Sarah McLeod Of Activate Health: 5 Things You Should Do To Become a Thought Leader In Your Industry

An Interview With Abe Alon

Be selective with your channels. Consider the reach and exposure of media opportunities in context of your key audience, thought leadership goals and your organization’s goals.

As part of our series about how to become known as a thought leader in your industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah McLeod.

Sarah is the CEO of Activate Health, a marketing and public relations firm focused exclusively on healthcare. She leads the agency with 20 years of strategic healthcare marketing, communications and public relations experience, having previously served at Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurial organizations. Prior to her current role, she oversaw marketing efforts for Univita Health, CIGNA Voluntary and University of Wisconsin Health–Hospitals and Clinics.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?

I grew up in Wisconsin with a family focused on medicine and healthcare. But I felt drawn to the business and creative side. At an early age, I was entrepreneurial and independent. At 15 years old I was managing college kids at Olive Garden. Before that, I worked on an alfalfa farm by day and sold Mary Kay by night while having business cards at the ready for my babysitting company. There was always a drive to do more.

My entry into the healthcare industry began when I started an internship at the University of Wisconsin Health–Hospitals and Clinics. Following that, I got some experience in the nonprofit sector when I sought warmer temperatures in Arizona and landed at CIGNA Voluntary in a marketing role. My next position took me to a private equity-backed healthcare company that sold to payers. There, I was thrown into a fast-paced environment with lots of M&A activity and got exposure to niche sectors within healthcare like specialty pharmacy, long-term care, durable medical equipment, home health care — you name it.

By this time, my former boss from CIGNA had founded her own healthcare marketing agency where I had the opportunity to help grow the firm. It felt risky at the time to leave the stability of the corporate world, but I’m so thankful for the chance and that I said yes.

Can you briefly share with our readers why you are an authority about the topic of thought leadership?

I’ve spent two decades supporting marketing, PR and communications efforts for healthcare organizations. With that specialized industry expertise, I’ve learned the importance of cutting through and not adding to the “clutter” in a crowded, diverse and dynamic space like healthcare. Today, at Activate Health, our firm has nearly 15 years’ worth of success stories about how we’ve accomplished this on behalf of our clients, who are some of the biggest brands in the industry.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

It never ceases to amaze me how small the healthcare world is (in the U.S. especially). There are people I worked with decades ago who, today, my agency supports as clients. This business isn’t simple, and it can be especially complex on the B2B side. Staying on top of trends can feel like a full-time job. So, the people who get it really get it and often stay in the industry for decades. I’m one of those people. As a result, I’ve seen the provider side (home infusion, skilled nursing facilities, health systems and hospitals) as well as the payer side, and everything from health tech to specialty pharmacy and in between. That’s how I lead our agency to support our clients so comprehensively.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I look back today on instances in which I thought I had all of the answers and I laugh! I’ve always been passionate about the work I do, and with that passion comes excitement. I talk fast when I’m pitching a new idea or giving a project update because I want to make valuable use of others’ time.

But early on in my career, I’d dive right in with so much enthusiasm but would share zero context with the person or group I was speaking to. In hindsight, I also didn’t put enough thought into my audience (their stressors or worries, what they’re working on, their priorities). My mentor taught me a lesson — patiently and repetitively — to slow down, consider the context, and put myself in others’ shoes.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the main focus of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define what a ‘Thought Leader’ is? How is a thought leader different from a typical leader? How is a thought leader different from an influencer?

In its simplest form, a thought leader is an authoritative, educational and opinionated voice that offers value to a broad audience, industry or sector. A typical leader may have these qualities, but their reach may just extend to their colleagues, team or organization. The term “influencer” is used so frequently today and sometimes interchangeably with “thought leader,” however, I think the former implies fame or status. I’d argue that a thought leader has influencing power because of their ability to inspire change and demonstrate success, regardless of mainstream popularity.

Can you talk to our readers a bit about the benefits of becoming a thought leader? Why do you think it is worthwhile to invest resources and energy into this?

Building and establishing thought leadership translates to creating a foundation of trust between an organization or brand and its audiences. People want to engage with other individuals or companies that they feel are knowledgeable and in tune with their challenges and needs. A reliable, credible thought leader can champion a company’s mission and value proposition for employees, internal stakeholders and partners, as well as customers or prospects.

