mikelally.net

Continuing the review of the July 2007 HBR article: Building A Leadership Brand. In my last post, I listed the  Five Principles that go into a LB. Let’s get into a little more detail.

Nail the Prerequisites of Leadership. The authors refer to what they call “The Leadership Code” which consists of four elements: strategy, execution, managing talent in the 21st century; and demonstrable personal proficiency (the ability to learn, act with integrity, exercise social and emotional intelligence, make tough decisions and develop trust).

Connect Your Executives’ Abilities To The Reputation You’re Trying to Establish. The authors recommend developing a leadership mission statement. Connect what the firm wants to be known for by the 20% of customers who represent 80% of the value.

Assess Leaders Against the Statement of LB. Assess your leaders from your CUSTOMERS’ point of view and less by what the manager PRODUCES. (Let that sink in for a moment.)

Let the Customers and Investors do the Teaching. This is pretty radical as well. I love it. If your best customers and top investors could  sit in on your training, how many heart attacks would they have.  Would they see you going through the motions and checking the same boxes that everyone else is checking?

Track the Long-Term Success of Your Leadership Brand Efforts. Companies with strong LBs don’t get rocked when there are changes in management. The replace the manager with another person that is just as good as the last.

What are you doing to build a leadership brand inside your company today?