7 Steps How To Develop Your Leadership Brand
What makes it from being just fine to having a brilliant leadership? I have done much research and this is what I have discovered: Having a personal brand is a leadership requirement now. It helps you to be a better and more authentic leader. It also enhances your executive presence and impact.
Leaders who develop their leadership brand step out of the sea of sameneness and make a much more meaningful impact on their teams by inspiring and empowering them. For what? For being excited to deliver on strategy, to collaborate, to do their best to WOW the customer. Personal leadership branding has become more important than company and corporate branding.
Why? Because we trust people more than companies. And people are more accountable than companies. When you have an issue with a company product or service, whom do you call? The Company? Is the Company picking up the phone? No, you call a professional who sold you the product or service or who is there to help solve your problem. Great Leaders inspire and empower their people to be their best. And overall, leaders, by their leadership brand influence the brand of the company – the experience that people have dealing with the company.
As a leader you are selling your strategy, your vision and why people should follow you to your team and employees. Your personal leadership brand message makes an impact in people’s hearts and minds to engage and convince them, to feel valued and excited to contribute their best.
We know the saying that “people join companies and leave leaders”. Yet, we spend little time developing leadership brand.
What is a personal leadership brand? As Glenn Llopis, leadership branding expert defines it, “A personal brand is the total experience of someone having a relationship with who you are and what you represent as an individual, as a leader”. Think about what that means to you. And don’t confuse this with just acting the part. On the contrary, you should be more of who you are naturally and bring up your best in leadership.
Developing Your Personal Leadership Brand, consider the following 7 steps:
- MISSION. Consider what major outcome you want to achieve in the next 12 month as leader?
- TALENTS. What are 5 words that characterize your talents that you would personally want to be known for as leader?
- PURPOSE. Write down 3 phrases that combine 5 chosen words and capture your added value and desired identity.
- BEHAVIOURS. How do you differentiate from others?
- VALUES. What are 3 core values that are truly important to you in the way you do things?
- PASSION. What are you excited, energized and passionate about in your leadership agenda?
- VISION. What is your aspiration in the leadership journey?
Based on a survey conducted by Glenn Llopis Group, less than 15% of people have truly defined their personal brand and less than 5% are living it consistently. Why? It can be extremely challenging and it requires a tremendous amount of time and effort invested in developing self-awareness, being focussed, executing actions and being accountable for the impact and the result.
The image of your brand is a perception held in someone else’s mind. Successful Personal branding entails managing this perception effectively. As well as managing and influencing how others perceive you and think of you.
It is important to bear in mind though, that the purpose of leadership branding is not self-promotion, it’s rather a commitment to advance yourself as a leader by serving and inspiring others. This will enhance your leadership impact naturally and extraordinarily.