It’s not personal! Why being the story isn’t always the best approach for any business leader

It’s become something of a PR shibboleth that organisations need to show their human side to get ahead in the PR stakes. Making it personal, so the mantra goes not only makes it more interesting but helps to build trust in your brand and engage more effectively with your clients and perspective clients.

Getting your lawyers and even the leader of your law firm to open-up and share more personal content on social media is more often than not, seen as a “good thing”. The theory is that “if they know you, they will choose you”.

One way of doing this now using social media is to tell a story, through Instagram reels for example.

A story as old as time…

We’ve told each other stories since the beginning of time, you might say it’s part of what makes us human. A good story not only grabs our attention (and keeps it) it also inspires, uplifts, entertains, intrigues, and astounds us.

Stories usually have a purpose of some sort, for example a cautionary message – think Icarus flying too close to the sun.

When it comes to PR we often talk about “controlling the narrative” and in a crisis this is something that often gets lost.

Stories aren’t just about the plot they are also about the characters: the hero, the villain, the innocent victim, the loyal friend, the misunderstood monster, to name but a few!

But what happens when a single character becomes the sole focus of the narrative? Can it ever be too personal?

Is any leader bigger than their business?

Leadership is crucial for any organisation, but what happens when the actions of a leader start dominating the headlines for the wrong reasons? There are lots of recent corporate examples, such as James Watt at BrewDog and Dame Sharon White at John Lewis, where the media has become almost obsessed with the individuals and their leadership, potentially damaging the brand and distracting from the underlying business.

What to do?

Focusing on the personal back story of your new managing partner or making a splash about your first female managing partner might seem like the way to go, but don’t put all your PR eggs in one basket. Make sure your PR activity is wider enough to embrace other individuals and areas of your business.
In a crisis consider getting independent PR expertise for an impartial second opinion – it can be hard not to get protective and emotional when outside forces are attacking you.
Make sure you have an agreed in-house view on how to respond to unwanted attention and potentially damaging comments. Which ones will you ignore and which will you respond to?
Look for ways to shift the media focus from the individual to your wider organisation and brand.

It’s not personal! Why being the story isn’t always the best approach for any business leader

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