What is the most powerful action I can take to define my personal CEO brand in 2015?
The following answers are provided by members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.
1. Become More Well-Read
“I think it helps to be a well-read and well-rounded CEO. The challenges that most CEOs face are unique and diverse — hiring, marketing, design, customer experience, sales, organization structure, legal structure, finances, etc. A well-rounded CEO is prepared to manage through all of these challenges, but most importantly knows when to hire (ask for) help when needed.”
Joseph DiTomaso, AllTheRooms
2. Tell Your Story
“Come to grips with your story and topics, then tell it via social media. If you have a successful company, you should hire people to help you with the things you cannot find time for. Social media is increasingly pay to play, and you should not be afraid of paying to amplify your great content.”
Murray Newlands, Influence People
3. Pay Attention
“An important and sometimes overlooked part of the CEO position is listening to your team and really caring about what you’re hearing. Make yourself available and open, and do your best to respond proactively to what your team tells you.”
Simon Casuto, eLearning Mind
4. Launch Your Best-Selling Book
“As the CEO, you’re the face of your company. Who’s the CEO of AT&T? You probably don’t know. CEO of T-Mobile? You’ve probably seen John what’s-his-name in interviews and on social media. One big thing you can do to get more attention for yourself and your company is to get your book published. Then hire a quality company to build your audience platform and promote your book to bestseller.”
Joshua Lee, StandOut Authority
5. Be Transparent and Open With the Media
“The most powerful action I can take will be to remain open to sharing my great updates and insights with the media. In 2015, I plan to continue talking with the press about what we’re doing at Fitmark, as well as continue being transparent about how I view business, sales, marketing and operations. It feels like I’m giving back and helping fellow entrepreneurs when I can share success stories and ideas.”
Mark Samuel, Fitmark
6. Stop Worrying About Your Personal Brand
“The best customers will care about your company, not your personal brand. Spend your time focused on growing your company and making decisions that help your product or service be the best it can be. Then, your personal brand will naturally develop as “The CEO of that awesome company that does a kick-ass job at XYZ.””
Brittany Hodak, ZinePak
7. Become a Quantitative Master
“A stigma of the title of CEO is the idea that the individual is a “big picture guy,” while everyone else is doing all of the “real work.” Of course, this isn’t the case. CEOs should create content, explain their decision processes (or analyze other business’ decisions) and use non-vanity metrics. Show why decisions are made. People will respect your thought process and transparency. ”
Adam Stillman, SparkReel
8. Be a Thought Leader in Your Field
“The most powerful action I can take to define my personal CEO brand is to lead the conversation about the field my company is a part of. Be a thought leader in your professional community and group your company with the most powerful and well-known companies in your domain.”
Ranan Lachman,Pley
9. Stay Unique
“I spend countless hours watching and learning from various entrepreneurs about how they approach their personal brands. While I draw inspiration from all of them, I always have to remind myself that my brand and my leadership style is (and should be) unique because my background and experiences are unique. I have to stay true to myself as an individual to build a truly unique personal brand.”
Komal Kushalraj, NUMARI
10. Remind Yourself of Personal Values
“Your values reveal themselves in how you lead your team. For me, it is important that I stay true to my beliefs first, before I can influence and empower colleagues, partners and customers. If I forget who I am, everyone else can sense that. Being transparent about the things that matter to me, personally and professionally, will help others form strong, positive opinions about me and my company.”
Firas Kittaneh, Amerisleep
11. Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say
“The best thing you can do as a CEO is take action, but it all starts with properly communicating this with your team. It’s your job to share the vision with them and get others on board, but don’t be afraid to involve them and their ideas in that vision. Once this vision is made concrete, you must take action upon it because actions speak louder than words for a reason.”
Andy Karuza, SpotSurvey
12. Write a Book or Start a Blog
“As CEO, I must define which topic or keyword defines me. I have to be capable of explaining my point of view regarding said topic and I must have a clear definition of what makes me unique in that particular area. The best way to foster my brand would be through a book, as I’d have the time to talk in detail about all of my ideas and concepts.”
13. Share Your Ideas
“A lot of people already have a professional headshot or a website, or have won awards. Those are good starting points. In 2015 or 2055, what will not go out of style is smart people thinking about things and sharing their opinions. If you’re not taking the time to share what you’re thinking through writing or video, now is the time.”
14. Actively Communicate
“Media interviews, speaking engagements, writing and employee communications are the keys to creating a presence and an identity among your target audiences and employees. A CEO who actively communicates is a powerful force for thought leadership, brand awareness and individually for his or her company.”
Steven Berlin, Uskape
