#Brand November 28

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About six years ago I got exposed to a fascinating marketing expert and leader named Tony Poillucci . He made a presentation to a group of university leaders on the importance of establishing a BRAND.

He said one thing that resonated with me. We all have a BRAND. If we don’t focus on what it is others will do it for us.

I remember thinking when Tony of the parallel between branding a university and your own personal leadership BRAND. What Tony pointed out to our university leaders was what branding is and is not. Branding is not a logo but more importantly it is the perception of your university.

Some people believe that a social media presence is all it takes to create your BRAND.

The successful way to BRAND yourself is not with a campaign which is marketing for short-term gain but rather by a commitment to a set of principles. Those principles will bring about long-term growth and success. When you are successful with commitment you will create BRAND loyalists.

Principles create our story. We have to go out and live that story everyday. When that happens we create a BRAND.

Sometimes I observe supervisors, elected officials, and managers attempt a campaign to get their team to achieve a result. That is not the same thing as creating loyalists to your leadership BRAND. That is attempting to get a group to achieve a goal.

It is not rocket science but principles like integrity, honesty, and a genuine concern for your team will create a leadership BRAND people want to follow. Enthuiasism and a genuine love of learning don’t hurt either. The best coaches get teams to believe and achieve.

A social media campaign or fancy slogans have a place in marketing but they are much more effective when your team embraces and rallies abound your personal BRAND.