Let’s talk about business opportunities specifically. Can you share a few examples of how thought leadership can help a business grow or create lucrative opportunities?

There is so much value that comes from sharing knowledge. Cultivating thought leadership leads to better brand awareness and brand equity. It gives a personalized, human voice to an organization. This is especially important in the B2B space. Because at the end of the day, a person or group of people — not a company — will make a purchasing decision. Thought leaders can elevate an organization’s reputation similarly by lending unique perspectives and experiences to a topic. A company can have a vision, but a person can have an opinion that fosters a relationship between consumers or prospective partners and that company. Finally, effective thought leaders prompt innovation and improvement. Progress is spurred by inspiration, instinct and know-how, all of which are great qualities of thought leaders.

Ok. Now that we have that behind us, we’d love to hear your thoughts about how to eventually become a thought leader. Can you share 5 strategies that a person should implement to become known as a thought leader in their industry?

1. Have an opinion and listen to others. Balance sharing your thoughts and position with taking in new and opposing ideas.
2. Know your audience and be generous. Speak to the challenges, pain points and needs of others. Offer valuable insight and experience they can’t find anywhere else.
3. Stay on top of your subject matter. Keep a pulse on trends and forces shaping your industry so you can offer your take or predictions on the latest and greatest.
4. Don’t try to be an expert on everything. Great thought leaders will recognize their niche and won’t be afraid to decline to comment on topics or concepts outside of their scope of expertise.
5. Be selective with your channels. Consider the reach and exposure of media opportunities in context of your key audience, thought leadership goals and your organization’s goals.

In your opinion, who is an example of someone who has done a fantastic job as a thought leader? Which specific things have impressed you about that person? What lessons can we learn from this person’s approach?

I’m lucky to have worked with so many impressive healthcare leaders over the course of my career. One individual who stands out is Dr. Robert Groves, who is Chief Medical Officer and EVP at Banner|Aetna, a joint venture health insurance company. He has an incredible passion for the industry and is an author, speaker and creator. His thought leadership focuses on a noble yet lofty mission to change the healthcare system to one that is more sustainable, inclusive and beneficial for all. Having experience providing hands-on care as well as innovating payer efforts — a critical component of the healthcare delivery system — really differentiates him as a thought leader. He serves as a fantastic example of what it means to be an industry and patient advocate who prompts meaningful discussion and true dialog.

I have seen some discussion that the term “thought leader” is trite, overused, and should be avoided. What is your feeling about this?

Living and breathing healthcare marketing and public relations means I come across plenty of jargon. I think that any term can become jargony or overused when it lacks meaning. True thought leaders who are passionate contributors to advancing and improving their industry and the lives of the people their organizations serve shouldn’t shy away from the term.

What advice would you give to other leaders to thrive and avoid burnout?

Leaders often carry an enormous weight on their shoulders. Being responsible for a company and to other people isn’t easy. I would encourage others in a similar position who may be approaching burnout to evaluate how they’re delegating and relying on others for help. No one gets through life alone, and trusting those around you to work toward a shared mission or goal while helping to carry the weight can make all the difference.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

The healthcare industry is growing more complex by the minute. I’m passionate about health literacy because understanding a system that’s difficult to navigate is a tall order. It’s one of the reasons I love what we do at Activate Health. We’re continuously coming up with new, better, more meaningful ways for our clients to communicate how they help others.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Just get it done. With age and experience comes responsibility, and then the to-do list inevitably grows. Early in my professional life, a huge campaign would feel overwhelming. I learned that there is a time to be thoughtful, strategic and hyper-analyze a situation. But once that’s complete, it’s time to get moving and start checking boxes. Breaking big efforts down into manageable, bite-size components not only helps to get the actual work started, but it’s positive reinforcement to see meaningful change and progress with every step of the process. If I maintain the “just get it done” approach with my end goal in mind, no project, campaign or effort feels like too much.

We are blessed that very prominent leaders in business and entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world with whom you would like to have lunch or breakfast? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

My grandparents who have passed on.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

I welcome new connections on LinkedIn, and our team posts helpful content for other healthcare marketing and communications professionals on our blog regularly.

Thank you so much for your insights. This was very insightful and meaningful.