4-5
mins
Tech execs hide. Board members don't.
You want that CTO seat. That board advisor role. You study the keynote speakers you admire. But you're missing the obvious.... They show their face. You don't.
The Problem
After positioning 129 tech executives on LinkedIn, this is the number one mistake I see.
Execs post conference photos of the whole room. Generic assets pulled from the internet. Carousels with zero personal presence.
And then never ask why their content feels like PR wrote it.... They just think that's the best their content is going to perform.
The Real Story
My Chief Data Officer clients posted a personal photo along with his decision-making process around "What can go wrong in production will go wrong."
Got 100 likes. Several reposts. A colleague told him it looked "hokey." He pulled back. His reach tanked over the next month. His positioning suffered.
As Alex Hormozi says, you're only ever talking to 20% of your actual audience. The haters will always show up. If one critic bothers you now, wait 'til you're giving the TED talk.
What Changes When You Show Up
→ More saves and shares
→ Stronger positioning as a thought leader
→ Higher quality connections...
The ones you actually need to get to that next level. → More CEOs and board advisors in your network
How To Do It Right
→ Professional portraits, not hokey selfies. Use BetterPic. Spend $35. Don't pay for an expensive portrait photographer.
→ Smiling or serious, both work
→ Small headshot with name and title at the bottom, or waist-up with subtle shadow
→ Use your face in carousels when explaining your decision-making. First and last slide only.
→ Show behind-the-scenes moments, not just the stage
The Bottom Line
The keynote CTOs you admire have audiences who know the insight came from THEM instead of Reddit or somewhere else on the internet.
Your asset says a lot about you, especially in an age where most tech execs just have genAI make it for them… very stocky. Just don’t.
Your face is your positioning. Stop hiding.
I’m Steve. I help tech execs position their personal brands for the next big role.
Email me POSITION for examples on how to showcase your face properly for your positioning
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