How a Leadership Brand Can Work for You—or Against You
Your leadership brand can work to your benefit or to your detriment—influencing your workplace effectiveness and the very arc of your career. It can determine whether you get noticed and for what. Your brand can also make a difference in your ability to accomplish your career aspirations.
Let’s look at three case studies that illustrate the power (positive and negative) of a leadership brand.
CASE STUDY 1
Blending into the background.
Sam is known for getting the job done and being easy to work with. He willingly helps other people with work they have been assigned in order to keep a project moving and would like to get assignments that inspire and stretch him creatively. Too often, though, Sam is handed tasks that simply fail to interest him. Others rarely ask for his input in strategic initiatives or in discussions that help shape goals at the start of a project.
Sam hasn’t given much thought to his leadership brand. He assumes doing good work is enough to get him noticed and to one day get assignments he will find more engaging. Unfortunately for Sam, no one seems to pay attention to or care about his work.
FOOD for thought
Are you lacking visibility like Sam? What strategies could you use to enhance your leadership brand and to become more broadly known for something you are good at and like to do?
Moving up or moving out?
Giovanni is a middle manager who hopes to become a member of the senior leadership team—and soon. He values intellect, strategic thinking, creativity, problem solving, and getting the job done. He wants to be known for these qualities, but as the old jazz standard written by Oliver and Young goes: “T’ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it.”
While Giovanni’s brand stands out, he might be surprised at what people think. His colleagues see Giovanni as all about looking good to the boss. Some see him as a bit of a bully because he often interacts by demanding, threatening, or intimidating others. He also implies that he speaks for senior management, whether he does so or not.
Giovanni’s voice dominates almost any conversation about project goals. He believes the thinking he has already done and his ability to communicate are all he needs to get support. His team, however, feels intimidated and railroaded.
Those who influence the next steps in Giovanni’s career are closely scrutinizing how Giovanni gets work done. Rather than seeing him as ready for the promotion he covets, they suspect his career is derailing.
FOOD for thought
Are your actions clearly aligned with your career goals? Are you as authentic in your personal interactions with peers and direct reports as you are in those with your boss and executive team?
A rising star.
Danielle has a distinctive and much-respected leadership brand. She values and is known for collaborative problem solving, innovation, customer focus, and a sense of passion and humor. She is an eager learner and brings an infectious energy to projects.
As an individual contributor, however, Danielle avoids the spotlight. She seeks instead to praise and recognize others for their contributions. Danielle is known for the clarity she brings to the work and to even the most complex issues. She seeks input from both stakeholders and team members, and she uses what she hears to shape goals and objectives.
Danielle is not afraid of conflict. When tensions arise, she often takes a stand and asks tough and sometimes unpopular questions. At the same time, she can use her sense of humor to defuse unnecessary conflict and to promote team unity.
Danielle constantly reminds herself of an adage from executive coach and author Marshall Goldsmith: “What got you here won’t get you there.” Even though her current brand has served her well, she proactively seeks and acts on feedback she receives from others in order to improve her effectiveness.
FOOD for thought
Do you routinely evaluate your leadership impact and how others react to you? How might you gather feedback that could help you grow and evolve? What do you need to keep doing, start doing, or stop doing? Are there mentors, training opportunities, or challenging job assignments that could help you further your leadership development?
As the experiences of Sam, Giovanni, and Danielle illustrate, your leadership brand can have a significant impact on your effectiveness and the progression of your career. It can impact your ability to interact effectively with others and to contribute to the direction, alignment, and commitment of your team. Your brand can determine whether you are noticed, whether you succeed on the job, or whether your career stutters, stalls, and comes to a premature end.