How to Build a Personal Brand That Gets You Promoted

Two equally qualified leaders apply for the same senior role. Both have impressive track records, strong technical skills, and years of experience. Yet one gets the promotion whilst the other is told to "keep doing what you're doing" and try again next time.

What made the difference?

The successful candidate had something the other didn't: an intentional personal brand that positioned them as the obvious choice.

If you've ever wondered why some leaders seem to effortlessly attract opportunities whilst others struggle to get recognised despite doing excellent work, the answer often lies in how intentionally they've built their professional reputation.

What Actually Is Personal Brand for Leaders?

Let's cut through the jargon. Your personal brand as a leader is simply your reputation.

It's what people think of when your name comes up in meetings. It's the impression you leave after presentations. It's whether stakeholders see you as strategic or tactical, collaborative or difficult, reliable or unpredictable.

Every leader has a personal brand - it's just a question of whether you've created yours by design or by accident.

The problem with leaving your reputation to chance is that perceptions form whether you're actively shaping them or not. And once formed, they're incredibly sticky. That colleague who thinks you're "too detailed" or "not strategic enough" isn't going to change their mind just because you've started thinking more broadly - they need to see consistent evidence that challenges their existing view.

Why Your Personal Brand Matters More Than You Think

Enhanced Influence in Your Current Role

When you have a strong reputation, people listen differently. They're more willing to buy into your ideas, support your initiatives, and give you the benefit of the doubt when things don't go to plan.

Think about the leaders you respect most in your organisation. Chances are, you'd be more inclined to say yes to a request from them than from someone whose reputation is less solid. That's the power of intentional reputation building - it makes everything else you need to achieve easier.

Access to Future Opportunities

Most career opportunities don't come from job boards. They come from someone thinking "we need a leader who can..." and your name being the first one that springs to mind.

This is where personal brand becomes career currency. When senior stakeholders consistently experience you as commercially aware, strategically minded, and capable of handling complexity, you become their go-to person for challenging roles and high-visibility projects.

Differentiation in a Competitive Market

As you progress in your career, technical competence becomes a hygiene factor rather than a differentiator. Everyone at senior levels can do the job - what sets people apart is how they're perceived by others.

Your personal brand is what distinguishes you from other capable professionals. It's what makes you memorable in a positive way and what positions you as the natural choice when opportunities arise.

How to Be Intentional About Building Your Personal Brand

Start With What You Want to Be Known For

Before you can shape how others see you, you need clarity on what reputation you want to build. This isn't about becoming someone you're not - it's about being strategic about which aspects of your authentic self you emphasise and develop.

Ask yourself these two questions:

What do you want to be remembered for when you move on from your current role? Whether that's an internal promotion or an external opportunity, what legacy do you want to have created?

What are the key factors that will determine your success in this role? Who do you need to influence, and how do they need to experience you for you to be effective?

These questions help you move beyond generic leadership traits to identify the specific reputation that will serve your current role and career aspirations.

Understand Your Current Reputation

Once you're clear on what you want your reputation to be, you need an honest assessment of where you are now. This can feel uncomfortable, but it's essential for identifying the gaps between intention and reality.

The key is to ask specific rather than general questions. Instead of "What do you think of me as a leader?" try:

• "I want to be seen as someone who can think strategically about the business. Where do you think I'm strongest in this area, and where could I develop further?"

• "I'd like the senior team to see me as commercially astute. What opportunities might there be for me to demonstrate this more effectively?"

• "I want to build a reputation for being able to influence across the organisation. What have you noticed about my approach that works well, and what might I do differently?"

Specific questions get you specific, actionable feedback rather than vague pleasantries

or broad criticisms that don't help you create a development plan.

Recognise That Different People May See You Differently

One of the most common challenges with personal brand is inconsistency. Your team might see you as approachable and supportive, whilst the senior leadership team experiences you as quiet in meetings and not particularly strategic.

Neither perception is wrong - they're based on different interactions and contexts. But these inconsistencies represent opportunities. Once you know where the gaps are, you can start to think strategically about how to create more consistency.

