The Brand Called You—Rebooted for the Age of AI

Why does personal leadership branding matter more than ever in an AI-driven world?

Back in 1997, Tom Peters published a piece in Fast Company that made a lot of corporate professionals shift in their swivel chairs. Titled “The Brand Called You,” it challenged us to stop thinking like employees and start thinking like CEOs of “Me Inc.” In the late ’90s, that was a radical notion. Now? It’s table stakes.

Fast forward to today, and we’re operating in a world Peters couldn’t have fully imagined: one where generative AI drafts our emails, algorithms screen our résumés, and LinkedIn feels more like a professional stage than a networking site. And yet, the core idea behind his article has never felt more urgent.

In this new world, especially for senior leaders, your personal brand isn’t just about standing out—it’s about standing for something.

AI is changing more than just tools and workflows; it’s transforming what it means to lead. The decisions we make, the trust we build, the cultures we shape—these are no longer just human variables; they’re leadership signatures in a landscape where technology touches everything. Your personal brand, then, is not a logo or tagline. It’s the steady signal you send in a noisy system.

At the Executive AI Institute, we talk often about the shift from knowing to learning. The best leaders in this era aren’t the ones with all the answers. They’re the ones asking better questions—about ethics, about impact, about what it means to lead responsibly in a world run increasingly by code.

This kind of leadership isn’t flashy. It’s intentional. And it starts with self-awareness.

Your brand, as a leader, lives in how you show up when things go sideways. It’s reflected in the curiosity you model, the integrity you demonstrate, and the cultural tone you set. In a world of AI-generated everything, people still crave the uniquely human. And they look to leadership to find it.

So yes, you are still a brand. But it’s not about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about being the one others trust when the path forward is unclear.

The brand called you isn’t built on polish. It’s built on purpose.

And if you're leading through disruption—and let’s be honest, we all are—then now is the moment to take stock. Not in a performative way, but in a deeply human one. What do you stand for? What do you want your influence to mean? What are you learning, and how are you helping others do the same?

To borrow from Peters’ original call to action: start today. Or else.

Because in the age of AI, the human edge isn’t optional. It’s your leadership superpower.