By Benjamin Schwartz, MD, MBA

The first 12 years of my career were standard: see patients, do surgeries, be on. I was a “lunch pail” doctor. As my career progressed, I developed an interest in entrepreneurship, startups, and health tech but wasn’t sure where to start. How could a community orthopedic surgeon begin building a network outside of traditional practice?

The answer, it turned out, was to become a thought leader. Five years later, I’m a startup advisor and investor, I write a weekly Substack, and I’ve built an online community that includes 35,000 LinkedIn followers. I’ve learned a lot along the way.

Thought leadership is a curious thing. What makes someone a thought leader — the best ideas, the most ideas, the biggest audience, or the boldest takes? There’s no single answer, and thought leadership can be intentional or accidental. For our purposes, we’ll define a thought leader as someone who thinks deeply and critically about important topics and shares those insights publicly. That last part — sharing — is often the biggest barrier, especially for clinicians.

This article will explore the “why,” “how,” and “what” of clinician thought leadership, including how to take the first steps, find your voice, and avoid common pitfalls.

Why Thought Leadership Matters

Thought leadership is about more than ego or social media likes. In today’s health care landscape, it has become a critical component of establishing credibility, delivering impact, and opening doors. Clinical expertise is measured by credentials and years in practice, but thought leadership translates what happens on the frontlines of care to a broader audience. It’s the key to demonstrating real-world clinical insight to the entire health care ecosystem.

Thought leadership is also a gateway to shaping policy, influencing patient care, and advancing your career. For early-career physicians, benefits include surfacing side gig opportunities, building a personal brand, and positioning yourself to shape the future of medicine. Expanding your network expands your influence. Becoming a thought leader makes the small world of health care even smaller, to your advantage.

Examples of the power of clinical thought leadership abound. Will Flannery (“Dr. Glaucomflecken”) brings humor to critical health care issues. Dr. Elisabeth Potter gained national attention by chronicling her struggles with prior authorization on social media. Leaders in major health agencies, including the current heads of CMS (Dr. Mehmet Oz) and the FDA (Dr. Marty Makary), have leveraged their public voices to reach positions of national influence. You don’t need a massive following or political ambitions to benefit from thought leadership. But if you aspire to a more impactful, fulfilling career, thought leadership matters.

Finding Your Voice

Figuring out what to say may be the biggest barrier to becoming a thought leader. Standing out is increasingly difficult in a sea of outlets and opinions. Finding your voice takes time, but the first step is to determine what you can offer that’s unique, insightful, and different. Commenting on others’ posts, reposting articles with your analysis, and starting a blog are low-risk approaches to building an audience. Here are some other tips:

Be authentic and focus on quality over quantity. Contrarian takes drive more engagement, but controversy for the sake of controversy eventually falls flat and turns off your audience. The strongest opinions are those backed by conviction, evidence, and authenticity. Striking the right balance between the banal and the inflammatory is critical.

Don’t mistake volume for value. Building an audience takes time, but high-quality content is stickier than “flooding the zone” with hot takes. Although it may take longer, projecting authenticity and taking a “less is more approach” will eventually win out.

Index on what makes you unique. Being an orthopedic surgeon at the intersection of health care technology and innovative care models resonated with many. Sharing my firsthand experience with investing, entrepreneurship, and startups piqued others’ curiosity. With firsthand experience in CMS’ BPCI-A program, I could speak directly to the challenges and opportunities of value-based care.

We clinicians are a diverse group with a variety of backgrounds, both within health care and in our personal lives. Your voice should arise from the experiences that shaped your own journey, challenges you have faced personally or professionally, and topics you’re passionate about. Stick to these principles, and your audience will find you.

Platforms and Mediums

Traditionally, clinician thought leadership primarily involved publishing in medical journals, speaking at conferences, or serving on committees. Today, there are a variety of platforms and mediums for audience building — academic journals, conferences, podcasts, blogs, and social media. It’s important to understand the pros and cons of each, which medium best fits your style and intended audience, and what type of content works best for each platform.

