Building Real Thought Leadership: Opinionists vs Opinion Leaders

We are living in a moment where visibility is easy to access. It has never been easier to post an opinion, react to a business decision, or present yourself as an “expert” in almost any industry. But here is where the risk lies.

When opinions are shared without context or real understanding, they don’t just add noise, they can turn into a reputational problem, both for the person speaking and for the people or companies being discussed. The challenge is not the lack of voices, but the lack of depth behind many of them.

Rise of the 'Opinionist' and the 'Business Influencer'

In recent years, business conversations have given rise to a new figure: the opinionist. These are people who try to comment on every industry, company, or decision, sometimes without the operational, financial, or sector-specific knowledge needed to understand what they are talking about.

Many of them are starting to see themselves as “business influencers,” with LinkedIn becoming their main platform. They adopt the same formats, tone, and dynamics used by social media influencers and apply them to business topics. Being visible becomes the goal, engagement becomes the metric, and context gets lost along the way.

Like lifestyle influencers, business opinionists are rewarded for posting frequently and sounding confident, not for being accurate. The difference is that what’s said about businesses actually has real consequences: it influences how founders perceive risk, how professionals evaluate companies, and how reputations are built or damaged.

When Opinions Replace Understanding

This issue became particularly evident following the shutdown of Jüsto, a Mexican grocery startup that announced it would conclude operations on Dec. 15, 2025. Almost immediately, LinkedIn was filled with analyses, retrospectives, and explanations of what went wrong. Many of these conclusions were shared by people with no experience in retail operations, logistics, or capital business models.

A super complex situation was reduced to simplified narratives: bad execution, management decisions, or an unsustainable business model. What was missing from much of the conversation was context: macroeconomic conditions, competitive pressure, logistics complexity, and timing factors that are critical in this type of business, and not something most people, myself included, are experts in.

The issue is not discussing business cases; the problem starts when opinions are shared without enough substance and end up being repeated until they sound like facts. For founders and directors, these narratives can be misleading and harmful, creating fear around failure instead of helping people understand how businesses evolve and that it is ok to fail. 

AI and the Illusion of Expertise

AI has only made this louder. When it’s used well, it can help organize ideas and conduct better research. But, most of the time, it’s being used to form opinions faster, without actually taking the time to understand the topic.

We are seeing more and more AI-generated content that sounds smart but doesn’t really say much, because when something is well written, it’s very easy to assume there is real expertise behind it. Especially in Mexico, where business communication and critical thinking are not a part of formal education, this creates real risk: opinions can seem credible without actually being informed.

AI is not the problem. The real issue is using technology to speak more instead of using it to think better. When AI amplifies shallow opinions, it helps misinformation spread faster and gives more attention to those who are loud, not necessarily those who are right.

Becoming an Opinion Leader Is Not Accidental

Key opinion leaders operate under a different logic. They don’t try to participate in every conversation; they speak about the areas they actually know, and they rely on experience, research, and exposure to their industries.

Real opinion leadership is built through a simple but long process: defining relevant topics, investing time in research, talking to experts, and understanding the impact that public commentary can have, but it also requires knowing when not to speak.

Examples of real key opinion leaders include Maca Riva and Rosalaura López. Through Chisme Corporativo, they have built a platform based on deep research and conversations with experts who truly understand the industries being discussed. Their content works because it adds context and clarity instead of oversimplifying complex realities.

The same standard can be seen in The Diary of a CEO. Steven Bartlett’s interviews stand out for the preparation behind them, not for catchy headlines. Each episode shows the work it takes to have real, informed conversations instead of just sharing shallow opinions.

When Communication Is Done Right

This is where communication really matters. Good PR is not about amplifying every opinion or chasing visibility at any cost, but about helping leaders and organizations build credible voices based on what they actually know and stand for.

After more than 10 years working in public relations, the leaders who have made the biggest impact on me are those who speak the most, but those who are clear about their key messages. They know what they can talk about, and when it’s better to stay silent. Some even turn down interviews when they don’t feel really informed, knowing the responsibility that comes with their opinions.

Becoming a key opinion leader is possible, even if you used to be an opinionist. With the right guidance and structure, experience can be translated into real credibility. And when leaders take the time to learn, get feedback, and communicate with intention, the result is a stronger personal positioning and a more responsible business conversation.