A Leadership Brand for the Future

Marhaban world. This is me

In the Leadership Literature, much is written about the strength of having a clear leadership brand. In Psychology, we call this your Professional Identity. It is often referred to as the way in which you lead social processes to get the most out the people around you. But what is all the fuss about? And how do we make this practical? In simplest terms, a leadership brand is the unique set of characteristics and attributes you bring to your team. It is the WHY and the HOW you inspire others. Think of great leaders of the past and present: Examples that come to mind is HE Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who through his exceptional initiative, is leading Vision 2030. Advancing the Kingdom’s growth aspirations, its digitization strategy and its economic sustainability. Think of Nelson Mandela, who was able to bring reconciliation to a divided country. Or Steve Jobs, who through his innovation shifted the way the world interfaces with technology. We associate certain characteristics with these leaders, all in their own right. When we understand, express and develop our leadership brands, two things happen: Firstly, we build meaning and authentic purpose from what we do. This is a rewarding and personally enriching experience, as it allows us to aspire to be the best versions of ourselves. Secondly, we amplify the results in our teams, as we use our unique character strengths to unlock value. Leadership is about serving, and we best serve through being our authentic and sincere self. Some practical guidelines to build a leadership brand:

Self-Reflect
Spend the proper time in deep diving and reflecting on what differentiates you as a leader. Ideally, do this in a quiet space -we often call this under the tree time. To understand your own brand, you really need to think about it.

Contract a Coach
A coach is a powerful soundboard to test ideas around your leadership brand. This person can give you an objective view and will practically guide you in actioning your brand. They can provide guidance on what you need to do more of, to amplify your unique brand.

Ask!
In simplest terms, ask people who have an influence in your life, on what your key strengths are. Your team members, your line manager, the partners you work with, and even your family, will be able to give you a clear and candid view.

Plan
A Leadership Brand is nothing if it is not nurtured and developed. This requires work. You need to document your brand. Write it down. Develop a slogan. Then, progress with clear action items. What will you do in the next six months? The next year? Be creative, it’s not only about attending courses. It’s about the little actions that make a big difference. For example, if you’re a leader who creates innovation, are you regularly conducting brainstorming sessions with your team? Are you challenging them to think big? Make your brand practical.

This month, our focus is on Building a Leadership Brand. Our Action Module will cover this in depth, and it will also be a key focus of your upcoming coaching session. To further assist, we have added really useful articles and links on the topic. You can access those through the Articles page on your PEAK Website. Be the difference you want to see in the world! Understand your leadership brand and bring that value to the people around you.