What is Your Leadership Brand?
We can all agree that branding and business go hand-in-hand. But when it comes to branding ourselves as leaders, things can get a little foggy.
Key Takeaways
Your leadership brand is a clear statement and definition of what others can expect from you.
When people interact with you, they experience your brand.
Ask yourself: Is what I am doing and how I am behaving in line with how I want to be seen?
Creating your personal leadership brand.
Evoking an emotional reaction, triggering a set of memories, and an image in our minds is what a solid brand does.
We understand the importance of branding and business. But when it comes to branding ourselves as leaders, things can get a little foggy. A personal leadership brand does the same thing as it does for our business. It's a clear statement, and a definition that others can expect from you. Your personal leadership lets your colleagues and direct reports know these things about you, in terms of you being a leader.
When they feel an emotional connection to you, the value of your personal brand increases and the relationships you have with others improves. People like to know what they're going to get. And thus begins development of trust in relationship.
The first thing you can do is start thinking of yourself as a brand.
You want to think about the next few questions as you begin to consider what your personal brand will look and feel like in your business and organization.
Ask yourself what characteristics or behaviors do people most respect in your organization?
Your organization is unique, as is your role. Ask yourself if you're behaving in this way? And if not, ask yourself how you can?
What do the most influential people in your business have in common? Influencers do not necessarily have more power than you. However, they are often more plugged in people who know what's going on in the business and work environment. People listen to influencers and can be swayed more easily by them. What makes them influential?
We all have personal strengths and skills that can be channeled. What is your personal expertise? What are your strengths today? Where do you want to be in the near or distant future?
Solicit feedback from others. What are the key words associated with you? Seek feedback from your managers, your direct reports, and anybody else that you trust. Regularly ask what are two things you can do to improve for the next time. Ask them: What am I doing good? What can I do better at? Please help me. Decide if you like the words you hear or not, and then adapt.
People will form their impressions of you based on repeated interactions with you. People like knowing what they're going to get. Do they get consistent behavior from you? What is your track record?
Building a vision for your personal brand and then living it is inherently challenging. It constantly requires you to look up from your work, from your day to day, and ask yourself: Is what I am doing and how I am behaving in line with how I want to be seen? It's difficult to compare your day to day thoughts, actions, to your long-term personal brand and the aura that surrounds you in an organization.
All of the meetings, all of the calls, all of the emails, is how you are being seen. Again, is what you are doing and how you are behaving in line with how you want to be seen?
This kind of reflection can fall off the radar when other priorities are pressing, you need to stay focused. It's essential for a leader to consistently and diligently practice their leadership brand through their thoughts, actions, and interactions.
Understand that a personal leadership brand is not created overnight. Credibility is learned the hard way. Through time and perseverance leadership brand is created. Its acceptance and stickiness is established only after results are reached. Remember, you are training people on how you will treat them and how you will interact with them. You are training others on how you want to be treated and how you want interactions to work. Establishing your personal brand will take time.