5 Strengths Top CMOs Build Their Leadership Brands Around
Every year, Forbes releases its list of the Most Influential CMOs—leaders shaping markets, brands, and culture. At the Leadership Brand Institute, we dug deeper. We analyzed the LinkedIn profiles of these CMOs to uncover the 5 most frequently listed skills—a signal of the strengths today’s top marketing leaders value most.
But this isn’t just a tally. These strenghs reveal the DNA of effective leadership brands. And when used strategically, they can help you craft a compelling leadership brand statement, leverage your stories, and guide your development path. These are more than trendy terms—they’re signposts of the impact and identity today’s CMOs are cultivating.
Why Strengths Are Essential to Your Leadership Brand?
At the Leadership Branding Institute, we guide marketing leaders through the CLAIM™ Framework:
Craft a leadership brand statement
Leverage your leadership stories
Articulate your leadership brand purpose
Implement your leadership brand strategy
Maximize your leadership brand impact
Strengths are the foundation for crafting and articulating your leadership brand. They shape how others perceive your strengths, define what you’re known for, and connect directly to your leadership stories and strategy.
Without clearly defined strengths, your leadership brand risks becoming vague or forgettable.
From Skill to Brand: Bringing Strengths to Life
Here’s how some of these top strengths might show up in leadership brand statements aligned with CLAIM:
Marketing Strategy
“I craft growth-first marketing strategies that deliver clarity in complexity—and results in ambiguity.”
Digital Marketing
“I implement digital campaigns that transform clicks into connection, and data into direction.”
Brand Development
“I’ve led brand transformations that move businesses from relevance to resonance.”
For Today’s Leaders: Two Paths Forward
If You Already Own These Strengths:
Feature them in your leadership brand statement—specifically and boldly.
Leverage your stories—How have you used these strengths to create impact?
If These Are Growth Opportunities:
Identify 1–2 that align with your long-term goals.
Articulate your purpose by naming how developing them will enhance your leadership.
Start implementing small changes—leading cross-functional marketing, tackling integrated campaign roles, or deepening digital fluency.
A leadership brand isn’t just about who you are—it’s about who you’re becoming.
Leadership Branding Institute's Take:
Leadership Brands That Win Start with Strengths
Top CMOs aren’t just operational leaders. They’re narrative architects. They don’t just have strengths—they use them to tell stories, inspire others, and create strategic clarity.
At Leadership Branding Institute, we help marketing leaders CLAIM their leadership brand—starting with their most market-ready strengths.
If you’re ready to:
Clarify your strengths,
Connect them to your story, and
Position yourself for your next level of influence
Schedule a Discovery Call to begin crafting your leadership brand with intention.
