Put your personal stamp on the qualities that set you apart

Culture, community and employee engagement put an indelible stamp on your leadership brand.

The end product is the offshoot of brand marketing, brand storytelling, social media, public relations, leadership and customer experience.

That pretty much sums up Debbie Laskey. She works with all of that, embracing those skills as her passion and expertise.

During a #LeadLoudly Twitter chat, Laskey talked with executive business coach Nathalie Gregg about how to curate leadership talents and enhance your personal brand in the process.

Grasp Success with the Mind of the Leader
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Laskey cited a quote from author and speaker Mark Herbert: “Leadership doesn’t require you to be the smartest person in the room. It requires you to block and tackle for others.”

Good leaders are especially in demand as companies turn to building robust employee engagement programs to survive what has been called The Great Resignation.

Surveys find that employees quit due to work conditions as opposed to wages.

“Organizations are realizing that happy employees are successful employees, especially if they work from home,” Laskey said. “Thus, the need for employee engagement programs.

“How many organizations have employee engagement programs from job applicant to onboarding to regular check-ins?” she asked.

Power From the People

Practically too late, employers have come to obvious conclusions.

“Companies are now starting to realize that the power of the company exists within their people,” Gregg said. “It is their teams that are driving the results that lead to revenue and growth.”

One of the biggest boosts to leadership presence is being consistent.

“Consistency should mean that leaders treat all employees equally,” Laskey said. “This means all are rewarded and criticized equally.

“Keep in mind that criticism can also mean offering ideas for improvement,” she said.

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Gregg added that leaders you can count on are an invaluable resource.

An overlooked resource is LinkedIn, which can help grow brands and increase opportunities for collaborations.

“LinkedIn is a great tool to create and promote our personal brands — showcasing our strengths,” Laskey said. “We can also find others with our same skills or those who need those areas of expertise.

“We should always send personalized messages through LinkedIn,” she said. “How often do those pesky generic invites arrive?”

According to Gregg, creating content and engaging with others fosters strategic collaborations on LinkedIn.

Align and Be Happy

In many ways, personal branding is the new corporate culture.

“Personal branding allows employees to feel more aligned,” Laskey said. “With an aligned mission, the culture results in happier and more successful employees.

“Knowing that, it seems like Twitter and Instagram may actually work quicker for personal branding success,” she said.

Whatever the means individually, the emphasis has to be on the workers.

“This is why excellent leaders and quality employer brands stand out,” Laskey said. “They support the process of personal branding for their employees.”

Thought Leaders Know How to Fly to the Top Perch
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As Gregg reiterated, “A team in alignment is unstoppable.”

Great leaders have to be open-minded, which gives them opportunities for change and growth.

Laskey drew from a quote by Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook: “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.”

To that Gregg added, “A leader fosters a growth mindset by being open to change and engaging others in the process.”

A leadership brand benefits by communicating your values.

“When employees understand why a leader does things, they will gain a better understanding of an organization’s mission,” Laskey said. “That results in success for the organization and a quality leadership brand.

“When all employees support the mission, leaders know they’ve done their job,” she said.

About The Author

Jim Katzaman is a manager at Largo Financial Services and worked in public affairs for the Air Force and federal government. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.