As a CEO, your image is everything. It is how your organization, your employees and your audience engage and connect with you. It is also how you differentiate yourself from your competitors and rise above the general noise of industry and social media. If I say the names Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs or Tony Stark, you likely immediately have an image in your mind of each of these individuals. And yes, I mentioned a fictional character because that character is a perfect example of what branding can do for your image and name recognition.
Let's consider the fictional character of Tony Stark for a moment. If I also say "the Avengers," you probably know instantly, thanks to a very successful movie franchise, exactly whom I mean. You may have an image of heroism and self-sacrifice. If I just mention Tony Stark, though, you might not necessarily think of the same qualities as when you also hear "the Avengers." Yes, you may think of heroism and self-sacrifice, but you also may think of things like business acumen and innate genius. You might also think of some of Tony's flaws.
Because Marvel Studios dedicated multiple movies to the character of Iron Man before releasing the first Avengers movie, you likely have in your mind a solid and separate image of Tony apart from his fellow heroes and his group identity.
As a CEO, you want the same kind of dichotomy of your image, where the public can see both you in the context of your company and you as an individual, as your own brand. With that established, let's look at how you can build your personal brand while balancing professionalism and authenticity.
Be Self-Aware
As you navigate the social arena and adapt to platforms and your audience, it's important to stay true to your core identity. This means defining who you are as a person and what is important to you. This also means being aware of your weaknesses and where you may not have expertise in a situation. Something may interest you or be important to your company or you as a person. However, if it's not something you're knowledgeable about, have the self-awareness to defer to those with expertise—or better, use your platform to elevate those with expertise.
Be Genuine
Don't share things just because they're trending. Instead, share stories and insights that reflect your values and personality. Try to match those stories and insights to things that matter to your audience, but make sure you come through and keep the tone and focus professional.
Set Boundaries
Another reason I opened with a fictional character is because I want you to understand that being authentic doesn't mean sharing everything about yourself. Yes, your followers will try to fill in the blanks of information they don't know. In a way, your public persona becomes a fictional character. However, fiction doesn't mean false if what you share is genuine and you show self-awareness.
This fictionalization helps you set boundaries that are important for both your professional life and your personal life. Over the past several years, we've seen several high-profile individuals, from social media influencers to movie stars, burn out because they didn't maintain adequate boundaries. Some of these burnouts involved influencers stepping away from social media and limiting their platforms, while others involved influencers becoming toxic, as they used their influence to prey on their followers.
Be Consistent
Make sure your brand is reflected in everything you use for interactions—your email signature, your voicemail, your social media accounts and your photos. This consistency may feel repetitive, but it's key to solidifying the clear and professional image you want to portray. This consistency will also protect you against imitators.
Develop A Strategy
Don't just go out there into the digital wild. Have a plan for how you will build, promote and reinforce your brand image. What content will you create and curate? What speaking opportunities and networking events will you participate in? You should also consider what brands you want to partner with and how you will work with those companies to ensure your brand stays consistent and authentic.
Monitor Your Reputation
Regularly check on your online presence and reputation. You can set Google alerts so you know when you're trending online. Monitor your social media accounts and respond to important comments and feedback in a professional and constructive way. How often you respond and what you respond to will vary depending on your specific industry. Make a note of the norms for how people in your industry interact with the public, and make sure that just as you maintain your own boundaries, you don't walk over others' boundaries.
Harness The Power Of Social Media
In today's digital-first landscape, social media platforms are indispensable tools for shaping your personal brand as a CEO. LinkedIn, in particular, allows you to showcase thought leadership, share professional milestones and meaningfully engage with your industry network. By curating content that reflects your values, sharing insights from your professional journey and engaging in discussions that resonate with your audience, you can build a robust online presence.
On broader social media platforms, consistency in tone and visuals helps amplify your message while ensuring your authenticity shines through. Together, these platforms act as a bridge between your personal and professional personas, enabling you to connect with a wider audience and solidify your brand as both a leader and an individual.
Your image is everything in the digital world. How people perceive you, though, is very much in your control. Be consistent in how you present your image, only make public what you want people to know, and always remember to keep a productive and professional tone. If all this sounds familiar, it's because how we build our image online isn't very different from how we build it in our physical world. The only difference is our reach.
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