Here’s The Secret I use When Coaching CEOs And Executives On Their Personal Brand

A few years ago, I was sitting in the corner office of a CEO client, surrounded by sleek furniture and shelved accolades. We were discussing his company’s latest quarterly results and he had no trouble rattling off impressive numbers in polished jargon.

But the moment I asked him, how the quarter had been for him personally — he stopped. As it turned out, that quarter had been one of the most emotionally-challenging ones of his career. He wasn’t innately comfortable talking about his personal journey, but when we peeled back the layers, the lessons behind those top-performing numbers were staggering.

As someone who has worked with CEOs and executives for over two decades, I’ve come to realize often leaders who are experts in their field, struggle to present the most powerful part of their personal brand—themselves. This is where my secret technique comes in.

When coaching CEOs on personal branding, my secret lies in guiding them to embrace the human side of their leadership. We go beyond industry expertise to develop thought leadership that shows who they are as people—their values, personal experiences, and passions.

By creating a multifaceted brand that integrates both their business acumen and their vulnerabilities as humans, CEOs can elevate their leadership presence and build deeper connections. This approach is not just about optics; it's about creating trust and influence that transcends their corporate role. Here’s how we do it and why it’s important: 

Why CEOs Who Play It Safe Are Losing Influence

CEOs tend to be comfortable talking about their industry and business — safe areas that don’t require personal reflection or vulnerability.  But, in a world where 2 million posts are uploaded to LinkedIn alone in one day, industry insights aren’t hard to come. The key becomes creating a community that’s invested in learning, specifically from you. That can’t be created without showing a second dimension to yourself, one that adds emotional depth and human relatability.

When CEOs and executives are reluctant to venture outside of corporate speak, the first step is convincing them of the strategic value in doing so. One of the first arguments I often use when coaching CEOs on their personal brand is the idea that leaders often move between roles, even industries. It’s a leader’s personal brand, not just their corporate resume that has to carry them through these transitions.

Even if you plan to have a long healthy career with one company, hinging your personal brand to broader perspectives, opens you up to professional opportunities that might arise outside your current role. 

In my coaching, I focus on expanding a CEO’s thought leadership beyond their immediate industry. This includes exploring topics like societal impact, leadership values, or human-interest topics that resonate with a general audience.

 One of my clients, a CEO of a fast-growing tech startup, discovered that his passion for mentoring young entrepreneurs became a core part of his personal brand. It didn’t just strengthen his leadership presence—it created a community around him, opening new opportunities that extended beyond his company.

This type of branding gives CEOs flexibility. When they speak to something bigger than their current role, they become leaders people want to follow—whether they’re at the helm of a corporation or on their next venture​​.

Crisis-Proof Your Leadership: How a Strong Personal Brand Can Be Your Best Offense 

Personal branding is not only about celebrating wins; it's also about how you navigate challenges. In fact, a CEO’s personal brand becomes most visible during high-stakes moments, especially during an issues management situation or crises.

Whether it’s communicating about layoffs, a corporate restructure or responding to public backlash, a strong personal brand acts as a leader’s communication compass during high-stake moments. It gives CEOs a foundation to communicate with honesty, empathy, and authority.

A strong executive brand also establishes trust with a wider network of people who are more likely to support a CEO in the public eye when an issue or crisis occurs. It helps establish direct lines of communication so people know where to turn for the correct narrative and the pretesting that;s done to establish what resonates best with a leader’s community, can help dictate the best communication approach.

A well-crafted personal brand is a CEO’s armor in times of crisis. Without one, leaders risk appearing detached, leading to mistrust and magnified scrutiny. Crisis moments test a leader’s integrity, and those with a solid, authentic brand will always have a clearer path forward.

Forcing CEOs Into the Spotlight Is a Mistake: How to Build an Authentic Brand That Actually Fits

Every CEO is different—some are natural extroverts who thrive on stage, while others are more introverted, preferring to work behind the scenes. I coach my clients to lean into their personality strengths when building their personal brand.

For example, I recently worked with an introverted CEO who dreaded the idea of being in the media spotlight. Instead of forcing her into high-energy speaking engagements, we crafted a thought leadership strategy that worked with her strengths. 

We focused on written content—op-eds, blog posts, and LinkedIn articles—where she could thoughtfully share her insights. She did one in-depth interview, and we repurposed it across multiple platforms, maximizing her impact without draining her energy​​.

On the flip side, extroverted CEOs often  thrive in live, high-energy settings. For them, I recommend mediums like video content, fireside chats, and live social media events. The key is aligning a executive’s brand strategy with their natural strengths so it feels authentic and sustainable.

The secret to creating a strong personal brand for a CEO isn’t in the latest social media trend or hiring a top PR firm. It lies in building a brand that taps into an individual’s unique experience and strengths so that they’re essentially in a category of one — peerless, with only themselves as competition.

It’s about helping CEOs reveal who they are beyond their industry knowledge and curating a community of like-minded professionals who become invested in supporting them on their journey regardless of where it takes them.