Leadership Brand

Whether you are a first time leader or an experienced one, there is a tendency to want to do it right. Books, seminars, podcasts and presenters want you to believe that there is a right way to lead. There is not. There is a wrong way to lead (lie, cheat and steal), but ​after that, the field is wide open.

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I have a vivid memory of a first sergeant I worked with as a brand new second lieutenant. We were responsible for training new soldiers as light wheeled vehicle mechanics and while the company commander was in charge, the first sergeant ran the show. 

First Sergeant Lovett wasn't what you would call a "collaborative" guy. What he said went and if any of the drill sergeants, non-commissioned officers, or soldiers wanted to challenge, he would simulate shaking a dice cup, look at the rank insignia on his collar and ask, "I have three up, three down and a diamond - can you beat that?"  They could not so off they went with 1SG Lovett smiling in the background.

What worked for him would not work for me and what works for me will not work for you. No two leaders lead in quite the same way. ​The way you lead is your leadership style or your leadership brand. Your brand is not created overnight; it evolves over time.

You probably already have a leadership brand. Do you have the right one?​ David Ulrich and Norm Smallwood pose this question in their Harvard Business Review blog post, Define Your Personal Leadership Brand in Five Steps. The first two steps in defining your brand begins with answering these two questions: 

• What results do you want to achieve in the next year?​
• What do you wish to be known for?​

There isn't a RIGHT answer to either of these questions. It is right, for those of you who need to know right and wrong, if it best represents who you are and what you have to offer.

​As Lisa Handeberg wrote, "no brand is all that we are . . . but our brand is what precedes us in the room and the lasting impressing we leave and it affects how we do many things."

Do you know what your leadership brand is? ​

People are unique. Leadership experiences are too. You are responsible for yours.

HR Competencies: The Golden Ticket for Business Success

When I was asked if I was interested in reviewing the latest in HR competency research, I said yes, and a complimentary copy of HR From the Outside In: Six Competencies for the Future of HR by David Ulrich, Jon Younger, Wayne Brockbank and Mike Ulrich was soon delivered to my doorstep.

I have to admit, when I first heard the title, my mind flashed to the scene in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory where the winners of the golden tickets were inside of the gate of the Wonka factory and everyone else on the outside wishing the were in. In my mind flash, HR professionals were not the golden ticket winners.

With this picture in my mind, I cracked the cover and began to read with an eye towards self development, staff development, a personal interest in a discussion on leadership and credibility... and getting HR inside the gate to the factory.

The authors delivered.

Rich in research and context, the discussions of each of the six competencies offer insight, explanation and real world examples I could relate to. The six competencies are:

• Strategic Positioner
• Credible Activist
• Capability Builder
• Change Champion
• HR Innovator and Integrator
• Technology Proponent

A few points that caught my attention as I moved through 250+ pages of "what HR professionals need to know and do" are:

• "The domain in which HR tends to be the weakest is in understanding and applying technology to build HR efficiency, to leverage social networking, and to manage the flow of strategic information."
• "The factors that have the greatest impact on business success are, in order of importance, connecting people through technology; aligning strategy, culture, practices and behavior; and sustaining change."

Did you know that the quality of the HR department is about 4x as important as the quality of HR professionals in predicting business performance? There is even a guide to assist you in developing an effective HR department.

It's a pretty good guide, but here's the deal with guides. They are just guides. And as easy and tempting as it would be for any HR professional to fall into line and follow the guide, this not what the profession needs.

Read the book but don't read it as a how-to manual. Read it is a guide or a foundation to develop an extraordinary HR organization of competent HR professionals who advance the goals of the business. The HR profession needs less, "If I do ABC, I will be XYZ" and more personal accountability for getting the job done, for delivering results and for providing leadership organizations need.

It all circles back to the competent HR professional. It all circles back to you. So, now that you have the golden ticket, what are you going to do with it?

Photo credit: David Airey

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.