Jerry Morris at NextLevel Internet has been on a rapid growth curve this year.  Through developing his executives, building a high-powered team, and holding fierce, honest, and consistent meetings, he has built a reputation for himself and his company that is synonymous with his tagline “Expect more…we do.” 

Jerry knows that building the “leadership brand” of the firm is as important as building his company’s “value proposition” for his clients.  Companies that have strong leadership that is consistent with their brand, are strong on the balance sheet. 

Dave Ulrich, Professor of Business Administration, at the University of Michigan, makes the claim that successful companies have a strong “leadership brand.”  Leadership brand represents the identity and reputation of leaders throughout a company.  Ulrich explains that to develop a leadership brand, you must answer:

“What would clients want this firm to be known for?” and

“What do our leaders need to know, do and deliver to make that client identity happen?”

In Marcus Buckingham’s book, “The One Thing You Need to Know,” he says “Great Leaders rally people to a better future.”  If Buckingham and Ulrich were coaching you over a cup of coffee at Starbucks, they would ask, “in rallying your people to a better future, are all of your actions in integrity with your brand?”  If you survived that question, they would then ask, “what actions are you taking that are not in integrity with your brand?”

Tough question?  I think not.  In the day-to-day grind of creating and executing strategy, marketing, selling, and satisfying your clients, you are pulled in many directions.  Wouldn’t it be more effective to use Ulrich’s guide to determine whether your leadership actions are consistent with your brand?

Let us say your brand describes your company as “matching your needs with the highest quality deliverables available.”  (This happens to be the brand for “www.nextlevelinternet.com.)  As a leader, do you KNOW the highest quality work product that your employees can deliver, DO you partner and trust only those providers who are committed to excellence in their businesses, and do you DELIVER only the highest quality feedback to your executive team, your employees, and your clients?

Having worked with Jerry over the years, I know his leadership and his brand are synonymous, because his “partners” are the leading accountants, insurance providers, and engineering service providers in town.  He consistently provides his clients with consistent, quality leads.  He goes out of his way to hold his team accountable to getting the highest quality of education available, so that they can go out there and “be the brand.”

In order to be successful today, leadership is the value proposition that most customers and clients are looking for you to provide.  In order to create a “leadership brand” you must discover what you must KNOW, DO and DELIVER to be in integrity with your brand.

 Ulrich ends his article by stating:

“Leaders who declare a leadership brand must live and breathe them or they will create cynicism and lose credibility.  Leadership brand efficacy occurs when employees, customers, and investors believe and see that promises made at the top are promises that will be kept.”

As we approach April, ask yourselves individually, and as a team, are you being a leadership brand?  Are your actions rallying your company to a better future?  What do you need to know?  What must you do?  What are people counting on you to deliver?

The more you ask yourself these questions, and the more you provoke others in your company to answer these questions, the more opportunities you will have to achieve extraordinary results in your life and in your business.  Have a great April.