The Best Thought Leadership Starts With Better Interviews

I've interviewed everyone from tax specialists and economists to accountants and business consultants. If there's one thing I've learned, it's this: writing great thought leadership has very little to do with being a great writer — and everything to do with asking better questions.

When I first started interviewing subject matter experts, I treated interviews like information-gathering sessions. I'd show up with a list of questions, dutifully work my way through them, and leave with enough material to write a blog post.

The result? Perfectly accurate articles that sounded like everyone else's.

Over time, I realized my job wasn't just to collect information. It was to uncover the insight only that particular expert could provide.

That's the difference between content that informs and content that leads.

Do your homework before you hit "record"

One of the biggest mistakes writers make is asking questions they could have answered with 20 minutes of research. I know this. I've done this. 

Before every interview, I spend time reviewing the expert's previous articles, LinkedIn posts, presentations, podcasts, or webinars. I also look at what's happening in the industry and what competitors are saying about the topic.

Not because I want to impress them with my knowledge — but because I want to spend our limited time digging deeper.

Instead of asking, "What is the new regulation?"

I can ask, "What's the biggest misconception you're hearing from clients about this regulation?"

That's where the interesting conversation begins.

Your goal isn't facts — it's perspective

Anyone can summarize facts. Thought leadership comes from perspective. Some of my favorite questions are:

• What's one thing people consistently get wrong about this topic?
• What advice do you find yourself repeating every week?
• What's changed your thinking over the past year?
• What trend do you think people are overreacting to?
• If you could correct one misconception, what would it be?

These questions invite experts to share opinions shaped by years of experience instead of repeating information readers could find anywhere else.

The best stories usually come after "Can you tell me more?"

Experts naturally speak in conclusions. Writers need examples. Whenever someone says something interesting, I resist the urge to move on to my next question. Instead, I'll ask:

• Can you give me an example?
• Tell me about a client situation.
• What happened?
• What surprised you?
• Why do you think that is?

Nine times out of ten, that's where the best quotes live. Those follow-up questions often uncover the anecdotes that make an article memorable and the practical advice readers can actually use.

Listen for the sentence that changes everything

Every interview has at least one moment where I stop taking notes and think, There's my headline.

It might be a surprising opinion. A memorable analogy. A sentence that reframes the entire issue.

When that happens, don't rush ahead. Ask them to unpack it.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Can you elaborate?"

"How did you come to that conclusion?"

That single insight often becomes the foundation for the entire article.

Help experts sound like humans

Subject matter experts are incredibly knowledgeable, but they're also immersed in their own industries. That means jargon tends to creep into conversations without them realizing it.

One trick I use is asking them to explain something as if they were talking to a client over coffee.

The explanation is almost always clearer, more conversational, and far more relatable than the technical version.

Your readers will thank you.

Don't be afraid to challenge the conversation

Some of the best interviews happen when you're genuinely curious. If an expert says something that contradicts conventional wisdom, explore it. If they mention a surprising statistic, ask why it matters. If they say, "Everyone thinks this, but..." Lean into it. Thought leadership isn't built on consensus. It's built on fresh thinking.

End with one question that almost always pays off

Before I wrap up an interview, I ask one final question:

"Is there anything I should have asked but didn't?"

It's amazing how often that question produces the strongest quote of the entire conversation.

Sometimes experts have been waiting for the opportunity to talk about the thing they're most passionate about — they just needed someone to ask.

Great interviews create more than one piece of content

One interview rarely becomes just one blog post. A strong conversation can produce social posts, pull quotes, email content, newsletter snippets, podcast talking points, or future article ideas.

That's why it's worth slowing down and having a real conversation instead of simply checking questions off a list.

The real secret to great thought leadership 

I've learned that the best thought leadership doesn't come from having all the answers. It comes from knowing how to uncover them.

As writers, we're translators, storytellers, and curious listeners. Our job isn't to sound like the smartest person in the room. It's to help the smartest person in the room share what they know in a way that connects with readers.

And more often than not, that starts with one simple question:

"Tell me more."