Connecting the Dots in Your Career
A POWERFUL WAY TO CLARIFY YOUR LEADERSHIP BRANDING JOURNEY
I saw him waiting to talk with me after the session on building your leadership brand that I conducted that day at the Corporate Learning Center in NY. After a lengthy explanation, he asked me a very poignant question. “It seems to me,” he started, “that extroverts have an advantage over the rest of us when it comes to personal branding.” He sighed. “Do introverts like me even have a chance?” You could see the question deeply concerned him.
I shared it had been my experience in training or coaching over 23,000 corporate leaders that extroverts only get so far if they don’t have the substance to back it up. While he may see what looks like success initially, I see them years down their career path, sometimes struggling to get on the right track. I encouraged him to continue his efforts to keep pushing himself out of his comfort zone so that his sphere of influence could grow. Back then the notion of ambiverts was not even on the horizon. He was visibly relieved as he walked away. Little did he know his question sent me on a journey to articulate some of the unspoken laws of personal branding.
At the core of building your personal leadership brand is credibility and influence. These are the words I hear when people are describing leaders WITH executive presence, and even more often, when they describe leaders who lack “executive presence.” Executive presence has become a catchphrase in the corporate world to describe the ever-elusive “IT” factor we desire in our leaders. A great deal of my personal and professional energy has been invested into discovering what these words really mean. This is where my passion for systems thinking, rooted in the time I spent with Dr. Peter Senge, of the The Fifth Discipline, was most useful.
I now use a tool I developed called a BrandMap™. It is a simple, four-quadrant visual designed to guide leaders seeking a more introspective look into their leadership brand.
Where are You on the BrandMap™?
You will notice the bottom axis is credibility and the left axis is influence, with both having a low and high end of the scale. Each section is described in detail below:
HIGH INFLUENCE/LOW CREDIBILITY — Leaders who find themselves in this block can fall into the trap of a lot of talk and little action. These can sometimes be the extroverts I referred to earlier that can appear initially to have significant influence. They can fall into a habit of over-promising and under-delivering. There is a short window when this is tolerated because most of us are hopeful with someone new. We tend to excuse why they might be lacking in credibility. At times these managers are moved from department to department with HR hoping the right “fit” will eventually be found. Most people don’t intend to find themselves in this block. Sometimes their inexperience or passion gets in the way. These people will usually course correct once they become aware of the perception. I encourage these leaders to BE PURPOSEFUL. Make more of an effort to under-promise and over-deliver. Be careful of using overly expressive language which inflates expectations.
LOW INFLUENCE/LOW CREDIBILITY — Two sets of people fall into this category. Most often are the people new to the company and sometimes to their career. They are still learning the nuances of the organization. They are assimilating the culture trying to find exactly where they fit in. In that case, this is a temporary stage, and they will find themselves moving in a positive direction on the continuum. They need to BE PATIENT and seek mentors within the organization.
I was surprised to find a second group in this quadrant who have consciously or unconsciously made a decision to stick with the STATUS QUO. They tend to fall in the middle of the credibility and influence spectrum and, truth be told, they are tolerant of that place. You often find they tried to exert their influence before but then someone, perhaps unknowingly, put them in their place. Much like a turtle who retreats into their shell for protection, these people did the same . . . figuratively. The problem with being stuck in status quo is the undercurrent of complacency. Over time, this puts out their fire, or they simply move on to another organization with the past employer wondering what happened. In this case, I advise them to BE CHALLENGED. Look for the new assignment. Ask for added responsibility. Do something different. Take steps to light your fire again so you can use your knowledge for the good of the organization and for yourself.
LOW INFLUENCE/HIGH CREDIBILITY — It is heartbreaking to see leaders with enormous credibility — vast experiences, technical savvy, and groundbreaking ideas — be pushed aside because they have limited ability to influence. The more vocal influencers in their world overshadow them or senior executives discount their ideas simply because they are not shared properly. It is in this arena where I have watched some of the most breakthroughs. If you find yourself in this section, make a choice to BE BOLD! The organization is missing out on Brand YOU. Invest time in revamping your brand.
HIGH INFLUENCE/HIGH CREDIBILITY — This is where we all strive to be in our careers. When you reach this level, you have Brand Power which translates into Brand Equity. Brand equity is that intangible account you tap into from time to time when you need extra support. Opportunities find their way to you and influence grows exponentially.
Do you notice the gap between the two quadrants on the right? I now call that THE GAP. This is where I see many mid to senior level careers stall. These are the ones who often find their way to executive coaches trying to figure out why they are “stuck”. If you have posted for a position two or three times with no luck, then you might be in THE GAP. If you find yourself there, step back and invest time into reworking your leadership brand. What served you once may no longer serve you. Time to reevaluate every thought that you have declared as “truth”. The good news is it CAN be done with effort, energy and strategy.
