Leadership and branding are hot subjects. Leadership development programs are quite popular. There are several conferences and seminars on the topic of branding. Leadership development and brand development consume a whole lot of resources of businesses.
Leadership means different things to different people. It means ability to inspire. Leadership is charisma, courage, and even sacrifice. Leadership requires vision. Leadership is mentioned in rarefied atmosphere of CEO conferences, business schools, HR meets, and strategy meets. There appears to be an unstated and unanimous agreement that leadership is too important, too-sweeping-in-its-scope, too-good-to-be-described, and therefore too-complex-to-be-systematically-deployed concept. Everyone is convinced that such indescribable leadership must be good for just about any organization.
Branding too captures imagination of men and women. For some CEO's it really is a reverential bowing item to be ticked off the agenda. For CFO s it really is a black hole of cash. Sales people think it is a watering hole for unsuccessful ex-salesmen. For M & A specialists it really is a valuation game. It's a playground of creativity for advertising agencies. It's PR first for PR agencies. For many, branding means eye catching, entertaining, beautiful visual and audio communications or smart copy. Everyone knows branding and everyone has definite opinions about it.
The answer could possibly be found in people, since leadership and brands exist in minds of people. Brands provide neat and crisp symbols denoting product performance levels, shared experiences, dreams, aspiration and expectations of actual and potential users.
That will deny that leadership too deals with shared dreams, aspirations, and expectations of all stake holders -customers, employees, vendors as well as others? Like brands, leaders are seen as icons. Similarly, leadership without its own constituency is unthinkable. Leaders build constituencies through shared knowledge of goals and ways to achieve them.
How do communities come into existence? A unique feature, a benefit, some newness, or drama sets people talking. When folks talk, once they integrate products within their lives, when they constantly share their experiences, problems, or solutions communities are formed. Communities may also be built around new categories of products. People love to talk. They have to share things. It really is for a business to generate or articulate such uniqueness, to express it evocatively, and to nudge and support its customers into sharing it. Can this be produced by marketing department alone? Can this happen by bombarding customers with ads, direct mail, or price promotions? Can this happen without a strong leadership? The answer is no. Brands may appear to come into existence through some accidents. But is takes sustained and consistent philanthropic efforts (just click for source) to bring about branding.
Just as brands raise the bar of customer expectations, leaders broaden horizons of their people. They inspire people to outdo themselves. Leadership means moving way from authority to respect, and from respect to inspiration.
Leaders must have vision, mission, and agenda for their constituencies. They may be being constantly observed, emulated, or criticized. They have to make statement all of the time. Successful leaders know this intuitively and develop distinctive styles of their own.
Some CEO's become great leaders with virtually no formal training. But that does not reduce significance of training and learning. Just about everyone can improve leadership skills through systematic efforts. Learning Leadership requires sustained efforts. Leadership coaching can assist in accelerating leadership development.
Leadership means different things to different people. It means ability to inspire. Leadership is charisma, courage, and even sacrifice. Leadership requires vision. Leadership is mentioned in rarefied atmosphere of CEO conferences, business schools, HR meets, and strategy meets. There appears to be an unstated and unanimous agreement that leadership is too important, too-sweeping-in-its-scope, too-good-to-be-described, and therefore too-complex-to-be-systematically-deployed concept. Everyone is convinced that such indescribable leadership must be good for just about any organization.
Branding too captures imagination of men and women. For some CEO's it really is a reverential bowing item to be ticked off the agenda. For CFO s it really is a black hole of cash. Sales people think it is a watering hole for unsuccessful ex-salesmen. For M & A specialists it really is a valuation game. It's a playground of creativity for advertising agencies. It's PR first for PR agencies. For many, branding means eye catching, entertaining, beautiful visual and audio communications or smart copy. Everyone knows branding and everyone has definite opinions about it.The answer could possibly be found in people, since leadership and brands exist in minds of people. Brands provide neat and crisp symbols denoting product performance levels, shared experiences, dreams, aspiration and expectations of actual and potential users.
That will deny that leadership too deals with shared dreams, aspirations, and expectations of all stake holders -customers, employees, vendors as well as others? Like brands, leaders are seen as icons. Similarly, leadership without its own constituency is unthinkable. Leaders build constituencies through shared knowledge of goals and ways to achieve them.
How do communities come into existence? A unique feature, a benefit, some newness, or drama sets people talking. When folks talk, once they integrate products within their lives, when they constantly share their experiences, problems, or solutions communities are formed. Communities may also be built around new categories of products. People love to talk. They have to share things. It really is for a business to generate or articulate such uniqueness, to express it evocatively, and to nudge and support its customers into sharing it. Can this be produced by marketing department alone? Can this happen by bombarding customers with ads, direct mail, or price promotions? Can this happen without a strong leadership? The answer is no. Brands may appear to come into existence through some accidents. But is takes sustained and consistent philanthropic efforts (just click for source) to bring about branding.
Just as brands raise the bar of customer expectations, leaders broaden horizons of their people. They inspire people to outdo themselves. Leadership means moving way from authority to respect, and from respect to inspiration.
Leaders must have vision, mission, and agenda for their constituencies. They may be being constantly observed, emulated, or criticized. They have to make statement all of the time. Successful leaders know this intuitively and develop distinctive styles of their own.
Some CEO's become great leaders with virtually no formal training. But that does not reduce significance of training and learning. Just about everyone can improve leadership skills through systematic efforts. Learning Leadership requires sustained efforts. Leadership coaching can assist in accelerating leadership development.