Look at Your Leader’s LinkedIn

Whether they realize it or not, your organization's leader, and ultimately the entire leadership team, acts as an extension of the organization itself. For some companies and nonprofits, the CEO (or executive director, president, or whatever title they hold) is inextricably linked to the brand. Whether they have a big personality or operate behind the scenes, they're highly visible, influential in shaping perceptions, and serve as a public face for the organization.

As a strategic communicator, your job is to identify the channels you can influence and optimize. Your website and organizational social media accounts are obvious places to start, but there's one area that's often overlooked: your leader's personal social media presence.

Regardless of where your leader falls on the personality spectrum, they are often viewed as the voice of the organization. They're the person representing the company at events, providing quotes to the media, signing company-wide communications, and speaking on behalf of the organization.

Because of that, they're often one of the first people someone searches for online when researching your company.

Before you panic, this isn't an article about forcing your CEO to film TikToks or write lengthy thought leadership pieces on LinkedIn (although we can certainly have that conversation if you're ready). This is about covering the basics and ensuring your leader's online presence is current, professional, aligned with your brand, and ready to be a public-facing resource.

1. Take Stock of What Accounts Exist

Work with your leader to identify what social media accounts they currently have. Is there a long-abandoned X account they no longer use or can't access? Which accounts are public, and which are private?

You may be surprised by what still exists online.

2. Offer to Help Make Updates

If your leader is busy (or simply not particularly tech-savvy or interested in social media), they may welcome assistance with managing their profiles. If they're comfortable granting access, ensure passwords are stored securely and make no changes without their approval.

Sometimes, a few small updates can make a significant difference.

3. Determine What Should Be Public and What Should Be Private

A public-facing LinkedIn profile is almost always essential. Beyond that, consider each platform individually.

Does your leader have a Facebook profile where personal family photos are visible to the public? Is that intentional? Would a separate, public-facing creator page better serve their goals?

There's no one-size-fits-all answer, but it's worth having the conversation and making deliberate decisions about each channel.

4. Update the Basics

Start with the fundamentals:

• Does LinkedIn still list a previous position?

• Does it only list the current position and no employment history?

• Has each employer been properly tagged and pulled through to show the logo(s)?

• Is the profile photo outdated?

• Is the biography up-to-date? Is the banner image missing?

• Are contact details accurate?

An incomplete profile can create the impression that information is outdated or neglected, potentially undermining credibility.

5. Look for Branding Opportunities

Once the basics are covered, look for ways to strengthen the connection between your leader and your organization.

• Could the header image incorporate organizational branding?

• Is the company website linked in their profile?

• Does their bio clearly explain their role and connection to the organization?

Small details help reinforce credibility and consistency.

6. Develop a Content Strategy

Your strategy doesn't need to be complicated.

For some organizations, success simply means maintaining updated profiles. Others may decide their leader should post on LinkedIn once a week or like and share key organizational announcements. Some leaders are social media enthusiasts and want to maintain an active presence across multiple platforms.

This is another area where communications professionals can provide support. Your leader may want to write posts while you handle scheduling and publishing. Or perhaps the strategy is simply sharing selected content from the organization's primary accounts.

Whatever approach you choose, make it intentional and realistic.

Your leader is an extension of your brand, and their digital presence should reflect that reality. A well-maintained LinkedIn profile and thoughtfully managed social media presence won't replace an organizational brand, but they can certainly contribute to strengthening it.

Now that you have a plan to refresh your CEO’s social media presence, what about those vice presidents and assistant directors?