"And in this world we live in, the unfortunate thing is that these players get the unfair share—the lion's share—of attention. And again, by assumption, if they're getting all the attention while offering an average product and average service, they tend to win over someone who is softer, unseen, unknown, yet delivering an above-par service and product. So if you look at attention versus competency, they are going to win first. Versus a typical Southeast Asian professional founder—we might be 2 out of 10 in attention but overwork ourselves to be 9 out of 10 in competency. We put in the overtime, yet we don't get the opportunities. And the unfair thing is that if this group of people doesn’t get opportunities, those very opportunities are the fuel we need to get better. Without them, we don’t get the projects, the big gigs, or the sign-offs. And as a result, even if we are good now, we don’t get the chance to continue our greatness." - Benjamin Loh, Certified Speaking Professional" - Benjamin Loh
"And what creates that fuel in the vehicle on a social media platform—whether it's ads, Twitter, or TikTok—is the content we put out. That very content determines whether the vehicle drives at 100 kilometers an hour or just 20, depending on its efficacy and efficiency. If you recognize that this small piece of content directly impacts the outcome, then it begs the question: what should you say? What should you inject into your content to achieve the desired results? Some people intentionally play the game and stoke fame, but for most thought leaders—intentional or aspiring—it’s essential to sit down and critically assess what kind of thoughts they want to create. I usually take a structured, table-by-table approach, and on the second table, I intentionally frame questions that bring out strong positions, even for those who might be more neutral, like I am, to make this social media strategy truly work." - Benjamin Loh, Certified Speaking Professional" - Benjamin Loh
"So if they're giving you BS, just don’t take it. As long as it doesn’t get into your system, your learning is set, and it’s okay. Keep your eye on the ball, focus on the system. And then, thirdly, how do you make lemonade out of lemons? With that post, I could have spent my entire Sunday upset, but instead, I was actually really happy. First, I saved it into my teaching file as proof that I’m a practitioner-teacher, not just a theorist. With due respect to academics, I’m not just a lecturer teaching theory—I’m sharing real experiences that happened last week, last year. Second, I turned it into a strategic advantage. That post brought me more interesting followers, and I even received an invitation to speak at a social media conference because of it. So, it’s all about looking at it tactically as a game. It’s about having a healthy detachment—being engaged enough to know it benefits you, being intentional in your actions, but also recognizing that at the end of the day, you live a beautiful life offline." - Benjamin Loh, Certified Speaking Professional." - Benjamin Loh
In this episode, Jeremy Au speaks on polarizing thought leadership, social media hard truths, and family commitment learnings.
Keywords: Benjamin Loh, Polarizing Thought Leadership, Social Media Hard Truths, Family Commitment Learnings, Singapore, Southeast Asia, Creators, Thought Leadership, Founder Story
