Having just come back from a business leadership development centre, I have been mulling over the characteristic of resilience. I have been running several of these events over the past year, and every time am struck at the connection between personal resilience and the success of the leaders.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that the resilience we build in our personal lives will go a long way towards helping us be resilient in our professional ones, but how many leaders actually stop to think about it? And what is resilience?

It is of course, the ability to bounce back from bad times, disruptive change and perceived failure. Naturally, we all have set-backs and disappointments in life, but some of us get back on our feet much quicker than others, and it is said that great leadership really starts with the first encounter of misfortune. In our current climate, change seems the norm, and ‘picking ourselves up’ is needed quickly so we can lead others through the disruption – so what are the lessons we can learn from our ‘everyday’ knocks that will stand us in good stead as leaders?

These are the ones that struck me last week …

Firstly, be authentic. If we understand what our value set is and use that as out true north, we will make better decisions when faced with the ambiguity that comes with disruption. Understanding oneself gives courage to take risks or at the very least, to avoid being taken off course. With good self-knowledge we can look back on our survival techniques from last time and be more optimistic about our ability to cope in the new challenge that lies ahead, eschewing anything that does not align with our values and using the techniques to manage the change again.

Secondly, communicate effectively. When I ask leaders on my workshops what has helped them deal with times of change, invariably they will talk at some point about honest, clear communication. This is not a time for ‘pussyfooting’ around – people appreciate direct messages and leaders who communicate in this way from the heart, but without emotion will engage heads and hearts of those they need to lead. Even if there is nothing to say, saying that is more compelling than saying nothing at all.

Lastly, ask for help. In our personal lives, we don’t think twice about asking our friends, family or extended networks for support in times of trouble. Leaders however, often feel isolated. They have to get through this alone, or else they are lesser in in some way. Rubbish! The really successful leaders I have worked with who manage themselves and others through change well, invariably reach out to peers, colleagues, employees and professional networks to test ideas, gather information and get advice or support. It sometimes helps too, just to realise you are not alone nor are you the first to go through this type of challenging situation!

Heraclitus said ‘The only thing that is constant is change’ – so like it or not, we will continue to face it throughout our lives, personally and professionally. We need to use the lessons learned about ourselves along the way to build self-awareness and feed that back into being an even more consciously resilient, and successful leader.

It was with excitement and anticipation this morning that I awaited the announcement of the new Artistic Director of the National Theatre. What a job! The National Theatre is at the top of its game – much Apple, Google, and other major organisations in their own field.

So how DO you go about finding a worthy successor for someone who has been a strong leader that has upheld the value of British theatre while at the same time being innovative and motivational to the future generation. Nicholas Hytner will be a hard act to follow. As would any inspirational leader in a large, successful organisation.

In pondering over my cup of tea this morning, I decided that the new leader would have to demonstrate the following three things:

1. Common values – taking over a happy ship is tough.The new person needs to respect the status quo to enable stability while bringing in their own ideas.
2. An acknowledged track record – credibility is everything.The organisation needs to believe that the incoming leader can do the job required.
3. Have a vision – the creativity to do something different and generate excitement for the potential of the future.

I wrote them down on my desk jotter, and waited.

So ... Rufus Norris it is – and the Chairman of the National Theatre, said :

“In setting out to find a new Director for the National Theatre, the Board looked for

• an individual with a creative reputation that would command the respect and support of British theatre (acknowledged track record),
• and with the generosity of spirit that has characterised Nick Hytner’s period as Director (common values). Rufus Norris has both those qualities in abundance.
• He is an exciting choice, someone who will build on the National Theatre’s present reputation as one of the most admired and innovative performing arts organisations in the world (a vision).
  

We are fortunate that he has chosen to join us.”

Good advice for leadership succession planning for all of us – even if I did say so myself!

I have just been to see the film About Time. A typical Richard Curtis movie, on the surface a gentle romcom. But for those of you who have not seen it yet– it has a main theme of time travel where the hero gets to reinvent his future for the better.It got me thinking. What if we, as leaders, could go back and tweak our behaviour and actions to ensure the best result for our employees and colleagues? What would we choose to ‘play again’?

In imagination mode of course, I would say these would be among the top 5:

Getting the feedback right
Whether it is an absence of positive feedback or too much negative feedback – this seems to be one that many leaders just can’t get right. Some of them think it is their job to correct people and it is after all a natural human response when expectations are not met. However, the power of reinforcing behaviour as well as redirecting it is underestimated. How great to be told what you need to repeat rather than correct!
How would you change your feedback next time?

Treating staff as people
Someone once said to me – ‘if you treat people as staff, they will behave as staff’. The blur of ‘staff’ leads to minimal, low performance behaviour.Invisible, cellophane people. When leaders take the time to understand individual motivators they gain access to a goldmine. Suddenly, the ‘staff’ turns into a team of people, and by playing to individual strengths and drivers the team is engaged and motivated to perform at their best.
What would you find out about your team?

