Tag: achieve

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Leadership branding

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” – Warren Buffett

How do you want people to remember you?

This question will be one of the many questions I asked in the leadership workshop. The moment someone mentioned your name, what will be the first few traits or identity that come into their minds? More positive or not so positive?

I believe that building your own leadership branding will take time and it’s a journey to be consistent and maintain a great brand. It also serves as a good reminder for us to ensure we are practicing what we are preaching. It all boils down to integrity.

“You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.” – Henry Ford

Yes, another profound statement by Sir Henry Ford, intention alone may not be enough, we need to put into action should we choose to build our leadership brand.

The key areas to a great leadership branding, based on numerous interactions with leaders from around the region are as listed below;

Self-Leadership, leading others, emotional quotient, communication with others (the manner), how we make people feel after they have interacted with us…

One of the videos I have watched (introduced by one of the MNC leaders) mentioned the following process…

Character —> process —> results

Based on the process, the gain results and to sustain is to focus on the process. Once we get the process right (mastery and habits), the results will come automatically. Thus, to build our leadership branding, we need to work on how we are being, doing and getting it…

Our reputation and how we carry ourself when dealing with people (best is to stay true to ourselves), to strife by living your own brand (be comfortable in your own skin) and build good mindshare of others on you, and that is how I believe we can practice our differentiation (any how, we are unique).

How can we then work on building our leadership branding? We can make use of Deming’s PDCA model…

Plan, do, check, act

Plan; to me it means plan your own strategy and goals on your leadership branding.

Do; action and execution of your strategy and goals…

Check; what is the outcome from your action? How do you feel and what is the learning?

Act; fine-tune on the outcome and learning. It’s all in the details… a little bit goes a long way… the back to planning – setting your sight on your own improved version. Bigger and better… continuous improvement; Kaizen!

Recently while working on this leadership branding topic for my blog… I came across an article from Harvard Business Review;

The title of the article is as follows;

Define Your Personal Leadership Brand in Five Steps by Norm Smallwood

After reading it, I have picked up some good points that I would like to share with you… also my answers as example ?

1. What results do you want to achieve in the next year?

In the next 12 months, what would you like to see and experience with…

clients and partners;

My answer: Value in new approach, new topics, improved delivery

Own organisation;

My answer: Additional clients, new products, certification, partners

Community;

My answer: Serving with more CSR, charity,

Inspiring and developing leaders to reach their highest potential for God.

2. What do you wish to be known for?

Willingness to share, genuine and reliable

Innovative, ethical, fast and accurate

3. Define your identity

Dynamic, Integrity, Ownership, Nurturing

4. Construct your leadership brand statement, then test it.

“I want to be known for being ______________ so that I can deliver __________.”

I want to be known for being generous, ethical, dynamic, accountable so that I can deliver value to people that I served for the best memories of my life.

• Is this the brand identity that best represents who I am and what I can do?

• Is this brand identity something that creates value in the eyes of my organization and key stakeholders?

• What risks am I taking by exhibiting this brand? Can I live this brand?

5. Make your brand identity real

Being true to myself. Living my own legacy. Designing my own life as my leadership branding.

And my final thoughts,

Consistency is key.

“Your habits, your future!”

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What do you want to achieve in 2019?

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”  ~ Oprah Winfrey

The year is coming to an end. Have you set for what you want to achieve next year and the years to come?

There are a lot of books written on goal setting and the importance of it (also there are some who do not really agree to goal setting… just go with the flow and come what may sort of concept).

Anyway, in my humble opinion, it is a good habit to set goals for yourself. Goals are like check points and light beacons guiding us; whether we are nearer to achieving the results that we want or getting further away, hence, we will need to do something to get back on track. 

If you cannot think of any goals to set, how about issues that you would like to solve? In a way, they are like something you would like to move towards to (solving the issues).

Imagine driving on the road and looking at the milestones / signboards showing the distance to go in reaching our destination (or check points)… normally, one will be more excited when the destination is getting nearer. The same feeling when we are about to reach / achieve the results of our goals.

Image result for new year's resolutions memes

I have compiled some good questions to help in preparing ourselves in goal setting; the questions are as below:

1) Why am I here? 

What is my purpose? What is meaningful for me? What moves me? What is my passion? What I do I really care about? What need can I serve?

Note: A good book to read will be “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek 

2) Where have I been?
 

What does my past outcome indicate? What past experience have I got? What can I learn from my past? 

3) Where am I now?
 

What kind of person am I? What abilities do I possess? What am I good at? What are my strengths and weaknesses? What do I love doing? What motivates me?

4) Where do I want to get to?

What kind of person do I want to become? What is my personal brand? What abilities do I want to develop? What learning goals shall I set? What are the organizational goals in which I can make a difference? Which knowledge and skills areas do I need to focus on to deliver both my personal objectives and benefits for my organization? What is my conscience directing me towards?

5) How shall I get there?
 

What learning and development actions do I need to undertake? What resources will I need to have? How shall I overcome obstacles to my learning?

6) How will I know if I have made it?
 

What is the measurable outcome? How do I measure achievement of goals? Is it money? Is it promotion? Is it another measure of success?

7) What’s stopping me?
 

What’s holding me back from doing what I want to do?

8) Who can help / support me?
Who can teach me? From whom can I learn? Who can be my accountability partner?


After going through the questions, the next best thing to do is to come up with your own written plan… or be more creative and come up with a mind map of the goals you want to achieve… some of the recommended areas are as below:

– Spiritual
– Family
– Health
– Personal
– Financial
– Community
– Career / Business
– Friends
– Environment

The moment you have decided on what you want, everything gets clearer. When you put them into action, you will get the results and be motivated, thus realizing your potential to achieve even more.

“Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed.” ~ Cavett Robert

“Your habits, your future!”