I’ve seen it happen time and time again.

A talented executive finally gets the big promotion. They become the CEO, join a prestigious board, or step into the C-suite after years of dedicated work.

There’s a flurry of excitement. The press release goes out. The LinkedIn feed is full of congratulations. Everyone is celebrating this major career milestone.

But then, a few weeks later, I go to look them up. I want to learn more about this new leader.

And I find the story of their old job.

Their official bio still talks about their previous company. Their speaker profile is outdated. A simple Google search shows articles and interviews from a role they left behind.

Their title is new, but their public story is still stuck in the past.

I’ve seen this more often than you’d think. And it’s one of the biggest mistakes new leaders make.

A New Title Means a New Audience

When you become a CEO, a Managing Director, or a Partner, your world changes in a significant way. It’s not just about a new office or a bigger team.

Your audience has fundamentally shifted.

You are no longer just speaking to your internal team. Now, you have a much wider circle watching you.

Investors are looking you up to understand your vision. Journalists are checking your background for stories. Potential clients are researching who you are. Conference organizers are deciding if you’re the right person to speak at their events. And new, exciting opportunities, like other board seats, start to appear.

People are now looking for the person behind the job title. They don't just want to know what you do. They want to understand how you think. What are your core beliefs? What important conversations are you ready to lead?

This is where executive positioning becomes critical.

It’s More Than Just Updating Your LinkedIn

A common mistake is thinking that executive positioning is just about updating your LinkedIn profile or posting more often on social media.

That’s only a small part of it.

True executive positioning is about your complete professional narrative. For me, this means helping African executives shape their entire public presence. This includes their media coverage, official bios, Google search results, speaking profiles, and overall visibility for board opportunities.

It’s about making sure there is a consistent story wherever someone finds you. Your reputation, made visible.

Whether you take control of this process or not, people are already forming opinions about you. You might as well guide that conversation.

Why This Gets Ignored

It’s easy to understand why this gets overlooked.

Newly appointed leaders are incredibly busy doing exactly what they should be doing: leading.

They are meeting key stakeholders, building relationships, setting the company's strategy, and learning the intricacies of their new organisation. Updating their public profile rarely feels like a top priority.

Some also make the mistake of believing that the appointment itself is enough. “My new title speaks for itself,” they think.

But in most cases, it doesn’t.

An appointment gives you credibility, but strong positioning is what builds authority.

Your Resume Won’t Tell the Whole Story

Many highly successful leaders believe that their impressive track record will speak for itself.

But it won’t. Not completely.

Your experience is a list of what you've done. To me, positioning is about helping you shape how people understand what you've done and, more importantly, why it matters.

Without context, even the most brilliant career can look like a simple list of jobs instead of a powerful leadership story. The most influential leaders don't leave that story to chance. They take control of it.

A New Role is the Perfect Time for a Refresh

Every major leadership appointment should be seen as the start of a new chapter.

This isn’t just for you and your company. It’s for the public as well.

It's the perfect time to refresh your executive narrative, because all the attention is on you. You have a captive audience.

This is the moment to update your biography. To clean up your Google search results. To refresh your speaking profiles. To define the ideas and themes you want to be known for.

You need to make sure that every online touchpoint reflects the leader you’ve become, not the one you used to be.

Your responsibilities have changed. Your public story needs to change, too.

Build Your Authority Before You Need It

One day, you will move on from your current organization.

When that time comes, what will people remember you for? Will they just remember the company you worked for?

Or will they remember your unique perspective, your leadership style, and the ideas you championed?

Strong executive positioning means building an authority that exists beyond any single organization. Your reputation isn't borrowed from a company. It travels with you wherever you go.

The Real Opportunity

Modern leadership doesn't end at the office door.

Today’s top executives are expected to shape conversations, influence their industries, and represent something larger than their organization.

That journey begins with being intentional about how you are perceived.

A new appointment is more than just a promotion. It's an invitation to redefine your public leadership.

Don't let the market keep telling yesterday’s story.