SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY

The uncertainty of the post-2008 economy has demanded more from the workforce. All too often, leaders have been forced to sacrifice their own identities in the rush of business necessity. They are now eager to reclaim those personal identities as the economy improves and opportunities return. In order for organizations to retain top leadership talent, they must enable them with an identity that matters.

A leader’s brand represents the totality of what an individual can contribute to the workplace for the advancement and betterment of a healthier whole. The reclamation process begins by allowing leaders to serve as a natural extension of the corporate brand – allowing them to fully leverage their impact and influence both internally and externally.

Effectively leading others is a matter of influence – and developing this critical capacity requires leaders to continually invest time and energy into reconsidering and recalibrating how they are present with, and perceived by, others. Leaders must be more authentic, purposeful, and innovation-minded than ever before. In turn, this requires leaders to take charge of their own personal brands – with their personal brands representing the totality of what an individual can contribute to the growth of their direct reports, teams, and organizations.

Have you defined your personal brand as a leader? 
Are you consistently living your personal brand every day?

If you’re like most, your answer to both is “no.” Based on a survey conducted by the Glenn Llopis Group (GLG), less than 15% of leaders have truly defined their personal brands and less than 5% are living them consistently at work – each and every day. Why? It can be extremely challenging and it requires a tremendous amount of self-awareness, action, and accountability.

Additionally, 70% of leaders believe they have defined their personal brands and 50% believe they are living them. But when you “peel-back-the-onion,” you realize that their focus was centered on self-promotion rather than a commitment to advancing themselves by serving others.

EMBRACE THE APPROACH

Developing your personal brand as leader is essential for the advancement and development of your career and that of others. Unfortunately, personal branding has become a “commoditized” term that has lost its intention as leaders and employees alike have irresponsibly used social media platforms such as LinkedIn to build their professional network and increase their relevancy. They believe LinkedIn and other social media channels can immediately increase their market value for their personal brands rather than recognizing  that the process of developing their personal brands is a much bigger responsibility; a never-ending journey that extends well beyond social media and self-promotion.

Personal branding is about making a full-time commitment to the journey of defining yourself as a leader and how this will shape the manner in which you will serve others by consistently elevating your skills sets, capabilities, and industry know-how. Your personal brand should represent the value you are able to consistently deliver to those whom you are serving albeit employees, clients, industry, board members, community, etc. This doesn’t mean self-promotion – that you should be creating awareness for your personal brand by showcasing your achievements and success stories. Managing your personal brand as a leader requires you to be a great role model, mentor, and “a platform” that others can depend upon.

At GLG, developing your personal brand encompasses our 21st century leadership characteristics that serve as a roadmap for success and ultimate significance. It serves as a tool that allows you to measure your ability to manage your personal brand and course correct along the way. To naturally thrive as a leader, you must become more aware of the following six characteristics in order for your personal brand to awaken its full potential.

Characteristics

See Opportunity in Everything Characteristics  – Live With an Entrepreneurial Spirit

Anticipate the Unexpected – Work With a Generous Purpose