The same thing has happened with "thought leadership". There was, and still is really, a group of people who do the work and have useful insight. They became high profile, and presumably made money on it, and now the filler has appeared. Self-professed thought leaders who are endless sources of bombastic buzz words and constant self-marketing.
It's a natural pattern, I guess. Something becomes profitable and profit-seekers without much actual value show up. I think the thing for those who can do is to just ignore it and continue creating things of value. Maybe also guide junior engineers on the path of being actually effective and ignoring the crud.
Rage on it if you like, but you're yelling against the wind. My recommendation would be to save your blood pressure.
This is a general human rule that most people spend WAY too much time criticizing the effort of those of us who are working.
When it goes wrong is when it becomes sales led.
> I wish I could help others see over the shouting and point to what does work instead of seeing them fall for the hype every time.
That's the point of thought leadership vs sales. What you complain of is people using the term under the guise of sales.
I don't want to be a dick but you've summed up what's wrong with 'thought leadership'. If thought leadership consists of a bunch of buzzwords that everyone else is using, you aren't a leader, you are a follower.
It's a business in and of itself; there's no correlation between 'thought leadership' and success. Of course the traveling preacher would want you to think there is.