How do you create your executive brand?

When people look upon you it’s for the experience and knowledge gained in the process. Remaining honest and sharing about what you care most builds your audience who resonate to your thinking. But the first step always is to start sharing.

Creating an executive brand starts with understanding your audience, encompassing employees, customers, investors, and industry peers. Each segment has unique expectations and perceptions, necessitating a deep dive into their needs, preferences, and feedback. Identifying your niche and unique value proposition is crucial. In my experience, tailoring communication and demonstrating an understanding of each group's challenges and goals has strengthened my executive brand, setting it apart in a crowded marketplace.

Prior to understanding the audience, it’s important to go inward and start with a thorough self-assessment. The first step in building a personal or executive brand is understanding who you are, what you stand for, and what unique strengths you bring to the table. Self-assessment helps in uncovering these aspects. I love Gallup’s Clifton Strengths Assessment and Values in Action (VIA). Your executive brand should be a reflection of your top strengths and values. For example, if one of your top strengths is strategic thinking, your brand could emphasize your ability to plan and execute long-term strategies effectively.

Remember, your executive brand is the persona of your leadership. As I shared in my upcoming book, 3xP Leadership?: The BlackPrint of Leadership, building relationships and networking both in and out of your industry is a critical skill to create your brand. But that's not all. You must also market yourself like you market products and services. Think of yourself as a product that delivers quality services. Constantly work on improving executive leadership competencies, skills, traits, attributes, qualities, and characteristics starting at your current level of leadership. By doing so, your executive brand will take care of itself. Create this master executive skillset and get ready to reach new heights in your career.

Creating an executive brand starts with a deep understanding of your audience, recognizing the varied needs and expectations of employees, customers, investors, and industry peers. By analyzing these groups' feedback, goals, and challenges, you can tailor your brand to resonate with them. Identifying your niche and unique value proposition is critical; it distinguishes you from competitors and highlights your strengths. Your executive brand should reflect your expertise, values, and the unique benefits you bring to the table, ensuring it aligns with your audience's aspirations and needs. This targeted approach ensures your brand not only stands out but also fosters meaningful connections with your stakeholders.

Purpose of life can only be understood if we correctly answer to ourselves about two simpler questions. Why and what. What is my identity, how i want to be recognized Infront of my family members, friends, colleagues and other people. What matters most to me and why, what are my unwavering beliefs, ideas, thoughts, and feelings? What is my life's purpose? What are my goals and why i have set these goals. These are the questions which help us defining our purpose in life. When identified correctly, it helps us to make positive impact in the lives of others. It helps us to contribute in other people success.

Be authentic, people recognize when you represent from your true self. Bring your whole self, your worth and your unrelenting crusade and passion to the table.

Decide what you stand for and then stand for it 100% of the time. That sounds simple. Yet in practice it is remarkably difficult to do. (Especially if you happen to be a woman in possession of a strong opinion.) You have to hold yourself accountable. This means recognising if you are working for a brand which does not align with your values. It is on you address that disconnect. All too often executives confuse purpose with a series of interchangeable thought leadership headlines and zero action or consistency. When it comes to leading with purpose often it is all about what happens when you think no one is watching. Rather than adopting the language of 'purpose' while passively following the status quo.

Defining your purpose as you build your executive brand involves aligning your personal values, skills, and goals with the impact you want to make in your professional life. An intentional and authentic executive brand is crafted by design, not default. It’s important to think about how you want to be perceived and what you’d like to be known for. Crafting your values is a great place to start, as they will serve as the foundation for your purpose. Some questions for identifying your values include: Who do I admire and why? (Consider the qualities these individuals embody) When have I felt most fulfilled or satisfied? (Identify the underlying values these moments reflect) What values am I expressing through my daily choices and actions?

I'm a staunch advocate for helping folks identify their superpowers, helping them see and own them, and then leveraging them in how and what message to craft & presence they want to showcase. Why? We live in a world where "Executive Presence" is defined by centuries of monarchy or nation-state institutions. We often conform to standards and practices that don't match our persona, personality, or baseline cultural preferences. I help folks find their voice, see their genuine and authentic selves, and guide them on how to break through to unshackle themselves and unleash the Kraken within! You must leverage what you've learned from your dramas and trauma, bring levity, and exude motivation for your vision to be your true, authentic self!

