The Expert's Edge:

Kudos from True Thoughtleaders

I found your webinar today very helpful. And I love your book... I just wanted to let you know that I first learned of you at a Nutrition Entrepreneur's meeting in Boston when Tricia Silverman invited you to speak to our practice group several years ago (I am a Nutritionist on Cape Cod). I was so inspired by your ideas that redid my website (www.livenutrition.com) and added an e-newsletter (The Nutritionist's Notebook). As a result of the web presence, one of my clients invited me to co-author a book which was published in Dec. 2007 (Your Whole Life) and I have just signed a contract to write my own book on "eating right." I have been speaking all over the country and have been asked to write articles. I would never have accomplished so much without hearing you speak for that one hour. Keep inspiring us!
Maggie Davis, MS, RD, LDN, FADA, CDE

I just finished "The Expert's Edge" last night. It's great. A perfect book for consultants. The ideas are both strategic and practical. I've placed it on my list of resources to recommend for consultants. It's also increased my movtivation level for finishing my own book. I could cite stories about projects I've landed based on some of the ideas in "The Expert's Edge." While I've already been practicing some of this book's recommendations, it's the whole program that's crucial, not just bits and pieces. I heartily recommend this book!
Normal Daoust, Daoust Associates

Ken, I purchased your book last month, “The Expert’s Edge” (McGraw Hill, 2008), and gave it a read while on a 6 hour flight to Alaska for a 2 week vacation. Emerson would be proud of you! It was time well invested. Your book gave me a clearer focus on concepts I knew, served as a refresher in other areas, and introduced me to new ideas that will lead me closer to not only becoming a Thoughtleader in my subject field, but also a “Thoughtleader of Choice”. Thank you for taking the time to write such a valuable guide. I appreciated the fact that your writing “tone” was one of talking with me, not at me. Your book has motivated me to not only get my own book idea moving forward, but also to get moving on another division of my company, “ClearVision Assessments LLC”, where my original, well-researched psychological assessment tools will be published and serve as a distributorship for it and other respected assessment tools,, thus serving as a focus for the assessment activities of my practice. Now I must not forget to bring the book with me when I see you again so I can have my copy signed! Wishing you all the best of success.
Dr. Robert W. Sopo, PhD, CHRP, CMC
President & CEO, RWS Group, Inc.

"Ever hear of Hamlet? A high school term paper compared to Lizotte's book. The Bible? A confusing rant of disconnected stories next to Ken's perfectly crafted epic. And don't even get me started on Hemingway, whose combined works in light of Ken's latest masterpiece are not even worthy of lining my bird's cage. No my friends, what Lizotte has done here has shaken the publishing industry to its very core. No more books need ever be written — read this and sleep peacefully, knowing you've experienced all you'll ever need in wisdom, entertainment and humanity."
Michael Katz, Chief Penguin, Blue Penguin Development

"Thank you for this book. I have needed it for quite some time. I now know the holes I need to fill in getting my book written for the audience I believe could benefit the most. Your book inspired me, frankly has motivated me and reduced my 'second guessing.'"
Barbara Nobles Crawford, PhD, 29 year Executive Leadership and Talent Management Practitioner

“Ken’s new book is wonderful and a must read for all consultants! It essentially outlines a road map for successfully navigating your way from professional with pearls of wisdom to savvy expert / thought leader. Throughout my consulting career I have had the pleasure to work with Ken first hand. And he has effectively captured this transformation process in his new book. His book is an easy read. It provides an overall strategy, practical approaches and how to’s, testimonials from successful thought leaders and makes the business case for why you should invest your time and energy. When working directly with Ken you also benefit from his unconditional support and great sense of humor as you forge ahead. So, at a minimum read the book. If you have the opportunity to work with Ken then do that too! Happy reading!“
Carol Bergeron, President of Bergeron Associates

Ken is nothing short of a wizard at making people famous. While working with him I've had more articles published in all the best places. Now he's captured the best of his wisdom in The Expert's Edge, and you have no excuse but to follow his advice and make a name for yourself that will produce dividends now and for years to come!
Curtis Bingham, Founder/President, Predictive Consulting Group

Just want to say I LOVE YOUR BOOK! I was prepared to like it, because of course it's a topic close to my heart. You exceeded all expectations: it’s beautifully constructed, brilliantly written and easy to "use." Congrats! Suzanne Bates, author of Speak Like a CEO: Secrets of Commanding Attention and Getting Results

