On this ask Katrina, the question is:
“Katrina, how do I create my executive brand?”
There’s a stepwise process to this and it’s not hard, but it is intentional. Meaning, you must be intentional in taking the proper steps.
The first step is to understand what your current brand is.
We tackled that a few weeks ago. So if you didn’t check out that video blog, go check it out to learn about your current brand.
The next thing that you want to decide is what you carry forward from your current brand into your executive brand and what you don’t.
What we must understand is that an executive brand and a management brand are different, because their functions are different.
Some of the actions that we do differently as an executive are things like focusing on strategy, long-term goals, and we focus on the vision that we have for the organization. We’re planning for activities and events 3-5 years down the road, versus as a manager, we focused on solving the problems in the current month and the current year; short-term problems.
At this point, we have covered 2 steps in the process of creating your executive brand. Did you catch them? Step 1 is to understand your current brand while step 2 is to understand how you need to pivot your current brand to fit the functions required in an executive seat.
What you must define are the key actions that you must do within your executive leadership, that, therefore are going to be part of your brand.
Let’s take just a second to dive Into this concept as this is one of the most critical steps in creating your executive brand.
Current Brand vs. Executive Brand
Do you understand what adds value to the organization at the executive level? Have you defined what the company wants from you in your role? How do you perform those functions? What’s your spin on it? What’s your personalized method of doing it? What are the things that only you can do with the gifts that you have?
How do you take the gifts that you were already using very effectively in the management role, pivot, and use them in the executive role to create your brand?
This is step number 3: taking the asks of the company and combining those required actions with your gifts, talents, and strengths.
Step 3 is personalization if you will. If you aren’t performing functions and taking action in a way that truly fits you, your personality, and the gifts you bring, then your brand won’t feel like your brand. That’s why this step is equally as important as step 2.
Are there sub-actions inside the 3 overarching steps?
Most definitely.
You can 100% do it! Simply take the time to apply each of the steps and give yourself time and space to identify the smaller actions within each step.
Whether you’re an executive or a soon-to-be executive, you must have an executive-level brand.
What’s your current brand? How do people see you? What are you known for?
What does the company value? What does the company expect from you?
Once you understand what the company wants from you and how they want it, how do you put your personal spin on it?
That’s how you create your executive brand.
If these 3 steps feel overwhelming or you feel like you’re not going to be able to create your brand without some clarity and guidance, you’re in the right place.
We have a program called The Executive Way that very specifically helps you with creating and then strengthening your high-performance executive brand.
Ready to learn more? Click here to schedule a call.