How to Distinguish Thought Leadership from Other Forms of B2B Writing

Force #1. A changing energy economy

Force #2. Increasing complexity and inconsistency

Force #3. Proliferation of data                                                   

Force #4. The drive to improve operational efficiency.

Occasionally, I will expand on one of the points. Here’s an example using force #2.

Energy execs are signaling that complexity in the industry today and where it is headed by mid-century cannot be managed with status quo thinking or a patchwork of manual and digital processes. If one of the following characteristics is present, your organization is most likely being held back by complexity.

The previous sentence has obligated me to identify the characteristics of complexity, which I do in short, successive paragraphs of about 50 words each.

Energy companies in North America are looking for something more than operational productivity. They are seeking operational flexibility. The ability to rapidly scale to accommodate growth and leverage demand, plus the ability to protect margins with digital efficiencies in an over-supplied market. Senior management is turning to the CFO for leadership of digital initiatives.

Ask a hundred writers, and you’ll get a hundred different ways to write a B2B thought leadership article. This is my approach. I hope you find it usefu

Memo to the CFO: McKinsey & Company, July 2018