Leadership Branding Is Not Corporate Public Relations

Isn’t Leadership branding just PR for corporates? 

This is a question I keep hearing often.  

I’ve met so many people who genuinely believed that Leadership branding or even etch as a service was just PR in a blazer. To be honest, I used to think the same.  

Until I started working on etch at Toss the Coin, I didn’t realize how completely different Leadership branding and Public Relation are. It clicked to me even harder after observing leaders closely, I saw the impact of Leadership branding in motion. 

PR is about attention. Leadership branding is about intention. 

PR is external. It’s press releases, interviews, media coverage. It’s how the world hears about you. 

Leadership branding? That’s internal. It’s the clarity of your values, the story of how you lead, and how people experience you, whether in a boardroom or on LinkedIn. It’s less about the spotlight and more about your voice shaping your space. 

While PR manages reputation, leadership branding builds identity.PR controls the narrative, Leadership branding creates it. 

So, what exactly is leadership branding? 

It’s not just adding a logo or a LinkedIn banner. It’s earned visibility and not bought attention. 

• What do you stand for?
  This is about clarity. What are the values you’ll defend in a room full of dissenting voices? What are the non-negotiables in how you lead? This makes you trustworthy. 
• How do you make decisions?
  Leadership isn’t just about outcomes. Do you lead with logic, empathy, courage, data, or conviction? Your thought process shapes your credibility. 
• How do you communicate?
  The way you talk, write, share, and respond builds your emotional presence. Do people feel safe around you? Inspired? Do they want to listen to you? 

You don’t need a stage or a blue tick. You just need to be intentional. 

Start by showing up with clarity.
Share what you believe in.
Reflect on your journey.
Talk about the tough calls and what they taught you.  

Looking back, I’m glad my team at TTC called out my confusion.
Because once I understood the “why” behind leadership branding, I started seeing how many people out there are doing PR-level storytelling but missing the Leadership voice behind it. 

Even those unfamiliar with the term ‘Leadership branding’ will sense the difference – that’s the impact Etch creates. We precisely shape perception, build trust, and make your presence distinguished.   

You don’t always need to say more, you just need to say it better. 

Storyteller