“your most valuable asset ― your attention”
Alex Hormozi
Back in September 2010, Daniel Priestly wrote a book entitled, “Become a Key Person of Influence”. Or to give it’s full title, “Become a Key Person of Influence: The 5 Step Sequence to Becoming One of the Most Highly Valued and Highly Paid People in Your Industry”.
For many, becoming a Key Person of Influence or KPI was the only way, you could step out of the shadows and embrace the brave new world we were already in. That world being, an information rich, always on, 24 hour digital world.
“Sometimes the sound of silence is the most deafening sound of all”
K.L. Toth
It is important for B2B CEOs to be a Key Person of Influence (KPI) because it can help them to build trust and credibility with their key stakeholders, investors, shareholders, and potential new business partners. By being visible and vocal about their company’s vision and strategy, KPIs can help to create a positive image for their company and attract the attention of potential customers and partners.
B2B CEOs who are key persons of influence and forward-facing in their organizations have several benefits for their stakeholders, investors, shareholders, and new business.
7 reasons why CEOs need to be a Key Person of Influence
There are so many reasons why CEOs need to be visible and Key Persons of Influence
Build trust:
Build trust and credibility with key stakeholders: When stakeholders see that a CEO is actively involved in the company’s operations and is willing to share their vision for the future, it can help to build trust and credibility. This can be especially important in B2B markets, where relationships are often key to success.
Attract new business:
By being visible and vocal about their company’s vision and strategy, KPIs can help to attract the attention of potential new customers and partners. This can be especially important in competitive markets, where companies are constantly looking for new ways to grow their business.
Increase brand awareness:
When a CEO is a KPI, they can help to increase brand awareness for their company. This is because they are often seen as a spokesperson for the company and their opinions are often shared by others.
Drive sales:
By being a KPI, a CEO can help to drive sales for their company. This is because they can build relationships with potential customers and partners, and they can also help to create a positive image for the company. A key person of influence can help attract new business by building relationships with potential clients and partners. This is because they are seen as a thought leader in their industry, and people want to work with them.
Engage with Stakeholders:
Key persons of influence can effectively communicate their vision and strategy to stakeholders, resulting in increased engagement and buy-in from stakeholders. This, in turn, can lead to better business outcomes, including increased profitability and growth.
Attract Investors:
When a CEO is a key person of influence, investors are more likely to invest in the company. This is because they can see that the CEO has a clear vision for the company’s future and is capable of executing it.
Shareholders:
Key persons of influence can positively impact shareholder value. This is because they are able to communicate the company’s strategy effectively, which can result in increased revenue, profitability, and growth.
All incredible advantages of forward facing CEOs. The importance of being a KPI cannot be underestimated. Equally, CEOs not engaging on a public, business and online stage, can have a negative impact.
Negative impacts of CEOs not becoming a Key Person of influence
Poor communication
CEOs who are not key persons of influence may struggle to communicate their vision and strategy to stakeholders effectively. This can result in confusion and disengagement among stakeholders, which can negatively impact the business.
Lack of trust
If a CEO is not a key person of influence, investors and shareholders may not trust their ability to lead the company effectively. This can lead to decreased investment and shareholder value.
Lose out to competitors
In competitive markets, companies that have KPIs often have an advantage over those that do not. This is because KPIs can help to build relationships with key stakeholders, attract new business, and increase brand awareness.
Missed opportunities
If a CEO is not a key person of influence, they may miss out on opportunities to attract new business or form partnerships with other companies. By not being visible and vocal, CEOs may miss out on opportunities to build relationships with key stakeholders, investors, shareholders, and potential new business partners. This can hurt the company’s ability to grow and succeed.
Examples of CEOs who are successful key persons of influence include
Here are 7 examples of CEOs who are successful Key Persons of Influence
Satya Nadella
CEO of Microsoft: Nadella is known for his focus on innovation and his ability to communicate Microsoft’s vision effectively. This has helped Microsoft remain competitive in a rapidly changing industry.
