Have you ever wished other people knew the leadership you were capable of? Have you wondered how to communicate your leadership capabilities? Those are just two questions answered by a leadership brand.
Previously we talked about assessing your reputation and being aware of your identity. In this chapter, we focus on how to communicate your individual identity as a leader so you can attain the reputation you desire. To be helpful to you, your brand must be authentic. In other words, it must align with:
Building and communicating your leadership brand lets people know what they can expect from you. An authentic leadership brand creates clarity for you and others about your leadership approach and the anticipated value you bring to the work you share with them.
“THE MOST EXHAUSTING THING YOU CAN BE IS INAUTHENTIC.”
— ANNE MORROW LINDBERGH
This chapter outlines a plan for building and shaping your leadership brand. The goal is for you to gain an understanding and appreciation for your leadership contributions, regardless of your work setting or role.
THE ROLE OF BRANDING
Why does a leadership brand matter? Some leaders contend that it doesn't, and they mistakenly confuse leadership branding with the shadowy realm of image management, in which scandals are digitally scrubbed and made-up flattery is deployed instead.
A powerful leadership brand can enhance your ability to achieve your career goals as well as support your efforts to build and sustain the partnerships that allow you to get things done. What's more, your leadership brand can help you attract the right mentors and sponsors to advance your career and build your network. Your brand demonstrates the value you bring to your work.
MYTH: CREATING A BRAND IS ABOUT BEING FAKE.
TRUTH: IT'S THE OPPOSITE: PROJECTING YOURSELF FULLY AS A LEADER IN A WAY THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO. IT'S ABOUT COMING ACROSS TO PEOPLE IN A WAY THAT DOES YOU AND YOUR ORGANIZATION JUSTICE.
In the business world, effective brands:
Similarly, your leadership branding should:
Before we delve into the mindset, skillset, and toolset for establishing your leadership brand, consider the ten behaviors listed below that typify a brand-savvy leader; identify the three that you feel you are currently strongest in and the corresponding three that you feel are most in need of development.
STRENGTH | NEED |
Identifies his or her desired leadership brand. | |
Aligns brand aspirations with underlying values. | |
Knows the difference between leadership brand and reputation. | |
Identifies gaps between desired leadership brand and reputation. | |
Proactively builds his or her leadership brand. | |
Leverages his or her leadership brand to shape others' expectations. | |
Regularly engages in behaviors consistent with his or her leadership brand. | |
Assess progress toward achieving his or her desired brand. | |
Periodically reevaluates leadership brand aspirations. | |
Monitors social network brand. |
Take a moment to reflect on how your perceived strengths and corresponding development needs in this area have played out in the past and currently. As you progress through this chapter, keep in mind how you might augment or leverage these approaches.
BUILDING A BRAND AT MEXICO'S POUNCE
Aggressive. Flexible. Change agent. The words in the LinkedIn profile for Roger Viera, CEO of the Mexican high-tech manufacturing consultancy Pounce, convey an image of a person and a company that are going places with a sense of purpose.
Viera positioned the Guadalajara firm to spot and react to megatrends such as the Internet of Things, embedded software that collects data in anything from heart monitors to voting machines to firefighting equipment. In addition to his firm, Viera also positioned himself by establishing a robust social media presence, speaking at international business events such as Chicago's Tech Week and leveraging recognition such as the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and the Gold Prize at Frankfurt's International Arch of Europe.
Even though Viera's company grew from an IT consultancy to a rapid prototyping firm with software and manufacturing divisions, the message of his personal brand has remained cohesive:
EXPERIENCE, INNOVATION, AND FORWARD MOTION.
Taking a cue from Viera, how can you craft a brand message that is consistent but also leaves space for reinvention?
As you work to convey an effective leadership brand, keep in mind that this is not about faking anything. It's about surfacing and polishing behaviors and skills that allow your authentic self to be most effective.
However, it's also important to remember that having an authentic brand doesn't necessarily mean that it always stays the same. Times change, and so can your brand. Approaching it as something dynamic requires ongoing investment to ensure you build a brand that is relevant and fresh.
ANTICIPATE THAT YOUR BRAND ASPIRATIONS WILL SHIFT
As your definition of career success evolves, as your values undergo subtle changes and as your perceptions shift of what type of leadership is needed for the challenges you face, your brand aspirations will change accordingly. When that happens, time to re-brand.
RECOGNIZE THAT REPUTATION-BRAND GAPS ARE NOT STATIC
As your efforts to act in accordance with your brand and your values gain traction, gaps will close and you will shift your focus to addressing other aspects of your brand. Also, as you deliberately choose to re-brand, new gaps will appear and require you to channel your efforts accordingly.
REASSESS AND RECALIBRATE
Not all of your brand-building efforts will pan out. When this happens, stop to reassess your approach. Seek some advice. Look to role models for the brand you're seeking to establish and see if there are some new or different behaviors you should emphasize. Alternately, you might reconsider your brand aspiration. Maybe it doesn't really tap into your values and your authentic self.
MYTH: PEOPLE KNOW ME. WHAT IS THERE TO MANAGE?
