The title of the article makes it quite clear what we are going to talk about. Please note that we are going to talk about the leader's/manager's brand. But why does a leader/manager need a brand if he/she is already a leader? This is a perfectly reasonable question.
Firstly, it will set you apart from the masses of others in this segment, and secondly, it will constantly encourage you to work on yourself: to look for a point of differentiation, to engage in positioning, to remain a leader, to always be of value to society.
And now it's all about marketing.
The manager deals with two market segments: internal and external
Internal segment and sub-segments:
- Leader/manager's management or stakeholders (investors, business owners, managers of the leader)
- Equal managers in the hierarchy
- team (I propose to move away from the word "subordinates")
When working with the internal segment, a clear systematic approach is required, with some specifics in dealing with sub-segments:
Understand the needs: what stakeholders need in your person (bringing things to the end, uniting a number of teams, crisis management, achieving results, generating ideas), what peers in the hierarchy need (assistance in promoting the project, an umbrella brand when achieving the overall result of a number of teams), what the team needs (career growth, stable salary, fear of loneliness). The easiest way to understand the needs is to ask your target audience.
Develop an engagement strategy and find answers to important questions for the self-brand:
- formulate value in the form of a USP (Unique Selling Proposition) based on the needs of the target audience
- confirm the USP with daily activities, projects - adhere to the positioning in the chosen segment
- Choose a communication strategy: What to say? What to show? In what form? When? How often? What method of influence is acceptable? How to work with the team individually? How to work with the team as a whole?
- To open the "blue ocean" and move forward: What to read? Where to get ideas? What to be inspired by? What to apply in your work? What direction to set for the team?
- Do a regular benchmark analysis (comparing yourself with other similar leaders/managers both inside and outside the company in terms of all the above parameters), draw conclusions, and, if necessary, resort to rebranding, repositioning
External segment, or society
We start by developing a strategy and finding answers to "global" questions:
- Why you need a brand in the foreign market: Do you no longer want to send out CVs when looking for a job? Do you want fame outside the company? Do you want to take your career to the next level? Your option.
- Conduct market research (do it regularly): Who is the brand in your segment today? What is their success story? What is the value of the market? What target audiences does it work with? What is the communication strategy?
- Who is your target audience: Similar leaders/managers in neighbouring companies/businesses? Teams from neighbouring companies/businesses? The younger generation with whom you want to share practical knowledge? Investors or networking because you want to start your own project? Your option
- What is your value to the target audience? Formulate your USP (it is also can be your motto)
- Position yourself, or tell us why you are better than others
- Are you "a blue ocean"? If not, how can you become one?
- Think about your communication strategy: How will you combine what you do internally with what you want to tell the market? How will you interact with your target audience? Update your social media profile? Write articles? Speak at seminars/conferences? Conduct trainings? Write books? Publish in leading media outlets? Conduct consultations? Hold roundtables? Write a blog? Your idea.
- Do a regular benchmarking analysis. If necessary, resort to rebranding and repositioning.
Today, a self-brand is a must, and this truth is not even debatable. All that remains is to decide on the strategy, values, tactics of interaction with the target audience, as well as the internal readiness, discipline and sustainability of its manifestation.
P.S. Based on all of the above, a leader/manager has no time to do anything with his/her hands. And it's not his fault. He or she has a team of professionals for this purpose. Of course, there will be exceptions when a manager rolls up his sleeves. But these are the exceptions that will cause all of the above to come to a halt.
Source: AgroPortal
