DISCOVER: When Vision Isn’t Enough to Inspire Trust

Your Leadership Image is Your Power, Are You Managing It?

Senior leaders operate under constant scrutiny.

Every decision, every statement, and every action contributes to how they are perceived by employees, stakeholders, and the industry.

If your leadership perception does not align with your intent, it can damage your credibility, weaken employee trust, and ultimately impact organizational success.

You may see yourself as transparent and approachable, but employees may see you as detached or unresponsive.

You may believe you are decisive and strategic, yet your board perceives you as impulsive or secretive.

As Jorge Loebl, founder of Revolving Change, shared in our podcast, “If you don’t intentionally manage perception, perception will manage you.”

This blog will guide senior leaders on how to maintain credibility, trust, and influence through ethical perception management.

Your Reputation Isn’t What You Think It Is

A senior leader’s reputation is not just about their skills—it is about how others interpret their communication, decisions, and presence.

Jorge explained this well:

“You can have the best ideas, the best strategy, and the best vision, but if people don’t trust how you communicate or perceive you as inconsistent, your leadership will struggle to gain traction. Your perception is what allows you to be influential.”

Executives who ignore perception gaps can create unintended consequences:

1. Employees may disengage if they feel unheard or undervalued.
2. Stakeholders may lose trust if they see inconsistencies in decision-making.
3. A company’s brand image can suffer if leadership messaging does not align with corporate values.
   

The Boardroom Mirror Is Often Distorted

Many senior leaders believe they are accessible and transparent, but their teams may feel the opposite.

Jorge recounted working with a CEO who believed he had an open-door policy:

“He thought employees saw him as a hands-on leader, but when we gathered feedback, they described him as distant and intimidating. He wasn’t unapproachable on purpose, but his tone, body language, and limited engagement gave people a different perception than he expected. Once he saw the gap, he made adjustments, and employees started to trust him more.”

If you want to know how you are truly perceived, ask yourself:

• How do employees describe my leadership when I am not in the room?
• Do stakeholders feel they can rely on my decisions?
• Am I receiving unfiltered feedback, or do people tell me what they think I want to hear?
  

Leaders must actively seek out perception gaps through structured feedback.

DESIGN: Make Trust Your Leadership Signature

What Do You Want People to Say When You Leave the Room?

A strong leadership reputation is built on consistency, clarity, and credibility.

Ask yourself:

• What kind of leader do I want to be known as?
• Do my daily actions reinforce this perception?
• Where are my perception gaps, and how can I address them?
  

Jorge warns that perception management must be based on reality:

“I’ve had corporate clients who wanted to project an image that wasn’t real—claiming their company culture was people-first when employees were miserable. That’s not perception management, that’s deception. If your perception doesn’t match reality, it will collapse.”

Reputation Strategy for High-Stakes Leadership

1. Enhance Leadership Visibility with Purpose
   • Engage with employees and stakeholders authentically.
   • Ensure your presence is felt beyond high-stakes moments.
   • Share your leadership journey and decision-making processes transparently.
     
2. Control the Narrative with Strategic Communication
   • Ensure your tone matches your intent in every interaction.
   • Align verbal, non-verbal, and digital communication to project clarity and confidence.
   • Address misinterpretations quickly to prevent lasting negative perceptions.
     
3. Use Feedback Loops to Validate Perception Alignment
   • Conduct 360-degree feedback sessions with direct reports, peers, and stakeholders.
   • Encourage candid conversations about how your decisions impact others.
   • Ask questions that invite honesty, not compliance.
     

Jorge emphasized the power of asking the right questions:

“Most leaders ask, ‘What do you think of me?’ and people tell them what they want to hear. Instead, ask, ‘What’s one thing I do that strengthens trust, and one thing I do that weakens it?’ That’s where you’ll find your real perception gaps.”

DELIVER: Lead with the Consistency That Earns Respect

Credibility Isn’t Given. It’s Reinforced Daily.

Perception is not about what you say once, but what you demonstrate consistently over time.

Jorge explained this well:

“If you want to be seen as transparent but avoid tough conversations, employees will see you as evasive. If you want to be seen as decisive but change direction too often, people will question your leadership. Your actions need to match your intended perception.”

To sustain a strong leadership reputation, leaders must:

1. Deliver on Commitments – Align promises with actions.
2. Be Visible in Key Moments – Address challenges openly and show up during critical decisions.
3. Own Mistakes and Correct Them – Nothing builds trust faster than accountability.
   

How to Stay Seen as Strong in Moments of Stress

Senior leaders are often judged on how they respond in moments of crisis.

• Crisis Communication: Remain calm, own the message, and address concerns head-on.
• Handling Perception Shifts: Clarify misunderstood decisions with context before misperceptions spread.
• Protecting Long-Term Reputation: After a crisis, continue monitoring the narrative and invest in perception recovery.
  

Jorge warned against doubling down on a misleading narrative:

“I have seen executives make a mistake, then try to justify it instead of correcting course. That only makes the perception problem worse. If you’re wrong, admit it, fix it, and move forward. People respect leaders who own their actions.”

Conclusion: Shape the Executive Image You Intend

Senior leaders must actively align perception with integrity, clarity, and consistency.

Jorge shared one final piece of advice:

“If you’re not managing perception, you are letting others define it for you. Strong leaders take control, not by manipulating, but by making sure their leadership presence aligns with their leadership values.”

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Lead the Way You Want to Be Seen

You’ve earned your seat at the table. But does your presence still match your power?

Check our different Memberships to explore how perception alignment can elevate your credibility, deepen trust, and extend your influence across the organization.