Create next-level thought leadership
o Recognize and understand eight thought leader archetypes
o Unlock value that “moves the needle”
o Balance the contents of your thought leadership portfolio
o Master the mechanics of effective storytelling
o Optimize the impact and value of a thought leadership operating model
o Engage with targeted business leaders

They devote a separate chapter to each of these separate but related (if not interdependent) strategic objectives.  The information, insights, and  counsel in this book can be of incalculable value to leaders in almost any organization, whatever its size and nature may be.

I commend Cindy Anderson and Anthony Marshall on their brilliant, substantial contributions to thought leadership throughout the global marketplace and highly recommend this material, especially to all C-level executives and those who aspire to become one as well as to middle managers and those who are now preparing for a business career or have only recently embarked upon one.

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Here are two suggestions while you are reading The ROI of Thought Leadership: First, highlight key passages. Also,  perhaps in a notebook kept near-at-hand (e.g. Apica Premium C.D. Notebook A5), record your comments, questions, and action steps (preferably with deadlines). Pay special attention to headers in bold and larger typeface throughout the lively and eloquent narrative. Also to the comments that conclude each of the 13 chapters.

These two simple tactics — highlighting and documenting — will expedite frequent reviews of key material later.