The key is to remain authentic. Personally, for me as a woman of color in corporate Europe this was a struggle. if you do not fit in, you are excluded from opportunities. if you try to fit in too hard, you lose your authenticity. There is no right space to land. Giving up the need to fit in truly liberated my unique leadership style and helped me portray my personality authentically.

Incorporating your personality into your executive brand adds depth, making you relatable and memorable to your audience. This personal touch—your style, voice, and the unique blend of your traits and behaviors—should permeate through your communications, whether in your choice of language, storytelling, or humor. Expressing your passions and hobbies outside of work further humanizes your brand, offering a holistic view of who you are beyond the professional realm. Authenticity is key; your personality should be genuine and consistently presented in a way that resonates with your audience and fits the context of your interactions. This approach not only distinguishes your executive brand but also fosters connections with your stakeholders.

Showcasing you is absolutely critical to connect with others! Share your hobbies, hopes, fears, successes and challenges. Let people see the real you!

Showcasing your personality is a key element in creating an authentic executive brand. It's about letting your unique traits, style and character shine through in your professional interactions, which helps to humanize your brand and foster deeper connections with your audience. Your personality differentiates you from others in your field, making you memorable and relatable. Be authentic and don't try to emulate someone else's style. Embrace your traits, even those you see as imperfections. Ensure your personality is consistently presented across all areas since it helps build a trustworthy brand. Share personal experiences that reflect your personality and values - it makes you more relatable but also shows your leadership style.

Utilizing platforms like LinkedIn effectively, I share insights and engage with content relevant to my industry, establishing my expertise and values. This strategy amplified my visibility, leading to speaking opportunities and collaborations. For instance, a thought leadership article I posted on digital innovation trends garnered significant attention, connecting me with like-minded professionals and expanding my influence. Strategic platform use is crucial for amplifying executive presence and expertise online.

One thing I have found helpful is to share your thoughts on a platform like Linkedin. It not only keeps you honest in your words, but it also helps you shape your thought. The cherry on top is it helps you build your brand as well.

Your résumé is on life support with just a few years to live. Where is new life coming from? Your LinkedIn profile. Your LI page is an amazing and free place to show off your newfound professional identity. Here are the basics you need: ? Profile Picture: Use a professional image with solid background. ? Tagline: Spend an hour crafting concise taglines based on "Who am I?", "What do I do?", and "Why does it matter?" Incorporate achievements and titles, select best options with peer input. ? Banner Picture: Choose plain background, highlight tagline with shorter phrases. ? About Me: Craft narrative based on tagline, elaborating on "Who am I?", "What do I do?", and "Why does it matter?" Use ChatGPT for drafting, add unique voice.

Maximizing visibility and engagement for your executive brand involves strategically using various platforms, from social media to podcasts and events. Select platforms aligning with your audience's preferences and your resource capabilities. Focus on generating and sharing content that highlights your expertise and perspectives, adding value to your audience. Engage actively by responding to comments, encouraging dialogue, and seeking feedback, fostering a dynamic relationship with your audience. This approach not only amplifies your brand's reach but also builds a community around your vision, enhancing your influence and impact in your field.

LinkedIn has historically been the platform and place for professional networking and where many people first go to find out more about you (professionally), where you work, what causes or organizations you support, where you went to school, etc. Understand all of the different places where the Internet (and now the various GPT's and LLM's) may know something about you and ensure that what they may have learned about you is how you want yourself to be understood.

The network is the single most important thing you can have. Personally and professionally. You should be working on building your network, and building business relationships all the time. Make the time for in-person events, talk to people, speak and engage at conferences. Do any or all of this now, even if you may not need or want anything today. Give before you take and always pay it forward.

