How to Build Your Leadership Brand

The link between leadership and brand building.

Author

Jaime Solis
23 May

Welcome to Red Threads

"The most powerful leadership tool you have is your own personal example."
— John Wooden

It’s Friday and welcome to Red Threads–your insider guide to strategies and tools at the intersection of music, podcasting, marketing, AI, and culture! 

Today we’re exploring how the attributes of great brands can help you become an even better leader.

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⏰ 1-Second Summary

  • Red Thread → Leadership and branding aren’t separate—they’re the same job. You’re always leading, and you already have a brand.

  • The Unlock → Apply the V-E-M framework (Visionary, Exemplar, Mentor) to clarify your leadership brand and amplify your impact.

  • Creative Edge → Build a brand that behaves like a leader—and lead like someone people want to follow.

  • Prompt Playground → Use AI to draft your personal leadership brand statement.

  • Industry Pulse → YouTube charts podcasts, Roblox sells merch, and TikTok leans into 18+ content.

  • Trending AI Tools → Google’s AI filmmaking tool, AI voice-to-notes, music generators, and more.

  • Open Opportunities → New roles at TikTok, Sub Pop, Wondery, The Axis, and Three Six Zero.

⏳Estimated read time: 6 minutes

The Red Thread This Week

Leadership and Branding

Many creators don’t think of themselves as leaders.
And many leaders don’t think of themselves as brands.
But if you're building something meant to grow—something meant to influence—you’re both.

Whether you’re a solopreneur, a creative freelancer, or building a business in public, your success depends on others saying: “I want to be part of that.”

So, for starters it’s important to recognize: You already have a brand and you’re already leading something. The question is: are you designing either one with intention?

This week’s Red Thread is about stitching together two core ideas:

  • The 3 universal traits of inspiring leadership

  • The 3 key pillars of a personal brand that gets remembered, trusted, and followed

When you combine them, you don’t just build a better business.
You create a magnetic presence that moves people to act.

Let’s dive in!

~ Jaime

🔑 The Unlock

V-E-M: A Leadership Framework You Can Use to Build Your Brand

Social psychologist Adam Galinsky’s research shows inspiring leaders across all cultures and backgrounds share 3 universal traits: Visionary. Exemplar. Mentor.

These aren’t abstract labels. They map directly to the building blocks of a powerful personal brand.

Let’s break it down:

1. Visionary - How you see and communicate the world

  • In your personal brand: This is your point of view. Your “why.” The signal you send that attracts the right people.

  • Make it specific. Make it optimistic. Make it feel like a future worth joining.

  • As Galinsky says: “It’s not how deep you go. It’s how simple you go.”

✅ Ask: What do I want to be known for—and what future am I inviting others to help build?

2. Exemplar - How you show up in the world

  • In your personal brand: Your actions are louder than your positioning. Are you calm in a storm? Excellent in your craft? Visibly committed?

  • People feel what you feel. Your emotional state becomes the team’s weather report.

✅ Ask: Am I showing up the way I want to be seen? Would I follow me?

3. Mentor - How you elevate others

  • In your personal brand: Are you generous with what you know? Do you create resources, tools, systems that help others grow?

  • Great brands give people something to believe in and a role to play.

✅ Ask: Am I helping others grow—or just showing off what I know?

When you lead with vision, live like an example, and lift like a mentor, your brand doesn’t just stand out.

It stands for something.

💡 Creative Edge

Your Brand Is Your Leadership Style

You don’t have to fake anything.
You don’t need a slogan or a tagline.

But you do need a clear answer to three things:

  1. What am I here to build—and why does it matter?

  2. What do people consistently experience when they engage with me or my work?

  3. What emotional signal do I send? Do I inspire belief—or confusion?

Whether you’re showing up in a meeting, a podcast, or a LinkedIn post—you’re on stage. As a leader, your energy, your words, your choices—they all get amplified.

