I believe that every person who reads this blog should have an extraordinary leadership brand! Today, I share key questions to consider about your personal leadership brand. This topic has come up at every professional conference I attended this year, all six of them. I can’t wait to share what I’ve learned.

In the past, corporate brands where very important to the organization’s success and prosperity. I have worked with many of the world’s most successful brands. Successful brands that helped organizations become household names.

Because of the strength of their brands, many organizations have become incredibly successful and valuable. Many times more valuable than their competitors.

I asked these leaders what it takes to establish credibility in growing global markets. When talking with founders of many growing technology organizations, I often get push back from them saying its more about the quality of their product or service. Outstanding products and services drive the market, not their brands, or how they deal with their clients.

I’ve asked many of these leaders how people will discover their extraordinary services or products? What have I learned from my discussions?  I’ve discovered many of these leaders are working out of a very old marketing or sales playbook. One from the early 2000s. They seem to be ignoring how their customers and clients prefer to buy today!

On the other end of the spectrum are people who believe everything has changed and they are not certain what it will take to be successful in the new global economy. These leaders say they’ll wait and see what the change means before they make any moves.  They are more reactive than proactive. I believe they will be waiting a very long time. I believe the change we’ve been through is irreversible. Global competition is here to stay.

As an insurance policy, I believe you need to have a strong leadership brand. This helps you find the best career opportunities both inside and outside your organization. It provides you with a strong foundation for personal and professional growth.

Here are a list of questions to help you get started on your way to understanding your own leadership brand.  These questions help you to better understand what your leadership brand is today. They help you understand what it might means to your career today and quality of opportunities in the future.  Let’s get started!

Does your personal leadership brand address people’s hopes and fears? Does it answer the questions people have before working with you?

What emotions does your brand bring out of the people you know and work with? What do collaborators say about you when you aren’t around?

Is you leadership brand about the past, present, or future? How does your leadership brand position you for future growth and expanding opportunities?

Is your leadership brand based on trends and new emerging ideas? How consistent is your message with who you are? Are you aware of the message people get when they interact with you?

Does your leadership brand attract new people to you on a regular basis? When was the last time you received an award or praise from someone outside your organization?

How well does your leadership brand represent the unique capabilities and strengths you possess? How critical are these capabilities in the future workplace?

Is your leadership brand congruent with who you are today? How is your leadership brand evolving to match the direction of your career? Does your leadership brand inspire you to take on new challenges and opportunities? Does it inspire confidence in your coworkers and leaders around you?

Does your leadership brand have an element of giving back to your workplace or communities? What would other people in your organization say about what you value and why? Is this consistent with who you want to become?

Now that we’ve got you thinking, we will see you on Thursday this week at our sister blog Market Leadership Journal to talk about the impact of your answers on your career and life. See you Thursday.