Episode #19
Your Leadership Mindset Is Your Brand with Jen Lashua
In this episode of ROAR Mindset, Peter Brandenburger sits down with Jen Lashua, a Fractional CMO and executive brand strategist who helps leaders build personal brands that reflect the level at which they are operating. Jen explains that your personal brand exists whether you intentionally shape it or not. It is how people see and experience you, and LinkedIn often serves as an invisible reference check before someone agrees to a meeting, considers you for an opportunity, or responds to your outreach. Together, Peter and Jen explore why highly accomplished leaders often struggle to accurately describe what they have achieved. They discuss the fear of appearing self-promotional, the distinction between humility and making yourself smaller, and how leaders can own their impact while still recognizing the contributions of their teams. Jen shares a formative story from early in her career when a senior leader invited her to take her seat at the table. She also offers practical ways to uncover the value in your experience, including reviewing past performance feedback, asking what would have happened without your leadership, and seeking perspective from people who know your work. The conversation also examines authenticity in an AI-heavy world. Jen and Peter discuss how AI can support ideation, challenge your thinking, and improve your writing without replacing the experience, perspective, and voice that make someone worth following. Whether you are building a business, pursuing a new role, or preparing for an opportunity you cannot yet see coming, this conversation is an invitation to stop underselling your leadership and intentionally shape how others experience your mindset. Connect with Jen to get help with your brand: Jen Lashua on LinkedIn ( LinkedIn ) Chapters 00:16 Episode Introduction 01:43 What Matters Most: Managing Change 05:56 What Is a Personal Brand? 08:25 LinkedIn as an Invisible Reference Check 10:49 Learning from Leaders You Admire 12:44 Authenticity and Executive Ghostwriting 14:37 Why Accomplished Leaders Undersell Themselves 16:05 Taking Your Seat at the Table 19:17 Recognizing and Claiming Your Impact 23:18 Owning Your Impact While Crediting the Team 25:44 Humility vs. Making Yourself Smaller 28:43 Using AI Without Outsourcing Your Voice 33:38 When Gratitude Undercuts Leadership Stature 38:02 Practical Steps to Strengthen Your LinkedIn Presence 40:19 Sharing Your Expertise and Building Visibility 43:36 Leadership Lessons from Running 46:08 Change and Optimism in Leadership 49:15 Peter’s Closing Reflections
