Lynn Al Khatib, Vice President of Communications at Chalhoub Group.“If skills are the product, reputation is the packaging.”
That line from The Brand Book still lands because it captures today’s reality: we have always had reputations, but social media has turbo-charged their reach. A single post can now traverse continents before coffee.
For executives, that’s exhilarating – and terrifying. One insight-rich update can attract talent, reassure investors and move share price; one tone-deaf humble-brag can torch a decade of equity.
LinkedIn reports CEO content is up more than 20 per cent year-on-year and earns quadruple the engagement of the average post. The microphone is powerful – use it wisely.
Numbers don’t lie. Eighty-two per cent of employees check a CEO’s online presence before even considering a job offer, and they’re four times more likely to join a company led by a “social CEO.”
On the customer side, 71 per cent of people say they’re likelier to buy from a brand whose leader is active and vocal on social media. In short: corporate reputation and executive reputation are now intertwined—yet they are not the same thing.
A visible leader humanises strategy and models values faster than any press release. But here’s the catch: most CEOs aren’t digital creators and barely have time to craft an email, let alone a carousel.
That’s where communicators step in – walking the razor-thin line between genuine and staged. If you run your CEO’s feed and conference calendar, your job is to channel their voice, speak to their audience and curate the right mix of online and offline presence.
Are you having those strategic conversations, or just pasting boilerplate updates anyone could post?
How much is just right?
Think of thought leadership like espresso. One well-pulled shot is energising; five in a row will give everyone jitters.
A sharp point of view, delivered with intent, travels further than a week of autopilot updates. Before publishing, ask: Does this serve the narrative? Does it help my audience do something better? If the answer is no, leave it in drafts.
And communicators, here’s the twist: model the behaviour you orchestrate for others. We often remain behind the scenes, measuring success by the impact we create for others – not ourselves – and I find that beautiful.
But as we shape thought leaders daily, we mustn’t forget ourselves. In the age of AI and fierce competition, the work might not be enough to speak for itself.
So, I say: show, don’t tell; feel, don’t listen; and remember – less is more
The question remains, are we getting it right? What is personal branding not? What is it? Why do bright people still hesitate? And why, especially in the GCC, does it matter right now?
First, what it is not
Personal branding isn’t a popularity contest; follower counts without purpose are digital litter. It isn’t reality-TV disclosure of your private life, nor is it a fast-track to a TEDx stage. Above all, it isn’t a quick fix.
Remember what we say in media training: there’s no such thing as ‘off the record’ – and no such thing as a social account that is strictly ‘private’ when you’re in a leadership role.
The editor-in-chief of a major publication once told me their team scans senior executives’ feeds first thing every morning – and again throughout the day – scouring personal posts for scoops.
Headlines are born from LinkedIn musings, and ill-judged Instagram Stories can expose an executive’s late-night rant. Need I mention the Coldplay concert—or the astronomer-turned-CEO?
And what it is
Done well, personal branding looks like thought leadership in action—sharing insights that move debate, not just dial. It means anchoring your purpose in service of others, turning skills into tangible impact, and standing for something clear enough that people can repeat it when you leave the room.
It is all about consistency, clarity, a bold perspective, and an authentic presence.
Why even confident leaders pull back
Whenever I coach executives, the same objections surface: I don’t like self-promotion. I’m too busy. Where do I start? Will AI make me sound fake?
Imposter syndrome is real—research says up to 70 per cent of high achievers feel it at times – men and women alike.
Time poverty is real too; Most executives are clocking over 60 hours a week. Add fear of public speaking (a top-three phobia) and scepticism that anyone would care, and the easiest option is silence.
But silence is costly in this region. LinkedIn’s own numbers show the UAE has near-universal penetration among working-age professionals. If you’re absent, it’s by choice, not circumstance.
Brunswick’s Connected Leadership study found investors and employees now expect to hear directly from the corner office during both triumph and turbulence. Visibility is no longer optional; it is risk management.
At Global Women in PR – Middle East, we often gather senior communication executives to discuss burning topics that matter to both agencies and corporate roles.
Thought leadership is surfacing as a crucial topic to ensure that communication roles are valued and given the presence and authority they deserve in an organization.
The wave method – an eight-step compass
To make action easier than avoidance, I created The Wave Method—a fly-wheel that turns “who I am into how and what I communicate”:
- Purpose – the north star that guides everything else. For you or your executives, this goes beyond company updates. It goes deep into your skills, passions and causes.
- Impact – the change you want to spark in the world.
- Audience – the people who must hear you for that change to happen.
- Personality – your brand personality, keeping you true to your authentic self
- Tone of voice – consistent with your brand personality, unique to you and not a copy of someone else.
- Comms pillars – three or four themes you will fight for every quarter.
- Platform(s) – the channels where your audience already pays attention and that are most relevant to you and your brand identity.
- Calendar – a cadence that prefers quality over volume. The winner of all, consistency, discipline and a two way conversation.
Run through those eight filters once a quarter and you’ll find yourself posting less but resonating more. That’s the “less is more” part – the algorithm favours consistency, but audiences reward substance.
In conclusion, thoughtful visibility isn’t vanity; it is culture-shaping, revenue-protecting and crisis-proofing rolled into one.
Leaders: show, don’t tell—prove your expertise with useful ideas, not superlatives. Communicators: feel, don’t just listen—tune into the emotional frequency of your audiences and craft messages that resonate. And all of us, in a world drowning in noise, must remember: less is more.
I’ll leave you with the reminder I give every client—and myself—before the red light blinks on: “In the digital age, telling your story—and telling it well—is essential for career growth and industry influence.”
By Lynn Al Khatib, Vice President of Communications at Chalhoub Group
