“I make too much to leave, but I’m not sure how long I want to stay.”
I’ve heard some version of this line more times than I can count. Executives with equity vesting, bonuses pending, teams they care about—but a quiet voice asking what’s next. They’re smart, capable, respected. But their name doesn’t travel far outside their company’s walls. Their brand, if we’re being honest, is invisible.
That’s where the golden handcuffs start to chafe.
You might not be ready to jump. But if you’re not actively investing in your visibility, you’re risking relevance.
Quiet Loyalty Has a Shelf Life
According to LinkedIn and Randstad, ~70% of the global workforce is comprised of passive candidates—meaning they’re employed, not actively job-seeking, yet open to new, compelling opportunities. And yet, most haven’t updated their profiles in years. Many have never posted. Their digital footprint is stale, inconsistent, or nonexistent.
Here’s what that costs you:
- You miss inbound board and advisory requests.
Search committees do their homework. If they Google your name and find only a press release from 2019, you’re not staying top of mind. - Your ideas don’t scale beyond the building.
You’ve probably led initiatives others could learn from—transformations, restructures, brand refreshes, team wins. But if your name isn’t attached to the insight, someone else becomes the expert. - You don’t control your own narrative.
When layoffs, reorganizations, or leadership shakeups happen (and they always do), the professionals who’ve already built trust online are the ones people remember and reach out to.
I’ve worked with CMOs, CTOs, Presidents, and founders who were so deep in the day-to-day they hadn’t stopped to consider the long-term brand equity they were leaving on the table. Most weren’t looking to job-hop. But they knew they needed to look up.
Playing the Long Game
One COO I partnered with admitted she hadn’t posted once in her 15-year career. Not because she didn’t have anything to say—she had notebooks full of frameworks and team strategies—but because she didn’t want to sound self-promotional. Once we started building her narrative around leadership philosophies and transformation wins, she became a known voice in her space within six months.
The goal isn’t to become an influencer. It’s to become known. Trusted. Recognized.
Personal branding done right doesn’t require oversharing or pretending to be someone you’re not. It just requires intentionality.
And here’s the real kicker: it’s easier to shape your brand while you’re secure than when you’re in a scramble.
A Few Signs You’re Overdue
- You don’t know how to answer, “So what’s next for you?”
- Your LinkedIn profile still lists results from five roles ago.
- Your peers are getting quoted, featured, or recruited—and you’re not.
- You feel stuck, but the idea of “starting over” feels even worse.
If any of that hits, good. You’re not behind—you’re just ready.
A Playbook That Doesn’t Eat Your Week
Here’s the framework I walk my clients through:
- Anchor your story – We clarify the throughline of your career: The philosophies, values, and results that make you different. Not a resume rewrite—a reputation strategy.
- Build a visibility system – I don’t ask you to write. I capture your voice and package your insights into content that feels like you—sharpened. A few posts per month. A few comments a week. Enough to get noticed.
- Position for where you’re headed – Whether you want to consult, lead another company, sit on boards, or finally launch your own thing—we make sure your brand is aligned with the future, not stuck in the past.
The best time to do this is while you’re still winning. That credibility? That’s your runway.
Your Brand Is an Asset
A McKinsey report on executive transitions found that nearly 50% of external executive hires fail within 18 months—often because expectations weren’t clearly managed or reputations didn’t match reality. That stat cuts both ways.
When you’ve done the work of showing up consistently—on platforms like LinkedIn, in keynote rooms, in earned media—people know what they’re getting. Your digital presence affirms your leadership. It tells a story that aligns with your actions. That makes everything from your next move to your legacy much easier to manage.
You don’t have to post every day. You don’t have to chase likes or use buzzwords. But you do need a brand. One that works for you, even while you’re heads down running the show.
If you’re feeling stuck but not sure where to start, we should talk. Not about leaving—about building. About future-proofing your brand before someone else defines it for you.