In this episode of Thought Leader Life, Michael and I hang out with #ThoughtLeader Lori Ruff (@loriruff). Recognized by her super fans as the #LinkedIn Diva, Lori belongs to the elite Forbes list of top social media influencers in the world. In the interview, she reveals the secret to making it on this list and how she became a successful #ThoughtLeader in her own right. Lori believes a #ThoughtLeader provides value to the world and shares their thoughts in a way that is positive and open to discussion. That is why #ThoughtLeadership is, first and foremost, a positive connotation and something that has no space for dictatorship. For Lori, the ultimate #ThoughtLeader was Maya Angelou (who passed away on May 28, 2014) because her works made such an impact on Lori that they changed her entire perspective in life. It was Maya Angelou who said: “People don’t always remember what you say or even what you do, but they always remember how you made them feel.” And this is so true for Lori who, after experiencing tough challenges in life, realized that you can actually work through your emotions and show who you truly are.

As one of my favorite people in the world, I describe Lori as having a warm heart that allows her to be authentic in building her connections and relationships. For me, Lori is a #ThoughtLeader who builds real relationships; as such, if you get a Lori Ruff referral, you will immediately be trusted and respected. She explains that people come to trust her because she shares her true self and lets other people see her as a human being. People can relate to that because they are human, too.

Lori, who has been labeled by one of her 100,000 followers on Twitter and LinkedIn as more popular than @ladygaga, tells about what a typical day is like for her. She also shares her insights about Cause Marketing and why she has chosen to become a celebrity ambassador for the CureArthritis.org. She is a super fan of THiNKaha‘s Aha Amplifier, and is excited about the A bookha Amplifier that aims to spread awareness about arthritis using tweetable quotes.

To learn more about thought leadership and how it can help you be successful, subscribe to the Thought Leader Life channel at http://youtube.com/user/thoughtleaderlife.

Here are some “‘aha’ moments” from the episode. See more in the Aha Moments from Thought Leader Life books available in the Aha Amplifier and watch the interview below!

Be authentic. That’s the core, and if you can’t get that right, you won’t get that overwhelming success you’re looking for. @loriruff

The more I protected the people who follow me, the more trust I could build with them. @loriruff

A sign of success is when you’ve built your network over time, worked for their best interest, and become a good connector. @happyabout

People don’t care what you know until they know that you care. @loriruff

Follow Lori on Twitter at @loriruff. Tune into Thought Leader Life every Saturday for more thought-leader goodness!