I’m glad you have come back for episode 3 in our series Creating an Executive Brand. Last week we dove into what an executive brand is and why it matters. This week let’s talk about what an ideal brand looks like, shall we?
What does an ideal brand look like? Now, if you did the work in the workbook last week you’ll remember that I asked you an important question. Who do you admire and what characteristics do you see in their brand that causes you to admire them?
That question was one designed to get your brain thinking and mulling over what an ideal executive brand really looks like. So if you answered the question, you already have some ideas.
Ultimately, the ideal executive brand is one that delivers the highest value to the company based on the role that you hold. What does that mean?
It means if you are a VP of marketing, you don’t need to focus on adding value by driving operational execution. While the company needs operations to execute, the ops leader has to drive that while you focus on marketing. Right? It’s sort of a basic no-brainer example, but you would be surprised at how many new executives focus on what they feel comfortable doing, even when it’s not their role.
Of course, if you were in marketing you wouldn’t want to go into operations. So let me bring you an example that is much more common. If you were the editor, designer, and relationship liaison in marketing before you became the VP, you can’t revert back to your old job and keep doing those functions. You know how to do it, it’s what helped you step into the VP role, but it’s no longer your responsibility.
An ideal executive brand ensures the owner of the brand execs correctly. This means they perform at the highest level of their specific executive role; they own their seat at the table, speak up, influence the course of the business, generate strategic plans and initiatives, focus on the who not the how, and lead through others. All of this and more are actions organizations value from their executives, which leads me to my second point.
A key component of an ideal executive brand is knowing exactly what the company values in its executives. What does the company want from you? The question is not what do you “think” they want, but what do they actually want from you? How do they want you to show up? What do they need your leadership to tackle and solve and drive forward? What are your skills and talents that they need you to bring and share?
An ideal brand displays consistent executive-level leadership in a way that highlights the talents and gifts of the owner of the brand with the singular intention of adding daily value to the organization.
Why focus on daily value? Because when you do that, your success is a given!
So this week, get the workbook if you haven’t already. Answer the questions around an ideal brand and I will see you next week when we will dive into the common pitfalls of an executive brand.
Schedule a 30-minute Executive Brand Assessment with the team HERE!
Be Legendary!