Lights, Camera, Action: 6 CEOs Who Promote Their Thought Leadership Brand Through Kick-Ass Video

If nothing else, social media has shown us that you don’t need to be a Steven Spielberg or even a Tommy Wiseau to make video content that reaches an audience.

In fact, video is one of the most effective tools in a thought leader’s arsenal for communicating their message, connecting with their audience and positioning themselves as an expert in their industry.

Thought leadership videos can take many forms. The simplest and therefore most popular is a self-filmed short clip in which a leader shares an opinion, insight or milestone in their industry or business.

Other examples include a filmed round table discussion with two or more people, usually other business leaders and experts; a one-on-one interview, again with another thought leader or expert; an explainer, in which the thought leader unpacks something about his or her industry; and storytelling, where the leader talks about lessons learned from their career or personal life.

Some thought leaders, like Gary Vaynerchuk, are masters at creating flashy thought leadership videos – others, not so much. But whether you’re making it up on the fly or renting a studio and hiring a professional production team, there are key lessons to be learned from the way other thought leaders use video. In this post we’re looking at how some thought leaders use video to build their brand.

Gary Vaynerchuk, Chairman of VaynerX/CEO of VaynerMedia

Leadership brand: Vaynerchuk’s brand is built around persistence, transparency, engagement, staying on top of trends and innovation and perhaps most importantly his forceful, in-your-face personality.

Video presence: A seasoned pro, Vaynerchuk incorporates props, archival footage, professional sets and editing into his videos. His main platform is his GaryVee channel on YouTube, where he posts a video in a variety of formats, including interviews, keynote speeches and Q&A sessions. One of his innovations has been to package and repackage a single piece of content into smaller pieces, which he then disseminates on other platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Takeaway: While technical proficiency and high production values go a long way to explaining the popularity of Vaynerchuk’s videos, what his audience is really buying is his enthusiasm. Passion about your subject matter can make up for what your video might lack in professional lighting, props and sets.

Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx

Leadership brand: The Spanx founder’s brand is built around innovation, entrepreneurship, female empowerment, authenticity and relatability.

Video presence: Sara Blakely is very active on Instagram, where she shares behind-the-scenes looks at her life, motivational messages and business tips. She posts video on her LinkedIn profile, such as a recent long-form interview she did with her husband for his YouTube channel about “keys to business success.” In brief explainer videos, she shares little-known facts such as the year American women were granted the right to get a business loan without a man co-signing (1988!) and how few primary patent holders in the U.S. are female.

Takeaway: Blakely often shares personal anecdotes about her road to success and the challenges she found along the way, which adds to the authenticity of her brand. Behind-the-scenes content and messages of female empowerment also further her connection to her audience.

Sallie Krawcheck, CEO and Co-Founder of Ellevest

Leadership brand: One of the most senior women on Wall Street, Sallie Krawcheck’s thought leadership brand is based on promoting gender diversity and financial empowerment for women. She is also known as a trailblazer in her industry for her innovative financial solutions and for her authenticity and transparency.

Video presence: On LinkedIn, Krawcheck shares videos offering financial advice. On YouTube, her company’s official channel features “Ask Sallie Krawcheck,” a series of one-minute clips of Krawcheck answering financial questions. And on Instagram she posts a mix of personal and professional video content.

Takeaway: Krawcheck is an example of an executive who has used her platform to champion a cause. Partly because of her very public devotion to empowering women and advocating for gender equality in finance, she has become a thought leader in the American financial industry.

Simon Sinek, Founder, The Optimism Company

Leadership brand: Inspiring leaders and organizations is a pillar of Simon Sinek’s brand. A speaker whose TED Talks have reached over 100m people, Sinek promotes concepts such as The Power of “Why,” which focuses on the need for leaders to start with a core purpose, cause or belief, and The Golden Circle, a three-layer leadership model.

Video presence: On his YouTube channel, Sinek posts video of his podcast A Bit of Optimism, where he talks with guests about business and entrepreneurship and on topics such as empathy in the workplace. He also shares leadership and organizational culture content on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X.

Takeaway: Sinek builds trust and connection with his audience through genuine and often personal content in his videos. He also uses multiple platforms to reach difference segments of his audience.

Marie Forleo, Founder, Marie Forleo International

Leadership brand: Life coach/entrepreneur Marie Forleo‘s brand is helping people create the business and life that they want. Called “a leader in a whole new generation of super-soulers” by Oprah Winfrey, she hosts courses provides insights through her show, Marie TV.

Video presence: On her show Marie TV Forleo hosts weekly Q&As and interviews industry leaders and celebrities like Seth Godin, Gary Vaynerchuk, and Elizabeth Gilbert. Her Q&As tend to be shorter than her long-form interviews. She also creates a “tweetable,” a shareable bite-size piece of info, within each Q&A video.

Takeaway: Make it easy for followers to spread your message. Vary the length of your video content as well – short videos for snackable advice and insights, and longer form video interviews for more depth.

Dan Schulman, former CEO of PayPal

Leadership brand: Schulman’s brand is built around financial inclusion, responsible business practices, fintech innovation, social impact and corporate responsibility.

Video presence: Schulman gives career advice and posts interviews in which he talks about leadership. He also posts about challenges people face, such as mental health issues. On LinkedIn his videos include interviews, speeches and thought leadership discussions. While he was with PayPal, the company’s channel posted video of his podcast Never Stand Still.

Takeaway: Schulman tailors his content to fit the platform, particularly LinkedIn. Many thought leaders can take a page from Schulman’s strategy by concentrating their video efforts on the professional networking site while sharing shorter clips on Instagram.



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