When we think of some of the greatest CEOs in modern times, what made them special? First, Steve Jobs commanded a room and not only sold you Apple products but also a completely new idea of the future. Second, Robert Iger took Disney into a new era, expanding beyond the original Disney brand and introducing exciting ways to craft stories. Finally, Mark Zuckerberg brought people the world over closer together through a form of connection that hadn’t existed before.
These CEOs traveled unique paths to reach their status, but they share one thing in common. We remember them. Whether inspirational or controversial, they have a carefully crafted image that places them firmly in the public consciousness. Tim Cook is continuing the Apple legacy, but it’s impossible to forget the awe that Jobs inspired. And Bob Chapek may be finding ways to incorporate the intellectual property that Disney acquired during Iger’s era. Still, we remember Iger as the CEO that brought Disney to new heights and territories.
These CEOs cultivated and developed their images, creating a persona the public wouldn’t soon forget. So how can a CEO today aim to be as memorable as those who came before them? It all starts with their image. These steps outline a few ways for the image-conscious CEO to write their legacy.
6 Steps to Cultivate Your Image as a Modern CEO
1. Hone your public speaking skills.
Why was it that Jobs’s speeches were so magnetic? He followed a formula called Monroe’s Motivated Sequence, which had been used for centuries by some of history’s greatest orators. He followed a path set by his predecessors but expanded it and made it his own.
Public speaking is a skill any image-conscious CEO needs to hone. A CEO who can’t convince and inspire an audience will lose out on great opportunities and fail to be remembered. By following a proven formula, you can confidently command any room, whether full of potential investors you need on board, your employees who need motivation, or your future customers who need to understand why they need what you’re selling.
2. Understand that marketing goes beyond your brand.
An image-conscious CEO should pay attention to marketing trends, but they need to know how to use those trends for themselves and their brand. A memorable CEO develops and connects with their audience, setting themselves up as knowledgeable professionals in their industry.
Hiring an assistant with marketing experience is a worthwhile investment.
They can help you develop your brand, from your social media presence to professional appearances. Remember, your personal brand and company are two separate entities, so it’s helpful to work with a personal marketing assistant rather than rely on your company’s marketing team to craft your brand.
3. Get ahead of business trends.
Beyond following trends, image-conscious CEOs need to be prepared to set them. Staying on the sidelines and watching how decisions affect your competitors is a surefire way for those competitors to get ahead in the public consciousness.
One way to ensure you are the CEO setting the standards for your industry is by listening to your employees. Make time to meet with various team members, from managers to entry-level workers.
Listen to what they want to change and what ideas they have to propel your company into the future. You never know from where a great idea will come. Meeting with your employees one-by-one shows you care about your team’s work experience, but it also gives you insight into your industry’s problems. Considering that those team members see those issues in their day-to-day job, they may have solutions you wouldn’t think of on your own.
4. Give your team the tech tools to succeed.
Today’s CEOs face a world of options regarding what kind of technology they should invest in. But the best CEOs utilize tools that allow more of their team to succeed. Conversely, barriers can cause silos to form, keeping knowledge on one team and preventing it from spreading throughout the company.
One tool that any image-conscious CEO should invest in today is a no-code tech stack. Whereas custom applications and websites once could only be built by someone with coding experience, a no-code tech stack allows the less tech-savvy workers to create and update applications that can grow with your company. In addition, adopting a no-code tech stack provides greater flexibility, making keeping your applications up to date less of a struggle.
5. Develop your leadership style.
What type of leader do you want to be known as? Is your door always open to new ideas? Do you want to be a charismatic motivational speaker? Do you enjoy getting into every aspect of your business, making time for meetings that keep you up to date on everything from your engineering to your sales? While you should aim to be a well-rounded leader, understanding your leadership style helps set your workplace’s climate.
Why should people want to work with you?
As the CEO, how you operate informs how your company operates. Honing your leadership style ensures you connect with workers who want to succeed in the climate you foster.
6. Embrace change.
“That’s just the way we do it” is never a good answer.
The best CEOs can adapt, and they understand how rejecting change sets their company behind. Just because you came up with a process does not mean you should never change it. Always be looking for ways to adapt.
Altering outdated methods keeps your company from falling behind. When you allow your competitors to get ahead because they have the flexibility to embrace change, your image will not matter much because history will remember your competitors before they remember you.
Becoming a memorable CEO starts with understanding your image. From your personal branding to the climate you create in your workplace, the public will remember what you cultivate if you take the time and use the tools to develop it.
As the CEO, you may be the face of your brand, but you cannot ignore building your persona beyond your business.
What do you want the public to remember? Before you can be image-conscious, you need to know what that image is going to be.
Only then can you begin your journey to becoming one of the modern age’s greatest CEOs.
