The phrase thought leadership is thrown around a lot in public relations and sometimes becomes an unfortunate euphemism for "self-serving marketing jargon." Thought leadership must serve two masters: those who lead and those who follow. For a thought leadership platform to become a strategic launching pad for your media campaign, it must appeal to both media and stakeholders.
"Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it." -Dwight D. Eisenhower