426 - CEO's Stop Hiding Behind Your Company: Your Network Needs to Hear From YOU

Many CEOs hide behind company brands, but people buy from people. Discover why showing up with your personal brand is key to scaling influence, trust, and business impact. Listen in to learn from how top CEOs do it.

 
 
 

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Most CEOs focus relentlessly on growing the brand of their business , the logo, the vision, the marketing. But in today’s connected world, that’s not enough.

Because people don’t buy from logos, they buy from leaders.

In this short but powerful episode of The Daily Hint, we confront a critical question: Are you hiding behind your company brand, or are you actively building your own visibility as a leader?

Let’s look at Apple. It’s not just one of the most iconic brands in the world, it's known because of people. Steve Jobs wasn't just the founder; he was the face, the vision, the story. His personal brand shaped Apple’s identity and inspired millions.

Today, Tim Cook continues that legacy not just through operational excellence but through visible leadership. He speaks publicly. He shows up in videos. He builds trust through presence.

Now shift to Microsoft. Bill Gates — visionary founder, public figure, thought leader. Satya Nadella, the current CEO, has embraced that same playbook. He doesn't hide behind the tech. He uses his personal voice to share ideas, values, and leadership moments that humanize the Microsoft brand.

These are billion-dollar examples. But here’s the truth: You don’t need to be a Fortune 500 CEO to make this work.

If they are building personal brands as CEOs, what’s stopping you?

Whether you lead a startup, a growing SME, or a global enterprise, your ability to influence your industry, attract opportunities, and build lasting trust starts with you becoming visible.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

  • Why personal branding is no longer optional for CEOs

  • How top leaders use visibility to scale their influence

  • What actions you can take to show up authentically and consistently

This is your hint to stop hiding. The world, and your network, needs to hear from you, not just your brand.

Highlights:

0:00 Introduction: The Importance of Personal Branding

00:05 Case Study: Apple and Steve Jobs

00:18 Transition to Tim Cook

00:29 Case Study: Microsoft and Bill Gates

00:44 Current Leadership: Satya Nadella

00:53 Conclusion: Personal Branding for All

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Transcript:

Your company has a brand, but what about you? People buy from people and not from logos? Let's have a look at two big companies. Everyone knows Apple, but as well, everyone knows Steve Jobs. And Steve Jobs was the founder and has built his personal brand and has. Impacted Apple tremendously. And now we transition to Tim Cook, who is the current CEO of Apple.

He is as well, well known, and through the way he's leading the company and is visible in public with his personal brand. Let's look at a different example, which is Microsoft and everyone knows Bill Gate, bill Gates has been building Microsoft through the empire that it is today. And if we now look at the current CEO Satya Nadella, he's the CEO and he's visible.

He's doing videos like I do right now as the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company. And both examples are, yes, very big. If this CE os are doing this thing, why wouldn't you? With a smaller company, personal branding is the future.

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427 - How CEOs Can Learn from the Transformation of Mark Zuckerberg

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425 - By 2027, Personal Branding Will be a Non-negotiable for CEOs