The hyperbole of personal brand building and why CEOs are the biggest red flag
The reality that isn't being talked about
45-second read
Companies have become successful without the idea of “personal brand” ever being a strategic thought. As in, quite literally never on their radar. Who knew?
The idea of personal brand building in a professional context is really just a LinkedIn phenomenon. A few people have done it well and as a result, built businesses off the back of their personally owned content.
They are the rarest of all the birdies.
Beyond the hyperbole that is personal-brand-building-leads-to-buckets-of-cash-for-your-business is the misguided advice that CEOs should be vocal “thought leaders” who post to the masses (or niches) on LinkedIn. That somehow this is good for the business.
Here’s the reality that isn’t being talked about…
A CEO with a personal brand is a distraction to a business—whether they post themselves or have a puppetmaster behind the scenes doing it for them.
When a personal brand takes off, so does ego.
This can lead the individual down the path of buying into the external BS and ultimately becoming consumed by it. As the volume of applause and positive reinforcement turns up, they begin to truly believe that they are the smartest person in the virtual room. Their personal brand becomes their persona. They can’t disconnect or differentiate between who they are online and who they are as a business operator.
As time goes by, posturing for engagement becomes the norm. It’s inevitable. They’re caught in the vicious cycle of strangers telling them how smart they are → ego boost → more engagement → truths become blurry → hyperbole becomes the default content strategy → even more engagement → ego boost.
None of which has anything to do with running a successful business or being good at their job. But they can sure as hell act like it online.
This can be especially damaging to the organization's culture. I've seen the behind-the-scenes play out and the increasing frustration that employees feel when their CEO says things publically that are in stark contrast to the internal dynamics at the company.
If I were looking for a new job, a CEO with a personal brand would be a red flag. Personally, I want an operator who flies under the public radar and gets shit done without needing to tell a bunch of random strangers how smart they think they are.
Proceed with caution.