An Interview With Dina Aletras
Think for yourself — It is important that as a thought leader, and as a recognized one, that you have your own thought patterns and processes. You need to have your own unique insights that you can then share onto the world. You will be caught or people will call you out for copying others.
As part of our series about how to become known as a thought leader in your industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kazu.
Kazu is an engineering career coach and founder of Ultmeche — a Professional Career Resources website focused both on job searching mainly focused on industries such as Engineering (Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, Software Engineering, etc.), but covers other industries and sectors such as Tech, Business, Finance, Healthcare, Accounting, etc.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us! Our readers are eager to learn more about you. Could you provide some background information about yourself?
Growing up, I always enjoyed math and science which steered me over to becoming an engineer in my career. After being able to land my dream job at a company that designs, develops, builds, and supports one of the world’s most advanced products, I wanted to help others do the same.
I then started yapping on social media, and before I knew it, I started becoming an authority in my niche. It felt surreal. I then continue to help 30K+ followers day by day regarding career advice and daily job search tips.
What establishes you as an authority on thought leadership? Could you briefly share your expertise with our readers?
I’ve helped hundreds regarding landing their dream jobs and have built a following of 40K+ on various platforms of social media such as TikTok and Instagram. The content I have resonates with people, because applying for jobs is a painful process.
Can you recall a funny mistake you made when you were first starting out? What lesson did you learn from it?
I filmed a bunch of videos with what I would’ve thought to be stellar advice, but with my bed in the background. How unprofessional I was looking without even knowing it! I then became to realize that having an aesthetic background that is pleasing is important. Common sense, right?
What are the most significant disruptions you foresee in your industry over the next five years, and how can businesses adapt to these changes?
AI seems to be the big game changer that everyone seems to be talking about and it’s only the early stages. As technology grows, businesses will need to continue to stay on top of them so that they can utilize the tools to win in the competitive marketplace.
Can you explain the benefits of becoming a thought leader? Why is it valuable to invest time and resources into this?
It’s great to have a platform and build a following such that people actually listen and resonate. Trust and authenticity are the number one thing that I’ve learn that drives success in business. Becoming a thought leader and being authentic in content aids in establishing trust for your business.
Can you share an example of a significant challenge you faced in your career and how you leveraged innovative thinking to overcome it?
The hardest part was getting started and finding a stride that worked out for me. In the beginning of building my business and my platform on social media, it felt like putting things into a black hole. I’d push out all of this content thinking that it’d be good, but then nothing would come out of it. I then studied frameworks and systems and eventually started figuring out what worked.
Now that we have covered that, we’d love to hear your advice on becoming a thought leader. Can you share five strategies that someone should follow to gain recognition as a thought leader in their industry? Please include examples or stories from your own experience for each strategy.
1 . Think for yourself
It is important that as a thought leader, and as a recognized one, that you have your own thought patterns and processes. You need to have your own unique insights that you can then share onto the world. You will be caught or people will call you out for copying others.
2 . Read
Reading is extremely paramount to develop critical insights and thought patterns. Some of the greatest minds share their unique thoughts and viewpoints in books, yet most people these days don’t read. It’s a waste to not draw insights from some of the greatest minds that’ve ever walked across this Earth.
3 . Execute
It is important that you execute in some way, shape, or form. Do not fall into the trap of continuous self-improvement or analysis paralysis. It is easy to feel productive without actually being productive. Day by day, your actions should be 90% execution and 10% reading and drawing insights from others. The most important step is execution. Without execution, there will be nothing.
4 . Iterate
It is important also through continuous feedback and implementation that you continue to improve. And by improve, I don’t mean constantly reading self help books, but constantly work to iterate upon your own work. Did you express what you did clearly? Did other people understand what you said? Did it take off as a hit piece? These are some of the questions that you will need to ask yourself to continue to develop.
5 . Seek feedback and mentorship
Rather than constantly relying on your own feedback, it is important to have those that are ahead of you help guide you in your journey to becoming a Thought Leader. It is great to take advantage of and continuously seek out mentorship to grow and develop.
How do you foster a culture of innovation within your organization, and what practices have you found most effective in encouraging creative thinking among your team?
Simple is best and to continue to innovate, I encourage open communication. It’s as simple as a DM or a slack message to reach out to drive and foster incredible conversation and innovation.
Who do you think is an outstanding example of a thought leader? What specific qualities impress you about this person?
Elon Musk is a great example of a thought leader in the engineering industry. He seems to have his own way of execution and has seemed to develop a large portfolio of companies and products developed. He continues to develop solutions to modern day problems and has very insightful thoughts and viewpoints.
How do you stay informed about the latest trends and developments in your field, and how do you incorporate this knowledge into your strategic planning?
I see what the algorithms on various social media platforms push out. There’s a reason why things trend and developing simple frameworks such as researching what goes viral is a simple way to stay on top of things. Other simple methods include those such as reading forums or news blogs daily to keep up day to day.
Some people feel that the term “thought leader” is overused and has lost its impact. What are your thoughts on this?
“Thought leader” can actually sound kind of “cringey”. I say don’t sweat the small stuff and just continue to grow, develop, and innovate. One should not become obsessed with becoming a “thought leader” as much as actually delivering value.
How do you balance short-term business goals with long-term strategic vision, especially in a rapidly changing market?
Constantly identifying short term metrics and a high level overview regarding long term strategic vision seems to do the trick. It is important to keep sight of the latest trends and developments, but also make sure near and short term goals are being met. If goals are being met and metrics are beign tracked and they’re on the right path, I don’t see anything wrong.
Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? How has it been relevant in your life?
“To become more confident, you need to become more competent”
To make business work, you need an absurd amount of confidence in your own abilities to get things done. When I stumbled upon this phrase, it made me realize that the only thing I need to become more confident is to put in the reps. Practice, study, read, execute, and doing things over and over while racking successes along the way is an insanely positive feedback loop when it comes to building confidence. When you’re more confident, it carries when you’re doing marketing, sales, writing, or doing anything related to your business.
Many influential figures in business and entertainment follow this column. Is there someone you’d love to have lunch or breakfast with? They might notice if we tag them.
Elon Musk would be great to have lunch or breakfast with. It would be great to draw some of his own insights given my current situation and what I can do to further grow and develop.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Sign up for my mailing list on my website at ultmeche.com where I deliver tons of resources for landing your dream role. Additionally, I’ve constantly been working to grow on social media. Catch me @ultmeche on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and others.
Thank you so much for your insights. This was very insightful and meaningful.
About the Interviewer: Dina Aletras boasts over 20 years of expertise in the corporate media industry. She possesses an in-depth understanding of growth, strategy, and leadership, having held significant roles at some of the UK’s largest media organizations. At Reach PLC, the UK’s largest tabloid publisher, she served in various director capacities. Additionally, she held leadership roles at The Independent Magazine Group and DMGT. Her extensive knowledge spans editorial, digital, revenue, sales, and advertising.
Upon relocating to Switzerland, Dina took on the responsibility of managing and promoting the international section of Corriere del Ticino — CdT.ch pioneering the English page “onthespot.” She also was the Co-Editor of Southern Switzerland’s first official Italian and English bilingual magazine.
Kazu of Ultmeche: 5 Things You Should Do To Become a Thought Leader In Your Industry was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.