Stand Out : How to Find Your Breakthrough Idea and Build a Following Around It

A guide to becoming a recognized expert in your field

Too many people believe that if they keep their heads down and work hard, they'll be recognized as experts on the merits of their work. But that's simply not true anymore. To make a name for yourself, you have to capitalize on your unique perspective and knowledge and inspire others to listen and take action. But becoming a "thought leader" is a mysterious and opaque process. Where do the ideas come from, and how do they get noticed?

Dorie Clark explains how to identify the ideas that set you apart and promote them successfully. The key is to recognize your own value, cultivate your expertise, and put yourself out there.

Featuring vivid examples and drawing on interviews with Seth Godin, Dan Pink, David Allen, Robert Cialdini, and other thought leaders, Clark teaches readers how to develop a big idea, leverage existing affiliations, and build a community of followers. She offers not mere self-promotion, but an opportunity to change the world for the better while giving you the ultimate career insurance.

DORIE CLARK is a marketing and strategy consultant and frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur, and Forbes. She consults and speaks to a diverse range of clients, including Google, the World Bank, Microsoft, and Morgan Stanley. She is also an adjunct professor of business administration at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. Her first book was Reinventing You. You can access more than 400 free articles on her Web site, dorieclark.com, and follow her on Twitter @dorieclark.