CEO engagement and visibility is recognised as particularly critical to company reputation, according to 81% of senior executives worldwide. This new model of building CEO reputation is driven by the high demand for content and by the numerous platforms on which leaders can engage with stakeholders in today’s digital era.

These are among the finding from research by Weber Shandwick with KRC Research. “The CEO Reputation Premium: Gaining Advantage in the Engagement Era” is based on an online survey of more than 1 700 senior executives in 19 countries across the globe.

“Years ago, CEOs and those around them confused CEO visibility with CEO celebrity. Today, it is not about CEO celebrity, but CEO credibility that can be built through multiple channels that add value inside and outside the organisation,” according to Leslie Gaines-Ross, Weber Shandwick’s chief reputation strategist. “Today, CEO visibility means having a greater presence with greater purpose and in more ways than one.”

It’s undeniable that CEO reputation matters to an organisation’s success and is one of its most valuable and competitive assets. Global executives in our survey agree: on average, they attribute nearly half (45%) of their company’s reputation to the reputation of their CEO. This inextricable link between CEO and corporate reputation is only expected to strengthen, as 50% of executives expect that CEO reputation will matter even more to company reputation in the next few years.

CEO reputation matters to the bottom line, too. Executives estimate that 44% of their company’s market value is attributable to the reputation of their CEO. Strong CEO reputation also attracts and retains employees (77% and 70%, respectively).

“The ways in which people engage with companies, brands and the products they offer continues to evolve,” says Greg Prager, Weber Shandwick’s EMEA corporate practice chair. “Our research shows that a CEO who can personalise and bring to life the company narrative can be a driver of company reputation in this new era of engagement.”

Despite the growth in importance of CEO reputation, building it is not about enhancing egos or celebrity. In fact, a Weber Shandwick media search found that 2014 was a record year for coverage related to CEO humility.
“Humility is now the new green among chief executives,” according to Gaines-Ross. Indeed, executives with highly-regarded CEOs in our study are nearly six times as likely as those with less highly-regarded CEOs to say that their CEO is humble (34% versus 6%, respectively).

There is a close tie between reputation and external relations. Admired CEOs are four times more likely to be seen as being good at engaging the public than those with less admired status (50 % versus 13%, respectively). The question is: Which of the many available platforms are mission critical for CEOs when their time is so limited and they are understandably risk-averse? The majority of global executives (82%) consider speaking engagements job number one for engaging with external stakeholders, but there are many other important external CEO responsibilities as well.

The CEO’s 12-Step guide to reputation and engagement

Weber Shandwick recommends that business leaders and their companies consider the following strategies to bolster CEO engagement:
* Assess the CEO’s reputation premium;
* Develop the CEO’s “equity” statement;
* Identify and develop the CEO’s story on behalf of the company;
* Be an industry champion by having a visible and involved industry presence;
* Leverage the senior management team, in addition to the CEO;
* Bulk up on media training;
* Carefully evaluate the CEO’s stance on public policy;
* Decide which venue is right for the CEO;
* Develop a solid social media strategy ;
* Keep reputation drivers at the top of the to-do list;
* Bolster CEO reputation among employees; and
* Don’t view CEO humility as a weakness.