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Branding Bytes Archives

Issue 35:
Thoughts On Using Social Media

Issue 34:
Reigning in Public-Private Partnerships

Issue 33:
Seven Ways to Avoid Toxicity In the Workplace

Issue 32:
A Few Bad Apples Bruise the Brand

Issue 31:
Branding Beyond the Logo

Issue 30:
The Yin and Yang of Celebrity Leadership

Issue 29:
Want to Raise More Funds? SPEAK UP!

Issue 28:
Government Funding Cuts: Act!

Issue 27:
"We Are Sorry":
Your Brand is Your Behavior

Issue 26:
Tell Your Story

Issue 25:
Good Leaders

Issue 24:
Think "People,"
Not "Organization"

Issue 23:
What's in a Name?
Just about Everything!

Issue 22:
Is Your Mission
Getting Creepy?

Issue 21:
Welcome to the Age
of the New Normal

Issue 20:
"Receptionist" vs Director of First Brand Impressions

Issue 19:
It's Not About How Your Message is Delivered

Issue 18:
When it Comes to Your Brand, Details Matter

Issue 17:
A Good Brand Requires TLC: Just Ask My Wife!

Issue 16:
Toxic-Work-Environment Syndrome Can Tarnish Your Brand

Issue 15:
Adjusting to the
New Face of Need

Issue 14:
Tired of all the Doom and Gloom? This is Your Time!

Issue 13:
A New Year's Resolution: Don't Cut Off Your Nose

Issue 12:
What You Do Is
About All of Us

Issue 11:
Ethical Standards
and Your Organization

Issue 10:
Leadership: Whose Journey is it, Anyway?

Issue 9:
Giving Circles
and Branding

Issue 8:
The World's Richest Men
— and Philanthropy

Issue 7:
What is an External
Brand Audit?

Issue 6:
Keeping Everyone
on Brand Message

Issue 5:
What is an Internal
Brand Audit?

Issue 4:
Turn Board Members into Better Brand Ambassadors

Issue 3:
Leadership, Vision
— and Branding

Issue 2:
What's 1st—Organization or Brand? / Govt. Cuts?—Branding Helps

Issue 1:
Branding Myths

Issue 3, Summer 2006

Leadership, Vision — and Branding

Q. What do leadership and vision have to do with branding?

A. Everything! Some of you may be familiar with well-known author Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces, in which Campbell describes a journey every hero makes, dating back to Greek mythology and beyond. Many modern-day leadership and self-help programs are modeled after Campbell's description of this journey. These programs primarily attract individuals seeking to improve their leadership skills by creating a hero's journey for themselves.

I strongly believe, however, that an individual's ultimate leadership abilities do not depend solely on whether he or she can map out their own hero's journey, but whether prospective leaders can successfully map out a similar journey for those they seek to lead.

How does this relate to branding?

One example: A disgruntled employee can turn into a branding nightmare; worse yet is a disgruntled workforce. While the organization may be working to create a positive brand image, unhappy employees, instead of acting as good brand ambassadors, often take every opportunity to speak ill of the organization and its leadership. The result: erosion of brand credibility.

I'm convinced that good leaders (including managers) can minimize disgruntledness in the workplace by instilling employees with a sense of mission, namely charting for them a hero's journey rather than just giving them a job.

Everyone from board members to staff and volunteers who are made to feel that they are playing a valued role — regardless of how large or small — in achieving the organization's mission, tend to embody and embrace a brand value that is priceless. And only good leaders with vision can instill that sense of empowerment and pride of mission — or hero's journey — in those they seek to lead.

As always, I look forward to receiving your feedback, questions, success stories and branding challenges. Also, if you are in need of a motivational speaker, trainer, branding consultant/coach, or management consultant who can help you answer the questions: Who are we? What do we do? How do we do it? And should anyone care? I invite you to for more information.

In the meantime, good luck with your branding! — Larry

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