We often associate “executive presence” with a corner office, a tailored suit and an authoritative voice. Being a standout leader today is different. It means fostering trust and engagement in both virtual and physical spaces. Cultivating a powerful yet personable executive brand is an ongoing process. It should inspire confidence, create respect and influence others.
Central to doing all of this is developing a content strategy that’s foundational to who you are as a leader, identifying topics that you believe reflect your expertise, and then matching those topics with the stakeholders you want to reach.
Through an executive thought leadership content strategy, you can accomplish your goals, whether you aim to build relationships with employees or build a coalition of support around an industry issue that will impact your customers.
Whether creating awareness or building brand reputation, a business executive’s presence should include:
Let’s delve into these three key areas for creating content and explore practical methods for building your executive presence.
Executives are expected to be visionaries. While shaping your vision into impactful content might seem difficult, it’s quite simple. It’s all about connecting the dots of how that vision intersects with your stakeholders. Then, creating a roadmap that reflects who you are as a leader and how content is the gateway to get you there.
A simple, yet effective roadmap exercise will shape your style and areas of focus, but more importantly, develop your leadership story.
Developing a coherent story is a critical step in defining who you are as a leader and your role in creating success for your organization. At Crux, we share a similar view.
The Recognition and Relationship Roadmap includes:
Sharing your unique perspective and expertise across a variety of formats is key to shaping your reputation, while creating a lasting impression. This is essential for cutting through the noise, attracting opportunities and standing out from the crowd—indirectly supporting your business and your employees.
You can build your reputation through a variety of formats and platforms to reach your stakeholders, such as:
It’s not just about what you say, but how you say it and when you need to say it. People follow and trust leaders they relate to, and most influential leaders understand that creating a connection with people is a key to success. Share stories that are memorable and repeatable that prove the point. Infusing passion and emotion creates a genuine feeling and belief in what you’re saying. Believing builds trust. A PWC survey indicates 93 percent of business executives agree that building and maintaining trust improves the bottom line.
Delivering insights with a tone that’s approachable creates a lasting impression and is important for building recognition and reputation through your content.
As important as your content and delivery is how you amplify your vision. Building a consistent presence is important for an audience. The ideal frequency for distributing or publishing your content depends on several factors, such as content type, your key stakeholders, available resources to you for content creation and distribution, as well as a frequency that is specific to the industry you are in and what your competition is doing.
Ultimately, an executive thought leadership content strategy serves as a powerful engine for achieving your strategic goals, whether fostering deeper connections with employees or galvanizing support around critical industry issues affecting your customers. Cultivating a recognizable executive brand – built on who you are, what you’re known for and your ability to consistently resonate with key audiences – is paramount.
At Crux, we believe building a strong executive presence isn’t a sprint, but rather a deliberate and rewarding journey toward becoming the leader you’re destined to be. While that process demands mindful attention, genuine self-awareness and commitment, the path itself isn’t overly complex. Consider us as your executive thought leadership content partner in this lifelong expedition. We’re equipped to help you chart your course and define the impactful leader you truly are.