As Harvey Mackay wrote, “Dig your well before you’re thirsty.” It’s so easy to put off cultivating your network when you are steadily working in your job, but keep nurturing relationships and expanding through their connections so that you are not treating them as transactional ones to be used only when you need something. People see through such self-orientation and it’s not fun on either side. Invest in connections as a habit that is just as important as your deliverables at work.

Building your network and presence internally and externally is valuable to and your organization. Work with a social media coach to help you achieve your goals!

Building your network is an essential strategy in amplifying your executive brand, providing you with a platform to share your insights, learn from others and establish influential connections in your industry. A strong network provides new perspectives and opens doors to opportunities that can propel your career forward. Attend industry events to connect with peers - engaging in discussions and sharing your insights can help establish you as a thought leader in your field. Focus on how you can offer value to others. Also remember, networking isn't just about making new connections; it's also about maintaining them so regularly reach out to your contacts, share useful information and stay engaged with their achievements.

A LinkedIn premium account is invaluable for evaluating the results of building an executive brand. On a weekly or monthly basis, look at your content impressions and engagements, your followers, your profile views, your top posts, and your DM activity. Ask: 1. What are the trends for each? 2. What's going well with your LinkedIn presence? 3. What can you improve? You can also export the data and build your own spreadsheet. I've done this as I've experimented with various content creation cadences on LinkedIn. People often ask about the ideal posting cadence, e.g., how often should you post? It depends on what you want to accomplish. For most executive leaders, a weekly cadence is optimal and a monthly cadence could be sufficient.

Evaluating your results is a critical final step in refining and validating the effectiveness of your executive brand. This process includes assessing how well your brand aligns with your defined goals and how it's perceived by your target audience. By doing that, you’ll gain insights into what aspects of your brand are resonating with your audience and which areas might need adjustment. There are several ways to evaluate your results including setting clear metrics and getting feedback to reflecting on your career progress. With the results from your evaluation you can then identify areas for improvement or refinement, and with that ensure your executive brand is not just a static identity but a dynamic asset that evolves with your career.

How to create a strong executive brand? Be authentic and true to yourself. Find your unique voice, what makes your perspective valuable? What do you stand for? Being different is memorable. Don't be afraid to disrupt. True change sometimes means challenging the way things are done. Know your stuff. Build credibility by demonstrating genuine expertise in your field. Deliver on your promises, because bold visions are meaningless without results. Prove you can back up your ideas!

Establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry by sharing unique insights, perspectives, and expertise through articles, blog posts, or speaking engagements. By regularly contributing valuable content, you can position yourself as an authority in your field. Personally, I've contributed articles to industry publications and spoken at conferences to showcase my thought leadership Develop a compelling story that communicates your professional journey, achievements, and aspirations. Highlight key milestones, challenges overcome, and lessons learned along the way. For instance, I've crafted my executive brand narrative around my experience in leading cross-functional teams to deliver innovative solutions in the tech industry.

Aligning your brand-building efforts with your core values ensures authenticity and integrity. It's important that your brand reflects who you are as a leader and what you stand for since that will resonate with your audience on a deeper level - it is also the foundation for your executive presence. Also, being open to feedback and adapting your brand strategy (not your brand) to changes within your industry and audience keeps your brand genuinely you, on point and evolving throughout your career.

To establish an executive brand ,positioning ourself as a trusted leader who drives positive impact and fosters a culture of excellence via these steps: 1) Showcase expertise and industry insights through thought leadership activities like speaking engagements /publications. 2)Foster strong relationships with stakeholders, including employees, peers, and clients. 3) Drive results by focusing on key performance indicators and organisational goals. 4)Manage our reputation through strategic engagement and proactive online presence. 5)Empower our team members to take ownership and excel in their roles. 6)Demonstrate adaptability and resilience in navigating challenges and driving success 7)Foster a culture of problem-solving in your team

Most executives forget personal branding as they pursue establishing their careers or as they flourish in their careers. The realization comes only when they need to pivot and then sometimes it is too late to build a brand. Start early with your executive leadership branding, and your personal branding is your true differentiator in this war for talent.