Navigating 2024: A CEO's guide to reputation management

Getting communications right is an ongoing challenge. The consequences when they go wrong can be catastrophic for the organisations and its leaders. So what are the risks that CEOs and senior leadership teams should be looking out for in 2024?

Failing to consider these challenges is crucial; not only in shaping an organisation’s external image but also in impacting its ability to maintain internal cohesion and effectiveness. That involves everything from share prices, through to fundraising and the ability to attract and retain the best people. Reputation management is about identifying and addressing risk. The start of a year is a good time to do a risk stock take.

Looking to the year ahead it is possible to identify a number of risks but also to make the most of potential opportunities.

1. 2024 is the year of the election – there are elections taking place in many places around the world including the UK and US. In England and Wales, there are mayoral, local, police and crime commissioner elections definitely happening and a UK general election expected to happen. A national election can mean a change in government as well as a need to manage reputations throughout an election period. Public affairs actions should be top of the 2024 considerations not least because a change in government is widely expected so CEOs should have sight of preparations being made.
    
2. Crises, getting the balance right – this is a constant theme and one that came into particular spotlight during the Congressional hearings with leading US universities over anti-Semitism. There was widespread criticism that the approach was too legalistic which meant apologies were lacking and little empathy was shown. No-one expects a CEO not to take legal advice under such circumstances but the balance needs to planned beforehand. That would be a useful challenge to consider at the start of 2024. How do your advisers work together?
    
3. The role of ESG? There are many views being expressed about the role of ESG measures and how seriously organisations should be taking them. Many stakeholders increasingly value ESG measures – not least political audiences. It helps to provide a ‘shortcut’ to establishing whether an organisation is doing the right thing or not. The challenges come with ensuring that measures implemented are genuine and effectively communicated. The danger of a divergence between statement and delivery is significant.
    
4. Ever-increasing demands for transparency – building and maintaining trust through transparency is increasingly a default. This can mean sharing organisational goals, challenges, and changes with a range of stakeholders. But this requires a keen knowledge and understanding of what they want to hear from you and having a culture where feedback is encouraged and valued, wherever it may come from. It is important to make sure these systems are in place and working well.
    
5. Personal visibility – a CEO always needs to consider what level of profile is appropriate and how that will be delivered through a range of communication activity. A personal brand is more significant than ever and is often used as a quick summary of how an organisation is performing. Any organisational leader needs to be conscious of how they present themselves and communicate in public forums. The reputations of a CEO and the organisation they lead is inseparable.

I have limited myself to five challenges, but there are many others, and chief among these is how organisations will navigate AI.

Addressing these issues at the start of 2024 will help to get any CEO and the organisation they lead ready for the challenges ahead this year.

Dr Stuart Thomson is a public affairs and communications consultant. Listen to Stuart's podcast, The Public Affairs in Practice.