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More Than Logo; Understanding And Translating Your Brand

25/03/2013 — Leave a comment

Don’t mistake logo for brand. Your logo is not your brand. It is only a part of your brand. It is a representation of who you are. More like the hairstyle you wear that sets you apart from other people.

It is your dress style and your walk that your friends use to spot you from a distance. Because your logo represents you, you must give a great deal of attention to it.

But the attention you give to that representation must not overtake the action that is supposed to reinforce.

You can have a great logo with a bad brand and a bad logo with a great brand.

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your brand is more than just one thing; it is a collection of everything you are and do

|| image by Cordey | cc

 

A great logo will not save your reputation from bad service. A great logo can become a symbol of all things bad no matter how good it is, if the service that backs it fails to meet the needs and expectations of those you serve.

Your brand is the totality of who you are. It is the heart with which you do what you do. It is (what should be) the unique flair with which you make the world a better place.

It is how you live out who you are and who you say you are. Your brand is the experience you create for those you serve as you make your products or services available to them.

Your brand is integrity or the lack of it. It is giving value in a memorable and client considerate service. Or not.

Your brand is an integration of all the systems in your organization. It is how your team serves each other as they work toward delivering to those you serve.

It is not just how you treat your clients; it is also how you treat each other. It is how you interact with your suppliers.

Your brand is reflected in how your team feels in delivering to your target market.

Your team and suppliers must have the same experience you aim to deliver to your clients. That is the essence of brand integrity.

When you think about your brand, do not just thing about how you are perceived by the clients loyal to you. Do not think about how the world sees you but consider the totalities of the experience you give all round.

Who is your “brand self”?

In Ideas, Leadership, Productivity, Social Media, Vision , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Leadership And The “R” Word

25/01/2013 — 6 Comments

From my 13th right up to my 21st birthday there was one word that my dad always repeated. I hated the “speeches” but they were true. They were not only true in one area of life but applies across the board. One word that my dad always repeated and spoke about was… #drum roll#: RESPONSIBILITY. That “R” word. Now I understand his lessons much much better…

Leadership not only points direction but also gives character to an enterprise. Leadership may seem ‘over-glorified’ or ‘over-blamed’ depending on the context. Either way, it is the cost of leadership. There can be no leadership without responsibility. Leadership has responsibility in guarding the best interests of the cause and making vision a reality.

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there can be no leadership without responsibility || image by cstreet360 | cc

The flip side of the coin, when it comes to responsibility, is that leaders must own the failure of their enterprise and or the entities within it, as their own. Leaders that cannot take responsibility for the failure of those they lead do not deserve to be leaders. Pointing fingers at those you lead as reasons for the failure of your enterprise is an acknowledgement of your failure to lead.

There can be no leadership without responsibility [Tweet this]

If you take credit for success, you must take credit for failure as well. No responsible leader can disassociate herself with the failure of their enterprise. You are responsible. Leader, the reason you get blamed is simple: you are the leader. Failure to take responsibility is synonymous with immaturity.

Immature and insecure leaders can never take responsibility for their failures and the subsequent failures of their enterprises. Show me a leader that takes responsibility for his enterprise’s failure to meet the needs of those it serves and I’ll show you a mature leader. Immature leaders somehow feel they need to be infallible. Insecure leaders will always push the blame to other people or systems. Systems, which, by the way, they are supposed to be overseeing. And yes, Responsible for.

Responsibility also means you make right where you, as a leader have gone wrong [Tweet this]

It means making right what you enterprise has missed out on. Responsibility is more that acknowledging shortcomings as an enterprise or leadership, it is about taking action to make right. Apologies are only the first step when we mess up as leaders. The next and most necessary step is ensuring we have made right where we need to.

Think about this: the greater the leader the greater the responsibility. You cannot separate leadership from responsibility and responsibility from leadership. If you’re serving in a leadership role, I challenge you, together with me, evaluate how truly responsible you are. If you feel ready for greater responsibility in your leadership, ask yourself if you are ready for increased responsibility.

In Leadership, Life, Self Leadership, Teamwork, Vision , , , , , ,
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What To Consider When You Appoint Caretaker / Interim Leadership

21/01/2013 — Leave a comment

I wrote a post, “Why You Should Never Appoint Caretaker / Interim Leaders” that explored some reasons why caretaker or interim leaders may not be a great for the long-term of your enterprise. However, Michael made a valid point in commenting, that sometimes leadership finds itself with its back against the wall. Thus in instances that interim leaders have to be appointed, these are some of the things you must take into account:

What To Consider When You Appoint Caretaker / Interim Leadership

appointing caretaker leadership must be done as a last option; be weary about doing so || image withassociates || cc

Time

 

Be very clear about how long the interim / caretaker leadership will be in place. Not having a precise time frame can cause your team to be unsure about actions they need to take.