This might mean:

• Speaking up more in senior meetings to demonstrate your strategic thinking

• Sharing insights about market trends or competitor activity to show commercial awareness

• Volunteering for cross-functional projects that let you demonstrate skills that your immediate team already know you possess

Common Personal Brand Pitfalls to Avoid

Trying to Be Someone You're Not

The biggest mistake leaders make with personal brand is thinking they need to fundamentally change their personality. You don't need to become an extrovert if you're naturally introverted, or start being highly directive if collaboration is your strength.

Authenticity is crucial for sustainable personal brand building. If you're trying to be someone you're not, it comes across as inauthentic, and more importantly, it's exhausting to maintain.

Instead, focus on being the best version of yourself. If you're naturally analytical, become known for bringing rigorous thinking to strategic decisions. If you're naturally collaborative, build a reputation for getting buy-in and managing stakeholder relationships effectively.

Accepting Personality-Based Feedback Without Question

"You're too nice", "You need to be more assertive", "You're too direct" - most leaders have received feedback like this at some point. The problem is that this type of feedback often says more about the giver's preferences than about your effectiveness.

Before trying to change fundamental aspects of your personality, ask yourself: Is this feedback about being more effective, or about being more like the person giving the feedback?

Often, there are ways to address the underlying concern without changing who you are. If someone says you're "too nice," perhaps they're really saying you need to be clearer about expectations or more willing to have difficult conversations. You can do both of those things whilst still being fundamentally nice.

Waiting for Others to Notice Your Good Work

One of the most common assumptions is that good work speaks for itself. If you just keep delivering excellent results, surely people will notice and opportunities will follow.

Unfortunately, in busy organisations, good work often goes unnoticed simply because people are focused on their own priorities. This is where intentional personal brand building becomes essential.

This doesn't mean boasting or self-promotion in an uncomfortable way. It means being strategic about:

• Who knows about your contributions and successes

• How you communicate your impact and the value you're adding

• Which forums and opportunities you use to demonstrate your capabilities

Making Personal Brand Building Practical

Create Consistency Across Different Contexts

The goal is for people to have a consistent experience of you, whether they're interacting with you in team meetings, one-to-ones, presentations, or informal conversations.

Think about the key situations where you interact with others and consider: Am I showing up in a way that reinforces the reputation I want to build?

If you want to be seen as strategic, are you contributing strategic insights in meetings, or just focusing on operational details? If you want to be known for commercial awareness, are you referencing market dynamics, competitor activity, or financial implications in your contributions?

Look for Opportunities to Demonstrate Your Brand

Personal brand isn't built through a single interaction - it's built through consistent patterns over time. Look for opportunities to demonstrate the reputation you want to build:

• Volunteer for projects that let you showcase strategic thinking

• Share market insights or industry observations that demonstrate commercial awareness

• Offer to present to senior stakeholders on topics where you can add value

• Contribute to cross-functional initiatives that broaden your internal visibility

Be Patient With the Process

Reputation change takes time, especially if you're working to shift existing perceptions. People need to see consistent evidence before they update their view of you, which means you need to maintain your new approach even when it doesn't seem to be making an immediate difference.

The key is consistency over time rather than dramatic one-off gestures. Small, regular demonstrations of your desired reputation will be more effective than sporadic attempts to make a big impression.

Personal Brand as a Leadership Development Tool

Building an intentional personal brand isn't about manipulation or office politics - it's about taking responsibility for how you show up as a leader and ensuring that your impact matches your intentions.

When you're clear about the reputation you want to build and consistent in how you

demonstrate it, several things happen:

You become more intentional about your leadership approach, which typically makes you more effective. You start to attract opportunities that align with your strengths and career aspirations. You build stronger relationships because people know what to expect from you.

Most importantly, you take control of your career development rather than leaving it to chance.

Ready to get intentional about your personal brand? The Leadership Vault includes a Personal Brand Worksheet that walks you through identifying your desired reputation, assessing your current brand, and creating a practical action plan. Plus, you'll get access to reflection questions, leadership templates, and other essential tools for your leadership development.

Get instant access to the Leadership Vault here

Your reputation is being formed every day through your actions, decisions, and interactions. The question is whether you're shaping it intentionally or leaving it to chance.

The most successful leaders understand that personal brand isn't about self-promotion - it's about being strategic with one of your most valuable career assets.