It’s no secret that creating a reliable personal brand is critical to the success and growth of your company. Just look at prominent figures like Starbucks’ Howard Schultz or Apple’s Tim Cook, who managed to be hugely successful leaders under the public eye. They were able to develop their personal and corporate brands simultaneously because they led authentically in ways that were true to their values.
More from PostFunnel on personal branding:
Personal Branding: The Marketing Benefits of Authentic Leaders
Living authentically and publicly doesn’t come without risk. For instance, there’s no shortage of headlines about CEOs and executives at reputable companies who damaged their brand because of things they said or did. Uber founder, Travis Kalanick, resigned as CEO due to serious questions about sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace culture. Elon Musk had to pay a $20 million fine and step down as Tesla Chairman in the wake of a securities lawsuit based on fraudulent tweets — while Tesla had to pay an additional $20 million for failing to moderate him.
Leaders responsible for the public image of their companies must always be cautious and self-managed in their messaging in order to avoid catastrophic consequences. Here are a few examples to keep in mind:
Forgetting to Stay True to Values
Authenticity matters, especially when you are a leading public figure for your company. Your values and personality inform your brand and your company culture. Everything you do or say — both online and offline — contributes to your brand identity. There’s no doubt that if you are not true to your values when interacting with your customers and employees, you will appear inauthentic. And, when you are consistently inauthentic, people eventually will lose trust in you and your company.
Attracting Negative Publicity
If the common idiom “no such thing as bad publicity” was ever true, it certainly isn’t now. Attracting the wrong kind of public attention can cause a personal and professional backlash that harms your long-term prospects. For example, when former Uber founder and CEO, Travis Kalanick, got into a verbal argument with an Uber driver, the incident was recorded. It immediately went viral, generating bad press and associating the brand with the event.
When CEOs engage in lousy behavior – such as having inappropriate relationships with employees, using abusive language, or making offensive public statements — the consequences are dire. One Harvard Business Review study found that for every incident of CEO misbehavior, the news media would publish over 250 news stories about it on average. When a leader does not practice proper self-management, negative publicity can have long-term repercussions on those leaders’ personal brand and the reputation of their company as a whole.
Self-Management Is Essential
Since leaders are the public face of their companies, practicing disciplined self-management is vital for them to avoid placing their corporate brands in an awkward situation. Self-management can take a variety of forms, including:
- Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses. Cater to them in your personal and professional life.
- Know exactly when it is the appropriate time to voice opinions and when to exercise restraint. This is especially true at corporate events or when speaking on behalf of your company.
- Seek constant feedback — both positive and negative — from your customers and employees. Listen to their opinions and continue to grow as a leader.
Personal branding can be a double-edged sword, offering untold benefits and risks to your brand. Yet when self-management is applied, your personal and professional bottom lines will be that much healthier for the effort.