So start small:

  • Choose 2–3 core associations you want people to link to you

  • Identify one skill or domain you want to own

  • Decide how you’ll show up consistently in your strongest medium (video? writing? in person? audio?)

Because in the end, leadership and branding share the same job description:

Help people believe.
Then help them move.

 🎲 Prompt Playground

Test drive AI Today with This Week’s Challenge

Craft your personal leadership brand using the V-E-M framework.

Copy + paste the prompt below into ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity, fill in the blanks, and see what happens!

You are a brand strategist and executive coach for creators and entrepreneurs. I want to clarify and communicate my personal leadership brand using the V-E-M framework (Visionary, Exemplar, Mentor).

Here’s what you need to know about me:

  • My core values are: [value #1], [value #2], and [value #3]

  • I want to be known for: [short phrase or traits]

  • A project I’ve led that reflects my leadership style is: [project or story]

  • Others often describe my leadership style as: [short feedback summary]

Now, using this info, help me define:

  1. My leadership POV and mission (Visionary)

  2. The behaviors and values I want to model (Exemplar)

  3. How I empower, elevate, and mentor others (Mentor)

Then, turn it into a short, compelling personal brand statement I could use on a website, speaker bio, or pitch deck.

🎯 Try it with:

  • Values: clarity, empathy, creative risk

  • Traits: strategic, grounded, generous

  • Project: launched a podcast network for indie storytellers

  • Feedback: calm under pressure, helps others level up

✅ Bonus challenge: Ask AI to create a 5-word leadership mantra or tagline based on your responses (e.g. “Calm Clarity. Creative Forward Motion.”)

Reply to this email and send me your favorite result! I’ll send you my free AI prompting guide to help you unlock even more productivity and fun.

📡 Industry Pulse

  • TikTok Expands ‘18+’ Content Features

    TikTok is doubling down on adult-only content tools, including 18+ livestreams and video uploads
    Read more ›

  • YouTube Launches Official U.S. Podcast Charts

    YouTube is now tracking U.S. podcast performance—another big step in its push to rival Spotify and Apple.
    Read more ›

  • Udio Launches $30/month Mobile App

    The AI music startup debuts its iOS app with a premium price tag—betting on growing demand for creator-friendly AI tools.
    Read more ›

  • Roblox Opens New Revenue Streams for Creators

    New e-commerce APIs allow creators to sell physical products directly from their games—blurring the line between virtual and real-world commerce.
    Read more ›

  • Should You Launch a Branded Podcast?

    The Podglomerate team breaks down key factors that make branded podcasts successful
    Read more ›

  • Epic Games Wins Legal Battle Over In-Game Concerts

    A legal win for Travis Scott and Ariana Grande’s in-game shows paves the way for more IP-backed virtual events.
    Read more ›

🛠️ Trending AI Tools

  • Google Veo – AI-powered tool that generates 1080p video from text prompts for filmmakers and creators.

  • Mumblenote – Transcribes and summarizes voice notes into clear, organized takeaways.

  • HomeDesignAI – Redesign rooms or exteriors from photos using AI-generated visuals.

  • Generator AI Music – Instantly create royalty-free music tracks with customizable AI tools.

  • AI Marketer for LinkedIn – Automate your LinkedIn growth with this AI agent.

⚡ Final Note

Want more Red Threads in your life?

You can find blog posts here and connect on LinkedIn here.

You’ve got an idea. A message. A story worth telling. The only thing standing between you and your own podcast? Getting started.

That’s why I put together The 7-Day Podcast Challenge—a simple, step-by-step guide to getting your podcast live in a week. No fluff, no wasted motion. Just a clear path from idea to launch.

And thank you for spending time with Red Threads this week. I’m glad you’re here.

~ Jaime

P.S. My weekly Red Threads newsletter goes out every Friday. Move my emails to your primary inbox so you see the next edition!

P.P.S. Could you use some help with a project you’re working on? Let’s talk! 

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