stop doing this if you want to grow your personal brand
There’s a common narrative doing the rounds that is aimed at senior business leaders: “To build a strong personal brand, you need to share everything about yourself—your passions, your family, your entire life story. And you need to do it all on camera too - across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube every opportunity you get.”
It is nonsense. Visibility and personal connection are important, but your executive brand is about credibility, clarity, and consistency, not oversharing.
People follow you for your expertise, your insights, and the value you bring - not for what you had for breakfast, the latest hobby you’ve taken up, or how you spent your weekend. This does nothing to increase your personal brand’s worth.
Here’s the truth:
You don’t need to expose your private life to be authentic.
You don’t need to share every hobby or family moment to be relatable.
You DO need to communicate your vision, your values, and your professional perspective.
The strongest leaders with the greatest personal brands build trust by being intentional, not by being an open book.
Share what reinforces your authority and aligns with your goals. Leave the rest behind. Unless, of course, you want to be just like everyone else… you don’t want to be like everyone else lost in the social media noise, do you?
Your brand should serve your business, not your ego
Every business needs two things: a great brand – something it is known for – and a great personal brand among its key people. Research shows that both represent 50% of how your target audience views your business.
So, in 2026, don’t focus too much on one and not enough on the other – give both the business and personal brand elements equal attention.
This is my 20th year of supporting business leaders with growing their personal/brand. Get in touch today for support on how to elevate yours. Email me directly on paul@marcomspeople.com Or if you are a marketer tasked with boosting your senior team’s individual brands, our Executive Visibility & Personal Brand PR 8-week programme could be helpful.