Titles to Lose in 2018: Thought Leader, Disrupter, and Anything Hacker

LinkedIn is loaded with creative listings of roles and skills vying for attention. 2017 saw an abundance of Thought Leaders, Disrupters, and all things Hacker.

At first sight, these three terms were effective scroll-stoppers. Readers had to decipher what these otherwise familiar words meant in a new context, forcing deeper engagement. Now, these titles just backfire.

At first, they were effective scroll-stoppers... Now, these titles backfire.

Let's examine further how these once edgy words are now just the opposite, and why if you're using one today, you should stop.

Thought Leaders

We've all heard people identifying themselves as premier thinkers for their fields, leading the thoughts of their industry. Thoughtleadershiplab.com says, "Thought leaders are the informed opinion leaders and go-to people in their field of expertise. They are trusted sources who move and inspire people with innovative ideas."

In its early appearances, the term made readers pause. Leader of thought? Wow, that's power. The readers themselves had their thoughts lead by the new term, and that journey had sticky resonance.

Once that journey was made and retraced a few times, though, stick became shtick. What was once a cool, firsthand demonstration of influence is now just the reuse of a trendy buzz-word -- quite the opposite of thought leadership.

What was once a demonstration of influence became tired use of a trend -- the opposite of thought leadership.

It's not that you need to be interesting and new with every write-up if you are an [insert field] Innovator or Industry Influencer (which are better terms to use), but if you want people to think you're driving the train, you can't sit in the last car.

Furthermore, there is truly nothing profound in being a thought leader. Consider the famous Polar Bear Study by Daniel Wegner, PhD, Harvard's founding father of thought suppression research. The study demonstrates that if someone tells you, "Do not think of a polar bear," you will inevitably think of a polar bear. Anybody and everybody can lead another's thoughts simply by suggestion. Leading thought alone is not impressive.

Disrupters

All companies and industries experience seemingly immovable flaws. Certain professionals have found success in identifying flawed norms and changing legacy inefficiencies without fear of disrupting a culture. Some of these individuals market this skill with the title "Disrupter."

Unfortunately, that is an inaccurate misuse in the business world. As Harvard Business Review says, "too many people who speak of 'disruption' have not read a serious book or article on the subject. Too frequently, they use the term loosely."

"...too many people who speak of 'disruption' have not read a serious book or article on the subject." -Harvard Business Review

Disruption innovation is a specialized strategy used by smaller companies to gain market share. When a larger, market-dominating company focuses progress on products and services for the more profitable segments, a smaller company can target the abandoned segments whose needs have been overlooked. The smaller company gains a foundation foothold in the market by offering a more relevant and better-priced product. As this product becomes more widely adopted in the mainstream market, the larger company slowly leaks significant market share to this previously smaller competitor. Thus, the market has been disrupted.

Therefore, if you call yourself a Disrupter, you should actually provide a specialty in the strategy described. If that's the case, consider adding something more specific or positive to the title, too, like Disruptive Marketer, Disruptive Strategist, or Disruptive Innovation Specialist.

If you instead refer to yourself as a Disrupter to champion a lack of fear in questioning corporate/cultural norms, use a different term that expresses your specific focus or positive influence -- like Efficiency Specialist or Gender Equality Advocate. There is little appeal in disruption for the sake of disruption.

_____________Hackers

If your role is to break into computers and networks, hacking is the term for you. In 2017, however, that word itself hacked its way into mainstream well beyond reason and meaning.

The word "hacker" is rooted in a Middle English meaning for hack "to cut with heavy blows in an irregular or random fashion" cited before 1300 AD. The familiar contemporary definition of a hacker addresses unauthorized technology break-ins, which some also attribute to the original definition in the way programmers would try a variety of entry points in a hit or miss fashion. Hacks are also defined as quick tricks to solve a problem.

Common themes that run through various dictionaries' definitions of hacking are rapid trial and error, and the words "rough," "inelegant," or "quick."

Common themes in the definitions of hacking are rapid trial and error, and the words "rough," "inelegant," or "quick."

As stated earlier, every business and industry has problems. Every person has areas to improve. Professionals provide a great service by finding solutions to corporate and personal problems. I question, though, if it is wise to market one's problem-solving skills with a title that implies quick-fix solutions found through rapid experimentation.

Why not choose a term that says you implement well-thought out, strategically crafted solutions with long-term staying power?

Instead of a Life Hacker, be a Lifestyle Architect. Instead of a Growth Hacker, be a Growth Engineer. Instead of a Climate Hacker, be a Climate Solution Specialist. Instead of a Biohacker, be a -- well, there are so many one-off uses of the word Biohacker that the word itself says nothing without further explanation. Why use it at all?

Pitch Person

If a "Thought Leader" is really a trend follower and Little Johnny's spitballs are an effective "Disrupter," being a "Title Hacker" can make you stand out for the wrong reasons.

Avoid trendy buzzwords, inaccurate terms, or negative connotations in your self-descriptions. Delete these terms from your profiles and programs. Instead, use positive words that specifically describe what you offer, and stand out as a person, not as a pitch.

Often, the best way to stop following the pack is to leave it.

***Steph Bilovsky is a 20 year public relations and marketing veteran who has worked both media-side as gatekeeper and corporate-side as storyteller. She may be contacted for speaking engagements or pro-bono consultation for projects in which she is personally interested.