Temporary solutions can extend into the long-term if a time frame isn’t in place from their inception [Tweet this]

Do they have the freedom to do certain things in the absence of a more permanent leader? Without clear boundaries functions that depend on the particular leadership may take a knock. You sow seeds of apathy when a clear time frame is not in place.

Authority

Acting [insert title here] is prone to act without addressing core issues if the appointed leadership does not see their presence having a long-term impact. Thus, you must give your caretaker leadership full authority to enable them to fulfill the function of their (temporary) role.

This is important especially when the interim leaders need authority of their predecessor to address challenges. In some instances interim leaders may not have authority to fire people from a team when that is necessary for advancing. This can make the caretaker leaders nurses to problems that can be fixed.

System

Everything in your enterprise is connected. Make sure that you, and the rest of your enterprise understand the implications of the caretaker leadership in relation to the impact on all other functions.

When you appoint caretaker leadership ensure that you are not treating their function in isolation [Tweet this]

As a leader, you must always keep the big picture in sight; yet realize the importance of each function that completes the picture. The temporary ‘patch’ may cause a lot more dominoes if not handled and viewed in context of the enterprise at large.

Bonus

I highly recommend you also read (if you haven’t done so already):

What what you add? I really would love your to hear your thoughts…

 

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In Leadership, Productivity, Teamwork, Vision , , , , ,
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How Different; Really?

10/12/2012 — 2 Comments

There is an inherent desire in us to be distinct, to stand out. There’s something ‘uncool’ about being a copy of another. Something interesting, though, is that we sometimes feel we’re different from our competition or those around us because we are doing something new and unique that someone else or another enterprise is already doing. It’s like teenagers trying to stand out yet looking exactly like their peers.

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being different for the sake of it does not guarantee impact || image by JP<3! | cc

Some questions worth exploring:

Why

Sometimes the reason enterprises do something is what separates them. For instance, two enterprises might manufacture the same product for different reasons; one to support the underprivileged and the other to make as much as they can for themselves. The products may essentially be the same but the motives not. Does this really make them different? Does this give a competitive advantage to the other?

How

Because of diverse opinions and approaches, the same end may be pursued by different means. Means have different by-products. Means matter; they determine “residue” on the way to results. Some means are destructive and others add value on the way to the ultimate goal.

When

 

“When” something is done can be a matter of motives. When can determine the difference it makes. Timing makes a difference. For instance, it is more pertinent and makes a greater difference to offer a helping hand when it is necessary. When all the work is done, it is no longer relevant.

The Bottom Line

 

“Being different” per se, is not enough as a goal. The ultimate goal of “being different” must be the reason for being different. Choose your own “different” but not for the sake of it. Does your “different” matter? Some things may matter to you but what ultimate difference do they make to the outside world? What impact does your enterprise make as a result of being or seeing itself as “different”. What impact do your different values make beyond the internal environment of your enterprise? Being different as a value does not matter if it is only upheld internally and does not make a difference in meeting need outside of your team’s context.

Every enterprise and leader must answer this question:

How different are we and, what difference does our being “different” really make?

 

 

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In Church, Ideas, Leadership, Life, Ministry, Passion, Productivity, Self Leadership, Teamwork, Vision , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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What Does It Mean?

26/11/2012 — 2 Comments

We’re consuming more information than we ever did. Largely due to the fact that it is getting easier and easier to create and share. Information is increasingly more accessible. Successful leaders know information is important. The challenge, however, is identifying which information is relevant. Perhaps more than that, which information is important now? Which information will be relevant tomorrow? How can leaders be effective in identifying what information is relevant?

what does it mean What Does It Mean?

an inquiring mind is prerequisite for great and successful leadership || image by JD Hancock | cc

Knowing what information is pertinent is one of the things that will give organizations the edge over rivals. However, knowing is only the first step. Knowing the pertinent information must be followed by its appreciation. That is, for leaders to be successful, they must allow the information to speak for itself. Manipulating information or facts does not change their truth. Ignoring it does not empower, it impairs, and ultimately destroys an enterprise.

Fight the temptation to manipulate information to say what you want it to say.

Beyond identifying relevant information and what it says, you must inquire on what it means. The implications of information can be determined if the right information is being queried and it is not tainted or manipulated to preference. Dialogue in teams is important. Exploring the different possibilities of the implication of information is best done with many minds and outlooks. Reflection is key for every successful leader. They must constantly look at information to them and ask, “What does it mean?”

The value of information is in the appreciation and understanding of the implications thereof.

Inquiring minds will unlock secrets borne by information. Some of the implications of information will glare at you and others must be prodded out.

Information is only as good as your understanding of it and its implication. It’s not what you know it’s how it matters… It does not matter how much you know. What matters most is how you use what you know. It does not matter that you know until you know what what you know demands. The demands of what you know do not matter much until you act on what it all means. Only then can it make a difference.

Now that you have this information, what are you going to do with it? What does it mean for you and your enterprise?

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In Ideas, Leadership, Life, Ministry, Productivity, Self Leadership, Teamwork, Vision , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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