I spend a lot of time working with leaders, debriefing 360 assessments. It’s one of the best tools we can use to determine how truly effective that leader is. One of my favorite areas to look during this process is a section of their report where all of the scores of the assessment are sorted from highest to lowest, first by the leader’s self-assessment and then by their evaluator’s ratings. I often refer to this section as the leader’s “leadership brand”. There’s the brand they think they have created and then the reality of what their leadership brand is according to the impact they have on the people around them. It’s often very eye opening when there’s a difference between what you want your Leadership Brand to be and it actually is.
Your brand as a leader is extremely important, it’s what you are known for by your people and within your organization and can make the difference between being an extremely effective leader and a leader who has the potential to drag down the team and the organization. As the leader, you set the tone and can influence the success or failure of those around you. The truth is, we all want to be judged by our intentions but we are measured by the impact we have on others. For leaders, the impact we have on others becomes our leadership brand. I often ask the leaders I work with what they want to be known for, what they want their leadership brand to be. Then we explore whether or not they are showing up the way they actually intend. Often times, despite their best intentions, their leadership brand is tarnished and they are leading in a way that negatively effects productivity and performance. The good news is, if your leadership brand is not what you want it to be, you can take steps to build or even rebuild your brand. Keep reading below for the five steps you can take to build (or rebuild) your leadership brand.
Step 1: Determine what do you want to be known for. The first step to building your leadership brand is to really think through what you want to be known for as a leader. If you don’t know what you want your brand to be, you’ll never be able to intentionally create it. Take a look at your values and priorities to determine what is important to you and your organization. Be true to who you are, don’t try and emulate someone in your organization if their brand doesn’t align with your own values. Your leadership brand must be authentic to you, so leading in a way that is uniquely you is crucially important.
Step 2: Examine your reality. Once you determine what you want to be known for, it’s time to take a hard look at whether or not you are being perceived the way you want to be. Reflect on your interactions with others, look at how communicate with your team and examine how you handle failure and mistakes. Ask for feedback from your boss, your peers and your employees on your leadership style and listen for the truth in their answers. Really take stock of how you are showing up as a leader. You can’t learn, grow or improve if you don’t know where you are starting from.
Step 3: Mind the gap. When you know what you want to be known for and have a in-depth understanding of how you are actually perceived you can start to determine where the gaps are. There may be some places where you are showing up exactly as you intended and there may be some places where your intentions do not match your impact. This will give you a very clear roadmap of where you need to develop and grow.
Step 4: Take control. Don’t leave your leadership brand up to chance. Once you have a clear understanding of what your developmental gaps are, take control over your own leadership brand. Don’t wait for your organization or your boss to offer leadership development. Determine what you need to become the leader that you want to be and invest in that development. Proactively seek out continuous development and pursue it both inside and outside of your organization.
Step 5: Live your leadership brand. It’s not enough to just determine what you want your leadership brand to be, you have to show up as the leader you want to be consistently and intentionally. To ensure you are living your leadership brand, share who you want to be as a leader with your boss, your peers and your employees and ask them to hold you accountable. Use your values and priorities to guide your decisions, your actions and your interactions with those around you. Be really mindful of how you are showing up as a leader every day. Just paying attention to how you are showing up will help keep you on the right track.
When you start to become intentional about your leadership brand you’ll inevitably start to create your own leadership legacy. A leader’s legacy is established by leaving their mark on their team and organization, creating an impact that endures long after they’ve left their role. Your leadership brand and your leadership legacy are really about the difference you make in people’s lives. Rather than leave it up chance, wouldn’t you rather take the time to think about the legacy you are leaving behind?
I’d love to know, what do you want your leadership brand or legacy to be?
