The document discusses climbing the ladder of thought leadership through social media. It outlines seven rungs on the ladder: creating a blog, using LinkedIn, using Twitter, using Facebook, getting involved in industry groups and conversations, adopting new media platforms, and partnering with others to amplify your message. For each rung, it provides tactics on how to be an effective thought leader and gain visibility within your industry through content creation and social networking. The overall message is that developing expertise and sharing knowledge over time can help individuals and companies build recognition as leaders in their field.