Forget all you have heard about “classic marketing.” Become a thoughtleader and you will reach audiences as you have never done before.
Drumm McNaughton, Ph.D., CMC®, President, The Change Leader and Chair, IMC USA

Brilliance is defined as “distilling the complex...to the simple” which is just what Ken Lizotte has accomplished. Ken’s latest work is a must-read for CEOs that want a practical way to separate themselves and their companies from their competitors. I’m putting it at the top of my recommended CEO reading list.
Fred W. Green, Chairman, CEO Club of Boston

If you ever wondered what it takes to become a “thought leader” or wanted to know more about some of the world’s foremost thinkers, Ken Lizotte’s The Expert’s Edge is for you. And if you are a business leader or a thinker, this book is a must read, whether or not you ever considered the term “thought leader.”
Lewis Green, author of Lead With Your Heart: Sell Happiness and You and Your Business Will Flourish

Ken's book is clear, concise, easy to read and RIGHT ON! Fantastic strategic approach to promoting yourself and your business. It's worked extremely well for me and for my company. Every consultant should read Ken's book and then JUST DO IT!
Shelley F. Hall, Managing Director, Catalytic Management

In an era where the proliferation of media outlets has created legions of "15 minutes of fame" authorities on a wide range of topics, Ken Lizotte's The Expert's Edge is a welcome tonic. The blogosphere is a fantastic forum for establishing a web presence and communicating to a like-minded audience, but many bloggers haven't taken the time or made the effort to strategically think through their platform and extend it to other media.

The Expert's Edge provides a practical and methodical approach to achieving "thoughtleader" status. Thoughtleaders are those experts that are looked to for their experience, insight, inspiration and knowledge. They are at the leading edge of their field. But they need to work at their communication skills and outreach plans to be able to achieve and maintain their standing.

"The Five Pillars of Thoughtleading" gives the reader a smart and logical way to think through and act on their ambitions. The practical examples about how to do it and, in particular, how Ken did it, give an easy-to-follow narrative that leaves the impression that "I can do it too."

I'd recommend The Expert's Edge to any current or aspiring thoughtleader who wants more visibility, prestige and reputation for their expertise. (Disclaimer: Ken served as my publishing agent and represented my book, Why Healthcare Matters to HRD Press)
Frank Hone, Healthcare Consumerism Strategist and author of Why Healthcare Matters

The Expert's Edge is very timely. With this knowledge, many consultants will find their path to thought leadership with clients and prospects but major product companies are also trying desperately to get past the commoditization of their businesses by creating practice-based services and solutions around their products. Their expertise is often trapped and untapped in a transactional model and this book shows how to change the game. Now that sales people need to think like consultants, they can throw out the old sales playbook and get a real edge with this easy read.
James Masciarelli, author of PowerSkills: Building Top-Level Relationships for Bottom-Line Results

Ken Lizotte has brought thought leadership to a science and an art – and on the road to becoming a mainstream term.
Louis Carter, CEO, Best Practice Institute

The Expert’s Edge should be required reading on every manager’s and executive’s book shelf. By practicing what author Ken Lizotte calls “thoughtleading actions,” your competition will fade away. Take a good look at this book… then do what it says!
Florence Stone, Editorial Director, American Management Association

The Expert's Edge, through Mr. Lizotte's "thoughtleading" strategy, provides a formidable and adaptable arsenal of skills to ensure personal success. It is particularly suited to the ongoing and evolving challenge of what encompasses work and career in today's world. I certainly can recommend it to our students, my colleagues and any professional. Read it! You will find yourself starting to think differently, and more successfully, after only a few chapters. Lynn Rublee, Academic Advisor, Harvard University Extension School

If you're aspiring to be a thoughtleader in your field, you couldn't find a better guidebook than Ken Lizotte's The Expert's Edge. It's a no-frills, cut-to-the-chase manual for mastering the tools of visionary leadership in a fast-paced, ever-changing world.
Jan Phillips, author of The Art of Original Thinking: The Making of a Thought Leader

There is an old expression that says that knowledge is power. Yet, if no one knows you have the knowledge, does it matter? Ken Lizotte, with his concept of being a thoughtleader, helps experts create market visibility that they could never achieve on their own. He also helps experts come out of the shadows and into the limelight. Having knowledge is one thing. Being recognized as an expert is another. The knowledgeable starve while the thoughtleaders thrive!
Lee B. Salz, author of Soar Despite Your Dodo Sales Manager and President of Sales Dodo

