One of the first hurdles you’ll face as an executive is building your reputation–your leadership influence, your attraction quality or whatever you want to call it. This is why so much stock is put into the executive’s brand these days – the stronger the personal brand is, the easier it will be to convince people to take what they perceive is a risk on the brand pitch, stance or position.
The Online Leadership Influencer
These days when you hear a name or think of engaging in services, the first thing you might do is is a little due diligence. You meet someone in the lobby of a hotel. They will google your name the moment you are out of sight. Pass over a business card at a conference and you can pretty much guarantee that your LinkedIn profile is being checked out within a few days. The scenarios are endless, from M&As, capital raises, startups, hiring etc. Internet due diligence is the new first impression.
Using Google to become an executive influencer
The Executive Persona
It has been said time and time again. Buffet, Bezos, Gates, Jobs and countless others, that the first whiff of risk from the person in front of them signals “run”. They don’t even waste their time. The fragility of a first impression can put many into shock when meeting.
One or both audiences can be terrifying or unsurmountable depending on the personality of the executive. The executive is usually portrayed as a powerhouse figure with unrelenting forward facing communication skills, driven by the feverish goals he dreams of. However this is partially a false picture and somewhat of a stereotypical idea. We hear of those executives because they are loud and because of their aggressive outgoingness.
In fact, a study done by
Your credibility and trustworthiness is critical to your success as an entrepreneur. If people can’t believe you or believe in you, the brand will never make it or will be forced to replace you to survive.
