Building internal thought leaders is a topic that is frequently overlooked in personal branding. We all know that pretty much every industry has its thought leaders and companies are starting to get wise to realize that they have really smart people who might be the people other people are listening to. Thought leadership is great for the company's reputation, brand loyalty, and recruiting.
Ashley Faus, Director of Integrated Product Marketing at Atlassian discusses why companies need to develop their thought leaders and some of the best ways they can support those initiatives.
Listen in to learn:
[3:10] What is thought leadership?
[5:42] What are the benefits to developing internal thought leadership?
[7:22] What is one reason companies are hesitant to develop thought leaders?
[10:03] How does Ashley’s role as a product marketer make her the perfect person to develop thought leaders?
[13:46] How should a company select its thought leaders?
[17:01] What are the best platforms or outlets for new thought leaders?
[20:34] How does Ashely help to develop thought leaders?
[22:16] How does Ashley work with new thought leaders to move beyond one piece of content?
[25:09] What are some of the benefits Ashley has seen from developing thought leaders?
[27:43] What can a smaller company do to begin to develop thought leaders?
Our community #ChatAboutBrand Twitter chat discussion featured some great insights on Branding for Executives as well! Here are a few of my favorite responses.
I'd love to hear your responses to this week's questions here in the comments (indicate which one you're responding to by beginning with A1, A2, etc.):
Q1. Why should executives who work for a brand still focus on developing their own personal brands?
You are not your employer—they’re a chapter header in YOUR book—and your book needs all your wonderful pages. -Amy Knightley
No job is forever, so building your image independently of a brand you don't own could be smart. You never know what opportunities you unlock by showing up in front of the right people. -Teodora Pirciu
#executives should always build a robust #personalbrand! It is an incredible tool to compress the know, like and trust factor. It is a mission critical part of sustainable #leadership! -Nathalie Gregg
People do business with other people, not brands (my take, of course). A personal brand helps buyers see the people behind the company brand. When you know, like, and trust a person within a brand, you're more likely to purchase from that brand. -Mallie Hart
Q2. What can a personal brand do for you if you wish to remain with your current employer?
When handled responsibly, a personal brand can help your current employer because customers and prospects will want to interact with someone with a strong personal brand. And it shows the company is significant if it has significant people. -Jim MacLeod
It’ll create internal opportunities to be pulled into cross-functional teams or join tables your title usually isn’t invited to join. Even better? You can become THE person as a career-maker when others want to elevate their presence as well. Amy Knightley
Demonstrate internally and externally your influence on the organisation. This is useful to show your commitment to the org. values and direction and to growing with the organisation -Kathy-Ann Fletcher, PhD. FHEA. MCIM
When I started tweeting about advertising, I became a new biz source. I brought in Spotify and Riot Games through Twitter DMs! -Jack Appleby
Q3. How can executives with strong personal brands benefit their companies?
Personal brands can engage with people the brand account never could. -Amy Knightley
It helps with exploring new ideas on how to grow a the company they work for. Sometimes seemingly unrelated ideas can work so well! -Claire Lawry
Build reputation. Gain business. Form partnerships with executives and other organisations based on the meaningful relationships formed on the back of the personal brands. -Kathy-Ann Fletcher, PhD. FHEA. MCIM
We seek out tweeps who resonate with us. If that executive's personal brand resonates, it can bring fresh eyes to the company's messaging. If we all liked the same things the world would be a very boring place. It's the differences that draw us in. -Mallie Hart
Q4. How can encouraging your executives to develop strong personal brands benefit employee retention?
Employees who feel supported in developing their personal brands, feel for sure valued by their employer and stay committed to their company. Strong personal brands can help executives to stand out as thought leaders and attract top talent to their team -Doris Paulnsteiner
It encourages intrapreneurship within the company and leads to more discussions about intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship -Claire Lawry
A company with a "star" executive can help with retention because it creates an environment where people want to work. Or at least it creates a perception of a place people want to work. -Jim MacLeod
We are all designed on purpose and for a purpose. When we are living in that space then we are more joyful at all we do. A personal brand harnesses the power of unique design. -Kathryn Lang
Q5. How can encouraging your executives to develop strong personal brands benefit recruitment?
It will help the company show up well in a number of search results and benefit prospective applicants' research into the company -Claire Lawry
Employees want to work for a company that is well-known and respected. If they are well-known, it will be easier to attract and retain top talent. Virtudesk
You need to be passionate about your workplace, others feel it and want to be there. -Bonnie Wilson
Q6. What can companies do to support their employees in developing strong personal brands?
Companies better support employees who build strong personal brands. Otherwise, the employee with a strong personal brand will be poached. -Jim MacLeod
Encourage your employees to post about their work. A lot of companies scream this "WE" thinking at all times, actively discouraging people from owning their proudest individual moments. It's dumb. Jack Appleby
Let them know about privacy standards without restricting them. Do collabs, retweets/reshares and have face-to-face discussions! -Claire Lawry
Make it super easy and clear to find these resources. Many companies have them but it’s super confusing on how to locate and use them. -Morgan Andersen
Training them. Showing good examples of personal brand development. Giving time and resource for professional development even linking with mentors or champions who can help guide esp. in the early stages -Kathy-Ann Fletcher, PhD. FHEA. MCIM
Talk is cheap. Saying it's valuable doesn't motivate movement. Reward & celebrate the individuals making an intentional impact AND incentivize a culture where team members help their peers strengthen their own brands. -Amy Knightley
Allow them the time to maintain that brand during business hours. It's all about balance. We can all get our work done AND benefit the company with strong brand messages! -Mallie Hart
Q7. Has an employer ever done anything to support you in building your own brand and career?
Absolutely. After nearly 20 year as an entrepreneur, I took a job where I didn't own everything. Now I'm an intrapreneur, bringing my entrepreneurial mindset and skills to their company. My bosses are THRILLED that I maintain my personal brand! -Mallie Hart
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