Want to be the leader in your field? Read this book. Highlight important passages. Make notes in the margin on how you will apply its many valuable ideas. Read it now. Reread it in 18 months. Keep it on your desk. Refer to it often. You can’t be seen as an expert without it.
Sean Gallagher, Chief Value Delivery Officer, MarketCulture Strategies

The Expert’s Edge, Ken has done a great job of making the case for pursuing a thought leadership strategy and then getting into the nitty-gritty of pulling it off. His book is a great overview full of fun and relevant stories. One story actually addresses my firm’s experience with “Trekking” over the years.
Mary Adams, President, IMCNE and Principal, Trek Consulting LLC

Ken Lizotte in The Expert's Edge, (McGraw-Hill 2008) has nailed it! If your eye is on the prize of becoming an authority in your field, this book is it. The Expert's Edge is riveting--- and real. You'll come away with real answers and a riveting plan of how you can become "the Go-To Authority PeopleTurn to Every Time."
M. Susan Hamilton, M.S. Human Ecology, The Family Economist

“This is a book for the times; a must read! I started reading your book over the weekend. It really is outstanding! It’s one of those books that you don’t want to put it down. Well done ‘Chief Imaginative Officer!’”
Ron Vissochi, President, The Benjamin Group LLC

For those of us who consider ourselves experts it can be very frustrating to not have our skills, perspective, and recommendations valued. We spend most of our lives building our expertise but then it is not automatically accepted and is often rejected!

Unfortunately the problem lies with us. We have not answered Peter Drucker’s key question for knowledge workers:

“What should my contribution be?”

Drucker goes on and suggests that the knowledge worker must address three elements implicit in the contribution question:

“What does the situation require?
Given my strengths, my way of performing, and my values, how can I make the greatest contribution to what needs to be done?
And finally, what results have to be achieved to make a difference?”

(From: Peter F. Drucker, “Managing Oneself,” HBR, January 2005)

Ken Lizotte’s book demands that we stand up in the market place of ideas and demonstrate that we have a significant contribution to make that will be of value to our clients. He defines the path from being an also-ran expert to being a thoughtleader.

It is not an easy path. It requires unabashed self-examination and tests the motivation and courage we have at the core of our being. But his recommendations are clear, concise, and doable. He begins by showing us the examples of numerous people who have made the journey from expert to thought leader and analyzing the critical elements of their journey to success. He calls these elements “The Five Pillars of Thoughtleading.”

I have read the book twice and am systematically taking Lizotte’s prescription to heart. I am applying it to my consulting practice. It is helping me to transform my thinking and I am already seeing results in my interactions with prospects and clients.

My only hesitation in recommending the book is that it will foster the creation of other thoughtleaders. But, on the other hand, there is so much need for our expertise out there in organizations that we need to take an abundance mentality and realize that knowledge work in this century is not a zero-sum game.
Peter Jay Sorenson CMC, GINKGO Enterprises

"The Expert's Edge" presents a convincing case on the benefits of becoming a thoughtleader, and then provides a good primer on how to promote yourself as such. This is a very readable and useful book which I recommend to all those who are looking for better ways to promote their business.
Maria Thomson, CEO, RAD Insurance Holdings, Inc.

I read your entire book on the way from San Diego to Baltimore . It was terrific! I used the term "thought leader" in my promo material 10 years ago. I was one of 19 people certified to do Tom Peters "In Search of Excellence" program in the late 80s. I know Harvey MacKay well and he used his clout to pre-sell and pre-buy a lot of his books, which allowed him to get on the best seller lists. Tom always talked about GM and how its model was outdated way back then. Also, your examples of research in a library equaled mine in results and frustration and is exactly why we need to do things differently.
Dr. Gayle Carson CSP CMC

I am enjoying your book! Where'd you get the great color scheme for the cover? I am reading it at work when I want to refresh my perspective. Alan Weiss' quote sounds like what you told Sherri and I – Publish! It has been paying off for us - expensive and effective. Our brand has gone to another level.
Jim Ramerman, author of Why Dogs Wag Their Tails: Lessons Leaders Can Learn About Work, Joy and Life

If you want to be a leader in your field—read this book. Ken Lizotte has packed his book full of practical and useful advice about how to do it. It's well written, well organized and easy to read.
Drew Yanno, author of The Third Act: Writing a Great Ending To Your Screenplay