LEADERSHIP: WHAT'S IN A BRAND?

The article "Building a Leadership Brand" (HBR July/August 2007) is excellent. Assuming, that is, you’re a CEO or HR strategist in a major global corporation. In other words, a few hundred people. But, what about the rest of us: working in smaller organisations, or leading our own businesses? And, worrying daily about delivering products and services, dealing with staff and hoping to improve productivity and profits?

Let me start by sharing the core of the article. To build a corporate "leadership brand", connect what your organisation "wants to be known for by its best customers" with "specific leadership skills and behaviour." Can’t fault that. Not least since each of us can use that thinking around our own leadership style or "brand" - whether we’re working in a small business that doesn’t have leadership programs, or a larger one, which doesn’t have the resources of GE, Johnson and Johnson, Apple or all those mega-companies, which are quoted in this (and most every other management) article.

Having worked with and around leaders all my career (and having been one myself in both the profit and not-for-profit sectors), our first and most important "customer" group is the people, we're trying to lead. Both our close-in followers such as our direct reports, and then others, who need to come on the journey with us such as peers, bosses and, in many cases, external customers as well. They all need to believe in the journey we’ve charted and our ability to deliver on its promise.

Over time, whether in the same role or a succession, we develop our own leadership "brand" in terms of what people associate with our name. One part’s "hard" or technical: Mary’s great at start-ups (lots of vision and market savvy); whereas, Fred drives productivity (pushing detail and lifting benchmarks). The other part’s "soft" or interpersonal: Mary’s inspirational but can also be a bit too rough at times; and, Fred's quite warm but sometimes treats people like they're part of the plant and equipment.

Like Mary and Fred, we all need to address our leadership weaknesses and respond appropriately to how things change from month to month, whether in team membership or business conditions.

So what’s the best approach to start forming our "brand" while also meeting day-to-day leadership demands. My answer’s simple: develop a Leadership Action Plan. And, that’s what my online V|E|C|T|O|R Leadership® tool lets you to do. In 40 minutes, you’ll have a printable plan of your personal leadership actions. And, these actions will be based on the needs of your priority "customers" - those people, who need to follow you. And, today’s success is the foundation of tomorrow’s brand.

Categories for this Potshot:

HBR articles, Career planning, Attend to customers, Engage people, Build teamwork, Excel as a technician,

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