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As the founding father of the leading global personal branding agency for CEOs, I’m at all times looking for lessons we are able to learn from public figures. Even if they’re not entrepreneurs or business owners themselves, their experiences often offer lessons we are able to apply to our own leadership journeys.
As a Ukrainian-Canadian, I have no political affiliation with American politics. Still, I watched the recent presidential debate through the prism of non-public branding with fascination — and in this text, I’ll share my observations.
The U.S. debates happen on what may very well be the world’s largest stage, with the highest stakes. While we may all be far removed from the world of politics, as leaders working to build our own leadership brands, we are able to learn incredible lessons from watching the presidential candidates.
Clarity is one of the fundamental elements of branding. Before we put ourselves out in the public eye, we must be clear about the WHY behind our branding (i.e. our goals), be clear about our unique strengths, be clear about the audience we would like to achieve, and be clear about the message we would like to convey to that audience. We also must be prepared each in terms of intentionality before any public appearance and for the criticism that our visibility may attract.
Let’s take a closer look at this.
As you start building your personal brand as a leader in your organization, you will need to:
1. Be clear about your goals
Why are you on stage (virtual or physical)? Why are you writing an article? Why are you agreeing to a podcast interview?
Harris’s goals were clear. She got here to dispel the image of somebody who was soft-spoken, awkward on stage, and laughing misplaced. To dispel that image, she clearly prepared extensively. She clearly practiced not only her points but also her body language (from her physical positioning during Trump’s speeches, to her smiling, to her uttering (*5*)). How do we know she was deliberate and practiced? Because of the sheer amount of repetition all of us observed.
A lesson for you: Don’t “just go with the flow.” When building your personal brand as a leader, do so with intention and clearly defined goals.
2. Be aware of your strengths and use them
This is the moment when we feel someone is “on brand” or not. What does being “on brand” look and feel like? This applies to all scenarios: from a morning meeting to a leadership strategy retreat to an industry conference where you is likely to be speaking.
Trump’s undeniable strength is his improvised jokes. The few viral moments from the debate are evidence of that. Harris, on the other hand, stumbles and stammers, completely off-script, and we’ve seen that several times when she fell for Trump’s bait.
A lesson for you: Don’t observe another person’s style and try to mimic it. Instead, be very clear about your strengths and over-index on them, even if your style is criticized.
3. Paint a Story
We live in an era where, for higher or worse, words now count greater than actions. Yesterday, many people asked on X why candidates aren’t fact-checked. While they were and are fact-checked to some extent after the debate, the truth stays the same: if someone says something, it’s often assumed to be true.
Harris clearly entered the debate intent on portraying Trump’s narrative as unpredictable, dangerous, and uncontrollable. She focused much of her story on that exact narrative, and strategically provoked Trump to make sure his rhetoric matched her narrative. In many ways, this turns what needs to be a fact-based debate into a game of verbal he-said/she-said ping-pong, but it’s a lesson for us all nonetheless.
A lesson for you: If you wish to build a personal brand as a leader, you should develop into a strong storyteller. Stories are memorable, evoke emotion, and build affinity.
4. Define your audience
Your audience shall be closely aligned with your goals, so lesson number one stays key. If your goal as a leader is to draw higher-caliber talent to your organization, that’s a very different audience than a leader who desires to secure more board work, for example.
Harris re-entered the debate with greater clarity and purpose. She clearly forged a wide net and made that clear, repeatedly referring to middle-class Americans as “all Americans.” Trump didn’t address the audience, and it was unclear whether his goal was to focus on his existing base of supporters or to appeal to a broader audience, hoping to sway undecided voters.
A lesson for you: Clarity of audience results in clarity of key talking points. Define yours before you begin creating any content, whether it’s a LinkedIn post or a big-stage speech.
5. Learn to deal with criticism
The more visibility you have, the more backlash you’ll be able to expect. It’s really not a query of “if,” but moderately “how much.” We are all subject to the boundless urge to criticize and virtue signal by keyboard warriors, but how we respond affects how others perceive us.
Trump made a critical mistake last night. He fell for Harris’s jabs over and yet again. Instead of clearly stating his goals and building his own narrative, he began responding about the size of the crowds at his rallies, the world leaders who mock him, and other irrelevant jabs. Instead of remaining calm and composed, he began blabbing incessantly. You can relate: So many of us have fallen for social media jabs at least once or twice. What starts as an unpleasant remark from a stranger can quickly result in losing face and not showing off your best self.
A lesson for you: Be prepared for criticism. Have a way of responding and stick with it, irrespective of how hard someone tries to throw you off target.
Ultimately, the key lesson for all of us is that intention matters. I have seen many leaders follow the flow, build their leadership brand, and then be disillusioned by the lack of results or not getting the results they were hoping for. This is where a strategy based on clarity makes a crucial difference. Clarity first, execution second, and consistency to win!