Een laatste Tip van Sint: 'Leadership Brand'.

'Q: If you were asked to provide three key lessons you would like managers to take away from your book, what would they be, and why?'

'A Dave Ulrich & Norm Smallwood:

1. It is not enough to build on your strengths. We believe you should build on your strengths that strengthen others. In other words, have an outside/in view of who you are as a leader and what you need to deliver.
2. Leadership is more important than leaders. We can read a lot about my ability to lead through judgement, serving others, etc., but if I am not building the next generation of leaders, I am failing.
3. Define your organization’s firm brand (how your organization wants to be known by customers) and align your personal brand to it (how you want to be known by your customers).

Bron: Emerald for Managers, een interview dat zij hadden met Ulrich & Smallwood n.a.v. hun boek: Leadership Brand: Developing Customer-Focused Leaders to Drive Performance and Build Lasting Value.

Als je nu nog niet weet wat je die gewaardeerde partner, vrind, collega etc. vanavond geeft, dan is dit boek een aanrader. Een boek dat je Leadership Brand centraal stelt, & da's altijd handig in dit era van Personal Branding!

Het boek Leadership Brand: Developing Customer-Focused Leaders to Drive Performance and Build Lasting Value verscheen enkele maanden geleden en heeft al direct 'wat' losgemaakt. (nb: maar doen dat niet veel boeken die geredigeerd worden voor HR's No 1 Dave Ulrich?) Handig was ook dat Ulrich dit boek al direct introduceerde in the Harvard Business Review, zo'n podium voor je nieuwe boek kan zeker geen kwaad.

In het interview met Emerald for Managers geven Ulrich en Smallwood de voorgaande 3 (important) lessons, als die lessen je aanspreken dan is dat alleen al reden genoeg om het eens te lezen, dit boek.

In september verscheen op Entrepreneur.com een recensie van het boek. Een citaat daaruit:

"Most of the book is devoted to Ulrich and Smallwood's presentation of a six-step process for building leadership brand:

1. The case for building a leadership brand;

2. Creating a leadership brand statement;

3. Assessing leaders against the brand;

4. Investing in leadership brand;

5. Measuring return on leadership brand; and

6. Building awareness for leadership brand."

Handig in de recensie is dat deze verschillende stappen ook nog kort worden toegelicht. Maar wil je het écht toepassen, wil je je Personal Leadership écht Branden, dan is het boek handig.

Ulrich & Smallwood tot slot:

'Q: Can you define your concept of leadership brand to our readers?

'A: Brand is an idea most of us understand because brands affect many parts of our lives…the Olympics, the Golden Gate Bridge, and a national flag are brands in that they create an identity in the mind of those who experience the brand. In organizations, firm brands are important. Firms like Apple, Wal-Mart, Marriott, and Federal Express have worked to create a brand identity in the mind of their customers. This brand encourages customers to use and pay more for the firm’s products or services. Leadership brand exists when customer expectations are made real to employee actions through the leadership brand. So, a firm like Apple that wants to be known for innovation will have leaders throughout the firm focused on creativity and innovation, while a firm like Wal-Mart whose focus is price will have leaders disciplined in managing costs.'

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