Social media has a low barrier to entry, which can serve as a plus (it’s easy to reach people) and a minus (it’s hard to stand out). Each platform (LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Instagram, and TikTok) has its own strengths and weaknesses, and each lends itself to a different content format. Sites like TikTok and Instagram work well if you’re comfortable on camera and good at producing short-form, engaging videos. Twitter/X favors shorter, more pointed content. LinkedIn supports longer posts and caters to professionals looking to network. If long-form thought pieces are your strength, consider starting a blog or Substack. Great conversationalists may find podcasting more their speed.

Depending on your intended audience, traditional thought leadership channels should be considered. Publishing in academic journals and appearing on stage at meetings raises visibility and credibility. Being recognized as a “national expert” often requires demonstrated domain expertise that can only be achieved through peer-reviewed research and podium presentations. Furthermore, sharing your research or presentation on social media becomes a “force multiplier” for establishing thought leadership.

Content That Resonates

In the beginning, it’s best to focus on one or two channels, start slow, and scale as you become comfortable. Figuring out what resonates requires trial and error. Social media algorithms can be opaque, fickle, and unpredictable. Therefore, it’s best to create content that’s authentic rather than optimized for engagement. Put another way, good content should drive engagement inherently rather than “hacking” the algorithm.

Some simple rules: have a clear purpose, leverage storytelling to engage your audience, discuss timely topics, and support your ideas with facts and interesting data. To reach a broader audience, combine clinical insight with accessible language. Example formats include case vignettes (de-identified), commentary on emerging research, behind-the-scenes reflections, and analysis of big-picture health care trends.

My first “viral” moment as a thought leader occurred when I published an open letter to Apple on LinkedIn, shortly after CEO Tim Cook famously stated that health care would be Apple’s “greatest contribution to mankind.” The article was an earnest reflection on how a company like Apple might address health care’s biggest challenges — an insider’s perspective on a hot-button topic. That said, it’s impossible to predict exactly what will resonate and what won’t. Stay authentic instead of chasing trends.

Pitfalls — And How to Avoid Them

Thought leadership is a wonderful way to enhance your clinical practice, reduce burnout, and grow personally and professionally. However, it’s important to understand the pitfalls and protect yourself from common traps that can derail your efforts. Developing a consistent plan and “internal check” system protects your personal brand, preserves patient confidentiality, and keeps you from crossing the boundaries of professionalism.

Leveraging social media for thought leadership is a double-edged sword. While the barrier to entry is low, the ease of content creation and allure of metrics can lead to overextension. Separating personal and professional brands is tricky — and not entirely desirable if your goal is authenticity. However, it’s important to avoid being reactive or getting dragged into circular debates.

Sharing interesting patient cases is an effective way to generate discussion and establish credibility. However, it should always be done in a way that protects patient privacy. Understand HIPAA guidelines (they may be more stringent than you think) and always err on the side of caution. Obtain patient permission whenever possible and be clear about how, when, and where you’re sharing the information. Posting cases to shame other clinicians (intentionally or not) is poor form — none of us is perfect.

Remember: when you post online as a professional, you’re not just representing yourself. Check contract guidelines regarding use of social media, non-disparagement clauses, and other similar provisions. Fair or not, what you say in a public forum may be viewed as a reflection on your employer, medical practice, and affiliated companies. Disclaimers help, and you should be clear that your thoughts and opinions are your own (when applicable).

A good general rule is to always think twice before hitting “send” or “post.” If you’re unsure about something, save it as a draft and come back to it later. Eliciting critique from trusted colleagues ensures that your content is engaging, worthwhile, and appropriate. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t post it.

Key Takeaways

Thought leadership is an excellent way to grow personally and professionally, enhance career fulfillment, and foster interests outside of clinical practice. For many, the hardest part is getting started. Writing a blog, commenting on others’ posts, or appearing as a podcast guest are straightforward entry points to begin finding your voice. Authenticity is key: focus on quality over quantity and share what makes you and your experiences unique. Finally, recognize that thought leadership can be a double-edged sword. Be mindful of chasing engagement metrics or wandering outside the bounds of professionalism. Following these principles makes thought leadership a highly rewarding and worthwhile endeavor for any clinician.