Your Leadership Brand

Like many people today, I have found myself reflecting on the type of leader that I want and need to be to guide friends, family, and clients through these uncertain times.

We are at a critical juncture in our country’s evolution. Many things we’ve taken for granted are broken or threatened; the way of life we’ve become accustomed to seems to be under siege. This is not a political statement but a reflection on the state of consciousness that now dominates our country and our world. We have become so polarized that many of us have forgotten how to listen. We are quick to generalize, quick to name-call and label, and quick to deflect responsibility away from ourselves and onto some generalized “other.” As a result of these trends, we waste a great deal of energy trying to convince ourselves that we are right and our opponents are wrong, rather than working as a collective to improve the lives of everyone.

In times like these, the virtue of courage is indispensable. We need the courage to be better informed on the real issues. We need the courage to listen deeply and to truly understand each other’s pain. We need the courage to stand up to anything and anyone that would do harm to our fellow human beings. Most of all, we need the courage to act with integrity, to use what voice and power we have, however small, to advocate for our beliefs–even as those with greater voice and greater power pressure us to fall in line.

This type of courage requires us to be crystal clear on our purpose and values. At Emergent, we call this “leadership brand,” and it refers to not only your style of leadership, but your commitment to your core principles. A strong leadership brand grounded in unshakeable values instills confidence, because it means people know what they can expect of you in any situation, regardless of whether it is convenient.

To determine the strength of your leadership brand, ask yourself this question: “Am I showing up in life the way I truly want to?” I recently became uncomfortable with my own answer. While I was proud of myself for expressing my opinions on controversial topics, I wasn’t always comfortable with how I was doing it. Periodically I lost patience with people who seemed unwilling to engage with a perspective different than their own. My frustration turned to self-righteousness, and before I knew it my rhetoric became just as dogmatic as theirs. While I believed in my opinions and my right to express them, something about the way I was engaging didn’t feel right. It was incoherent. The form of my arguments did not serve the content. I was not being true to myself or my leadership brand.

It doesn’t matter what you say or write about yourself, what matters is what you do. How you show up and treat people. Not just the people that agree with you, but every single person you engage with. Your leadership brand is made manifest in how you play your hand. You might be poised to win big or lose it all–such are the vicissitudes of fate–but no external circumstance should change who you are at your core. You must be intentional about who you want to be. Discover your essential purpose, or North Star, and create a set of values that will enable you to make conscious choices in all situations. I am realizing that my role is both to get and to give, and that it is not just about how I lead, but how I live.

I believe that everyone, and I mean everyone, is worthy of my respect. All people deserve an opportunity to realize their full potential. And the authenticity of my brand, as I’ve come to understand, demands, first, that I speak up and take positive actions whenever I see something happening that is not supportive of opportunity, growth, and fairness for all. But it also demands that I maintain an absolute and universal respect for my fellow humans, even those I disagree with. Even those who do not show respect to me.

It’s a high bar to clear. Living out one’s values is a lifelong challenge, and nobody, if graded, would receive perfect marks. But the feeling of integrity that follows a truly courageous action, the knowledge that action is aligned with purpose, and the positive impacts that follow from values-driven behavior are well worth the challenge.

Please join me in prioritizing reflection, courage, and integrity in your lives as leaders and as humans. If you’re interested in discovering your leadership brand, or want to recommit to intentional living, send me an email at ralph@getemergent.com. I’d be happy to help.