Ask yourself "why should anyone be led by me?" and “how do I add value to my direct reports?”

What is your leadership brand? If you answered, “I don’t have one,” or “I’m not really sure,” then you’re not alone. Many leaders are surprised to realize that they do have a brand, even when they haven’t actively cultivated one. Yet, you most definitely have one. That means you need to take control of it and use it to your advantage.

A Leadership Story

John was recently promoted to a management position leading a team of other managers. He was liked, respected, and even admired for his success in his previous role. His new role requires him to operate at a higher altitude. But, he continues leading in exactly the same way, doing the same things as before. His brand equity sees him through the first few months with his new direct reports, but over time they see that the substance of his leadership is inconsistent with their expectations and needs.

John is leading at the wrong level. He transitioned to his new role on the surface but not from within. His leadership brand has not evolved from the core. As a result, he underperforms, and his reputation erodes. This is a classic story for leaders in transition.

Identifying Your Leadership Brand

Every leader has his or her own unique brand. Think of your company’s brand or your product’s brand. Both are value propositions.

When marketing a product or company you ask how you want it to be understood by your customers. How do they connect with it? What differentiates it from others in the same category? It is the same with your personal brand, but here your “customers” are all the people with whom you interact in the course of your work.

Your brand is more than just your image. It starts inside, with your core. Before you can begin to change or refine it - from the core - you must identify it.

What are Your Strengths?

The first step is to know your strengths. You probably have a sense of some of your them. But truly take stock of them. Figure out which skills you wield best and which ones you should strengthen.

You may be surprised what you discover once you make a concerted effort to understand and enumerate your strengths. Some leaders have blind spots to their own strengths. In the case of positive blind spots, they have strengths they can’t see. In the case of negative blind spots, they may believe themselves to have certain strengths that they actually do not.

What are You Known For?

You may have a good grasp of on this already. It’s probably what got you your last promotion. Look at your resume or a list of your accomplishments. Notice which themes stand out. Consider where you are in the leadership pipeline, too, and where you are heading.

What Do People Value in You?

Finally, ask what people value in you. Keep in mind that what people value in you and what you are good at may be two very different things. Ask what your superiors value in you as well as what your peers and direct reports value.

Honing Your Leadership Brand

Now that you know your existing brand, you can start to fine-tune it. There are many different ways to do so, and an outside, objective viewpoint can help tremendously. Leaders are made, so with the right tools, you can become the leader you want to be.

Manage Your Transition

Personal brands are made or broken during times of transition. As you transition to a new level, now is the time to take charge of your brand. Leadership brands are not created from one day to the next; they can only evolve at the speed at which you transition.

You must be good at understanding what a new role requires from you. Make a conscious effort to assess how far and how fast you can transition into the role. Ask yourself "why should anyone be led by me?" and “how do I add value to my direct reports?”

Put Value Before Vanity

Everyone wants to look good, but you need to address your brand from the core. All too often leadership branding starts by determining the “packaging” rather than the substance. Packaging might include social media personas, your title, or even the awards hanging on your wall. Your leadership brand should also be consistent with your professional specialization, business and cultural environments. The packaging will follow. Deliver an authentic “product” to your stakeholders: direct reports, peers, managers, and customers.

Look After Your Core

I’m not talking about your physical fitness routine. As discussed above, the packaging has to reflect what’s on the inside. Stay healthy as a leader at your core. One stumbling block is to become too protective of your brand. Rather than focusing on protecting your brand--as though someone is out to damage it - nurture it. An authentic brand comes down to consistency. Act from a position of integrity and your brand will thrive from the inside out.

Utilize Feedback

Learn to appreciate feedback, from colleagues at all levels, and take it to heart. Remember, understanding how others see you and what they value in you are integral to your brand. Use their feedback to continuously hone it.

How to Support Others in Developing Their Brand

Your brand doesn’t evolve on its own. It is intertwined with the brands of everyone you interact with including your direct reports. This is especially true if you manage other leaders.

Being a leader of other leaders is the least understood role in business. Your subordinates have their own brands. As a manager, you can support others in developing their unique, yet relevant brand. Share with them what has worked for you and what has not.

Supporting others not only helps them, but it strengthens you. Because, love it or hate it, their brand ultimately rubs off on yours.

Prioritize Your Leadership Brand Today

One thing is of course what your leadership brand is today. But looking forward, what do you want it to be? You might want to consider some of the questions below as a way of getting started with your leadership brand:

1. Every brand serves a purpose, so what is the impact you want to create with your leadership brand? What do you really want to accomplish in the coming months and years ahead with your key stakeholders?

2. A real test of your brand is what people say when you leave the room. So, what would they say, ideally? In two or three statements how would you like others to describe you in your absence?

3. Appreciate that there are going to be key interactions with others that you may need to manage differently. How are you going to reach out to them while remaining true to yourself, consistently? How can you begin to live the brand with authenticity and credibility?

4. And remember, you’re not alone with your leadership transition. We all need feedback, challenge and inspiration from others when getting started. With this in mind, who would be the best person to support you on your journey?

Prioritize your leadership brand and start discovering where it might take you. A brand is powerful.

How have you gone about creating your leadership brand? What challenged you or worked well for you? Please share your ideas and inspiration here!

Managing Your Leadership Brand with Authenticity