TRUTH: PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T SHOW. FOR EXAMPLE, YOU MAY HAVE AGONIZED OVER A DIFFICULT DECISION, BUT IF YOUR BEHAVIOR DOESN'T REFLECT IT, OTHERS MAY SEE YOU AS RASH AND UNCARING.
The constant presence of technology can both help and hurt your brand. Going viral can be a good thing or a bad thing. The recommendations in this section are framed to the unique challenges of managing your brand in the digital age.
CULTIVATE YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE
Brand-conscious leaders are aware that they have an online footprint, and keep it up to date. In Googling your name, you may find links to articles where your name is mentioned or to sites where you have made presentations. You may find links to your corporate biography. What did you like about what you found? What do you want to change?
Your social media presence depends on your profession and your preferences. Popular professional networks like LinkedIn are a good place to start because it's a popular global network and many professionals use it to stay connected to others in their field.
Here are some steps to consider:
INTEGRATE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL BRANDING
Many professionals choose to keep their personal and professional activities on social media separate. As an alternative, consider thinking holistically about your leadership brand, only posting assets that reflect how you want to be perceived. Every post you make, whether personal or professional, reveals something about who you are and what you value.
MYTH: WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET.
TRUTH: GIVEN TODAY'S GLOBAL COMMUNICATION CHANNELS, YOUR PERSONAL INTERACTIONS ARE SOMETIMES LIMITED. A 15-MINUTE INTERACTION CAN DEFINE YOU IN ANOTHER'S EYES FOR MANY YEARS.
WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR? LET'S START BY EXAMINING YOUR VALUES.
INSTRUCTIONS: On the next page is a list of 44 values.
“BE YOURSELF. EVERYONE ELSE IS ALREADY TAKEN.”
— OSCAR WILDE
Taking a close look at your current leadership brand can be eye opening. It can help you analyze your current reputation and evaluate whether it is working for you or against you in your career. Self-awareness is fundamental to defining and evaluating your leadership brand. It helps you decide what you need to keep doing, start doing, and stop doing in order to establish a brand reputation that reflects what matters most to you.
CHOOSE YOUR BRAND
What would you like your brand to show? Possibilities include humorous, considerate, empowering, credible, organized, productive, calm, flexible, well informed. What behaviors and actions would lead others to see you in this way?
WATCH AND LEARN
Think about someone you've worked for or known who has an effective leadership brand. List words that describe his or her brand. Next, consider specific ways that the person behaves that enhance his or her brand. How could you adapt the person's behavior or do something similar to create an effective leadership brand? Conversely, what might you learn from someone who has an ineffective leadership brand?
PLAN AHEAD
Look at the brand of people who have the job you'd like to have in two years. What is required of people in those roles with respect to a brand? Perhaps they need to be seen as well connected, comfortable being in the spotlight, skilled at giving media interviews or speeches, or able to engage with diverse groups of people. What could you do differently to show others that you are up for the task?
Find an image of your brand! Is there a person whose brand you admire? Find a photo of him or her and post it as a reminder. Are there other pictures or images that reflect your desired brand? A rock climber to show your willingness to take on a challenge? A painting that symbolizes the feelings you hope to convey to employees? A place that speaks of the future? Whatever symbol or picture speaks to you, keep it as a reminder and for inspiration.
FINAL TOUCHES
Your name:________________________________________
Your tagline:_______________________________________
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The services you are uniquely suited for delivering to your customers:
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
The top five values phrased as to how you will deliver your services:
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
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List the brand issues you want to work on. Before doing so, you might want to review Chapter 6, “Assessing Your Leadership Reputation.” What gaps do you see between the reputation you have and the brand you want to build? Next, list ways you can learn and practice in key gap areas. Finally, prioritize your list and set specific goals and timetables to accomplish them. Here is an example:
REPUTATION-BRAND GAP:
Become a more engaging public speaker.
WAYS TO IMPROVE:
Use storytelling as a technique.
GOALS AND TIMETABLE:
At our next monthly division meeting, I'll use one or two stories, not just data, to help convey our group's performance. I'll ask Jack to give me feedback.
Finally, having an action plan is essential. Practice may not make you perfect, but it will help you make progress. Once you have taken a close look at your current reputation, chosen your desired brand, and set goals for closing the gap, the best strategy for crafting your brand is to develop a specific plan. Many leaders work hard to get to the point at which it looks easy. Their comfort with leadership and with their brand is often the outcome of acquired skill and practice. Here are some key elements to consider in your action plan:
What new competencies might I need to develop to establish my brand?
What new knowledge will I need and how will I acquire that knowledge? What new skills, attitudes, and behaviors might I need to develop? How will I develop them?
How can my boss and my associates help me move toward my aspirational brand?
You can't do it alone. Your boss and colleagues are critical sources of feedback and support.
What metrics will I use to assess my progress?
How will I go about soliciting feedback on my progress, both on the work and how I am engaging with others?
“LIFE ISN'T ABOUT FINDING YOURSELF.
LIFE IS ABOUT CREATING YOURSELF.”
— GEORGE BERNARD SHAW
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