Nadella also brings clarity, he is famous for saying, “You can’t call yourself a leader by coming into a situation that is by nature uncertain, ambiguous — and create confusion, you have to create clarity, where none exists.”Leaders have this amazing, uncanny capability of bringing clarity into a situation where none exists”.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk is the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. He is a well-known and respected figure in the business world.
He is most interested in problem-solving, the ability to get results through people, and a no-excuses, take-responsibility leadership style. He has little regard for formally educated, book-smart people and values creativity.
He is often seen as a visionary leader and is known for his ambitious goals. The CEO of SpaceX and Tesla. Musk has helped him attract investors and form partnerships with other companies.
Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos is the founder and CEO of Amazon. He is one of the richest people in the world and is considered to be one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time. He is known for his innovative business practices and his ability to think outside the box.
Bezos is well known to use a variety of mental techniques such as the Feynman Technique to help you understand a topic better. Strong communication is the result of deep thinking, and if you cannot explain your message clearly enough, then expect mistakes.
Bezos is also known for his constant communication of Amazon’s vision effectively. This has helped Amazon become one of the most successful companies in the world.
Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett is the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is one of the most successful investors of all time. Warren Buffett’s leadership style includes the ability to express himself succinctly and without excessive terminology. This is mainly because he has a thorough understanding of his industry and values education highly.
Buffett has a reputation as a leader who prefers to focus on virtues rather than what appears to be a negative connotation by using knowledge and analytics.
He is highly regarded for his investment acumen and his ability to make money in any market. Such is his Key Person of Influence, Every year at Berkshire’s annual meeting, Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger answer questions of all kinds for five hours.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is the CEO of OWN. She is one of the most influential women in the world.
According to GeenKnack, Oprah has unique leadership skills in terms of compassion, ethics, inspiration and justice. She has the ability inspire people because she conforms to what is right and she fights for it. Although she is unable to help everybody, she has the effort to back it up. She is known for her talk show, her magazine, and her philanthropic work where she has an approachable and
Tim Cook
The CEO of Apple, stepped into the big shoes of the Apple legend and founder Steve Jobs. Jobs had god like status for those at Apple and outside. His death was a sever blow for many. Over the years, Tim has found his own voice and approach.
The key was that he was a people person at all levels as well as being a great manager. Tim Cook is now known for his focus on sustainability and his ability to communicate Apple’s vision effectively. This has helped Apple maintain its position as a leader in the tech industry.
How to be a Key Person of Influence CEO
Here are a few tips to become a key person of influence. Though there is gar more involved, CEOs should focus on developing the following components.
Building a personal brand CEOs should focus on building a strong personal brand that is aligned with the company’s values and vision.
Thought leadership CEOs should strive to become thought leaders in their industry. This can be achieved by writing articles, speaking at conferences, and participating in industry events.
Networking: CEOs should focus on building relationships with other key players in their industry. This can help them attract new business and form partnerships with other companies.
Communication: CEOs should be able to communicate their vision and strategy effectively to stakeholders. This requires strong communication skills and the ability to adapt their message to different audiences.
Be visible and vocal: CEOs should be visible and vocal about their company’s vision and strategy. They should also be willing to share their thoughts and opinions on industry trends and issues.
Build relationships with key stakeholders: CEOs should build relationships with key stakeholders, such as investors, shareholders, and potential new business partners. This can help to build trust and credibility.
Innovation: CEOs should be innovative and willing to take risks to drive the company forward.
Be a thought leader: CEOs should be a thought leader in their industry. They should share their thoughts and opinions on industry trends and issues. This can help to increase brand awareness and drive sales.
Conclusion
Today’s B2B CEOs need to take a leaf out of the great business leaders who have been making an impact to their organisations. It is no longer an option to sit behind the desk or just pull the strings behind the scenes, as important as these things are.
Forrester says that CEO knows that organisations that put the customer at the centre of strategy, leadership, and operations — which Forrester calls customer-obsessed — grow revenue and profitability more than twice as fast as companies that don’t.
Today’s CEOs have to be proactive in coming forward.
If you’d like to learn more, get in touch with the team.
