Leadership Brand Statement Examples: A Guide

For nearly 15 years, Sheryl Sandberg had one of the more influential jobs on the planet: running Facebook (now Meta) as the company’s chief operating officer.

But Sandberg’s most impressive legacy may be her powerful leadership brand, which continues to resonate to this day: she’s widely seen as a champion of gender equality in the workplace, who transformed the conversation around leadership.

How did she develop such a powerful brand and what role does a leadership brand statement play? Read on to find out.

Definition of Leadership Brand Statement

A leadership brand statement is a concise declaration that defines a leader’s core values and the impact they hope to have on their organization or community. It conveys what a leader stands for and how they inspire others.

Leadership brand statements are beneficial to businesses, leaders, and other stakeholders for several reasons:

• Clarity of vision. A well-crafted leadership brand statement aligns a leader’s actions with the organization’s mission, ensuring that all decisions support organizational goals.
• Consistency. Having a clear leadership brand ensures that the leader is authentic in how they communicate and lead teams, which builds trust among stakeholders.
• Motivation and culture. A leadership brand statement helps leaders articulate what inspires them, making it easier to motivate their teams.
• Employee retention. Clear leadership values and a well-defined leadership brand help attract top talent that aligns with those values. In an age where nearly 70% of workers would leave their job if they didn’t like their boss, leaders who embody clear values have a substantial edge.

The 3 Components of a Leadership Brand Statement

Leadership brand statements consist of three key components.

1. Strength

Who are you? What are the fundamental qualities that shape your leadership style? Perhaps you’re resilient, adaptable, or empathetic.

2. Action

How do you demonstrate your leadership values in practice? Maybe you empower teams, maybe you excel when making tough decisions, or maybe you’re great at supporting collaboration.

3. Impact

What positive effects does your leadership have on your organization? You might’ve led a successful digital transformation initiative or made your industry more efficient.

Examples of Successful Leadership Brand Statements

A well-crafted leadership brand statement can inspire and influence both teams and organizations — and also yourself.

Unfortunately, executives don’t exactly broadcast their leadership brand statements on public channels. To give you a better idea of what successful leadership brand statements look like, we’ve inferred the following examples from each leader’s actions and public messaging.

Sheryl Sandberg

I am a leader who empowers others by advocating for women’s equality and driving organizational change so that future generations can succeed in leadership roles.

Tim Cook

I am a leader who values collaboration and inclusivity, fostering diverse perspectives within teams so that we can build products that enrich lives and set new standards for the future of technology.

Jay-Z

I am a leader who blends creativity with business, using my platform to uplift communities so that we can redefine success and pave the way for the next generation of entrepreneurs.

To reach your full potential as a leader, you need to figure out the lasting impact you want to have on your team, company, or industry.

How to Craft Your Own Leadership Brand Statement

Crafting a strong leadership brand statement helps you communicate your values, inspire others, and align your actions with your leadership vision. When you’re ready to create a statement of your own, follow these four steps to define your leadership identity, clarify your impact, and ensure your actions reflect your values.

Step 1: Understand who you are

Before crafting a leadership brand statement, spend some time self-reflecting. Consider your strengths and personal experiences that have made you who you are and try to define your leadership style.

To do that, ask yourself a series of questions:

• What motivates me as a leader?
• How do I approach challenges and decision-making?
• How do I want to be perceived by my team and my peers?

Answering these questions will lay the groundwork for your leadership brand.

Step 2: Define your core values

Now that you’ve got a better handle on exactly who you are, it’s time to dig a little deeper and define your core values that influence your approach to leadership.

Do this by identifying a handful of values that resonate with you — like innovation, empathy, and integrity. Think about the times in your career where you were most fulfilled, and figure out what values were at play. Your leadership style should reflect these principles.

When you consistently operate in a way that reflects your values, you build trust and credibility, helping instil a sense of purpose within your organization.

Step 3: Identify the impact you want to have

Great leaders don’t just manage. They inspire.

To reach your full potential as a leader, you need to figure out the lasting impact you want to have on your team, company, or industry.

For example, acclaimed former Intel CEO Andy Grove is known for transforming the chipmaker into a global powerhouse. During his 11-year tenure as chief, Grove saw Intel’s market cap grow from $4 billion to $197 billion.

Perhaps best known for the phrase only the paranoid survive, Grove not only helped shape the foundation of the digital age, he also pioneered the now-pervasive maxim that organizations must be highly adaptable if they wish to succeed and have staying power.

Andy Grove helped usher in the now-widely held notion that business leaders must be agile if they wish to survive.

Do you want to foster a culture of innovation? Develop future leaders? Improve efficiency? There’s no right or wrong answer here. Spend some time thinking beyond daily responsibilities and focus on the bigger picture. Having a clear sense of what you want to accomplish will help ensure that your leadership brand is not only strong but also sustainable.

Step 4: Craft your leadership brand statement

As a last step, bring everything together into a concise statement that defines your leadership identity. A strong leadership brand statement covers who you are, what you stand for, and how you create impact.

Here’s a a template of sorts to get started:

• I am a leader who [uses these core strengths] to [drive these concrete actions] so that [these lasting impacts are achieved].

For Andy Grove, a leadership brand statement might look something like this:

• I am a leader who drives growth by challenging complacency and embracing adaptability so that businesses can survive and thrive in an ever-evolving world.

For the company, a strong leadership brand statement encourages a culture that’s transparent and accountable. When leaders consistently act in line with their values, employees feel more engaged, motivated, and connected to the company’s mission.

The Impact of Leadership Brand Statements on Company Culture

A well-defined leadership brand statement is more than just a personal mission. It has a direct impact on yourself as a leader and the broader company culture.

For the leader, the statement serves as a career asset. It guides decision-making, reinforces authority, and builds trust with employees — which is a big deal, particularly since 92% of employees say that trusting leadership is important for motivation. At the same time, it also strengthens your professional reputation and can help you build stronger teams, with everyone aligned on the same goals.

For the company, a strong leadership brand statement encourages a culture that’s transparent and accountable. When leaders consistently act in line with their values, employees feel more engaged, motivated, and connected to the company’s mission.

What’s more, such consistency also strengthens corporate identity and public perception, which increases business value. After all, we all know what happens when leaders behave inconsistently or erratically and are viewed as wild cards.

Tesla shareholders are unlikely to be too thrilled with CEO Elon Musk’s recent antics.

Since the business world moves faster every day, it’s important to assess and evolve your leadership brand statement over time. If your leadership brand statement was crafted before the rise of smartphones and social media, for example, it likely doesn’t fully reflect the needs and nuances of our modern tech-driven environment.

Start Writing Your Leadership Brand Statement Today

Crafting your leadership brand statement enables you to clearly define who you are as a leader and how you want to be perceived.

While it’s entirely possible to create your statement on your own, partnering with an agency that specializes in executive branding can save you ever-so-valuable time.

The right partner will bring the expertise needed to create a leadership brand statement that resonates — giving you more time to focus on what’s most important: running your business.

To learn more about the easiest way to develop a leadership brand statement that captures who you are, inspires your team, and opens the doors to new opportunities, read this.