Avoidance of key issues
None of us like conflict – and leaders are no different! Why do they avoid the difficult situations that inevitably present themselves? Typically, it is because they don’t know the words to use or don’t want to upset people. But by stepping up and addressing the issues when they arise will put an end to the misery for all parties, the leader included.
When could you have dealt with a key issue sooner?

Making sure people know what they are supposed to do
Strange as it may seem, it never ceases to amaze me how many leaders do not actually sit down with their team and set clear goals. They make an assumption that the employee knows what is required of them and then is surprised when they don’t perform. The fact is, people like direction.They like to know what we they aiming for and to able to measure performance against it.
When did you last sit down with your team and discuss their goals and progress?

Controlling emotions
Emotion is such a powerful thing in all of us and often catches us by surprise. This of course is totally natural, but as leaders wearing your heart on your sleeve is not always effective.No-one wants to work for a grumbler. Optimistic, enthusiastic leaders retain their people more easily compared to those with a negative attitude*. Emotions and moods do have real consequences for getting work done – so maximise the positive.
When could you have demonstrated a more optimistic outlook?

So what would you do differently if you got the chance again?

Of course – in the movie our hero comes to realise that it is better to live each day once, as if it was his last. So maybe there is a leadership lesson for us in that too!

*Concept taken from Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman

Finally, I want to look at consistency and authenticity – two very important things to think about!

TTTA #2: Be CONSISTENT.

Think about every time people will come in contact with you – a no brainer but often not thought through thoroughly. If your brand is about people’s perception, what clues do you want to give them to inform that?

Look at the application of that brand across every touch point. What do you want them to know – not just the words? It is a language - it will ‘speak’ in what you wear, your logo, words used in a CV or bio, even down to your email address. Teddybear24@ ... really? I don’t think so!

Then there is the digital world – what an opportunity for marketing. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter it is there for the taking. But these tools only work if the language is consistent with all the other touch points. Holiday snaps and cocktail nights don’t do any favours. Create separate Facebook pages and Twitter accounts from personal ones, and only communicate about your field to ensure your brand stays true.

BUT ...

TTTA#3: Be AUTHENTIC.

Seems obvious – but only last month I heard a brand specialist on the radio talk about a female celebrity, one that definitely has a brand. The specialist went on to say that whilst this lady’s brand is beautifully defined there is deliberately a clear distinction between X the person and Brand X. We could debate this, but to my view if you get TTTA#1 you will see the flaw. Your brand has to be YOU.

Keep it real, honest, genuine and true. Authentic brands are faithful to something other than just profits They have a higher purpose and don’t compromise their core values. It’s about practising what you preach, being totally clear about who you are and what you do best.

Just as ‘nothing sells brand like people’, if there is a hint of ‘fake’ about you, you can be sure someone will tell all their 6,578 followers. Think about it.

You probably have a brand of sorts already – people know your name and what you do for a living – rather flimsy as brands go. Is it really worth the time, energy and trouble to take this to the next level?

Just think about the carpet salesman. You better believe it.

So why would you establish a brand? Well why wouldn’t you? We are typically not great at blowing our own trumpets - we need to get better. The benefits far outweigh the modesty - what is the point if you are so busy being diffident, your colleagues and competition get promoted or win the business instead of you?

It comes down to that one thing – success. Success comes from marketing, and personal branding is just that – the way in which you market yourself to others. It should already be obvious, as in any marketing activity, what the brand payback will be. Corporate branding has been around for ages – by branding ourselves, we too can have ‘brand equity’ whereby consumers believe that a product with a well-known name is better than products with less well known names. So the answer is simple - if you are known as a quality product (person) it can only enhance your career or business. This is even more true in this digital world. The first thing people will do is Google you – whether you are going for an interview or introducing your business. So it better be good.

However you start, there some critical things to ponder, without which the whole exercise could fail. They may seem obvious but considered thought is a good investment.

TTTA #1: DISCOVER your brand before you develop it.

This so often gets left out. Remember – it is all about YOU. If you are going to present you at your best, it needs to come from you and deserves thought. Really. If you just set off gung ho and ‘create’ a brand for the sake of it, it simply won’t ring true. It is pointless handing over someone else’s calling card – see what I mean?

So invest the time to really understand you – your values, motivators, how others would describe you, your core skills and the image that you want to project. This is the heart of your brand.

Dan Schawbel recommends using this equation

your self-impression = how people perceive you.

– when it is true, you are ready to move on.

Next time we will look at the importance of consistency and authenticity in creating and maintaining your brand.

Reference: Schawbel, Dan (2009). Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success. Kaplan Trade.

Recently, I went shopping for a carpet. In the past, I had used a nationwide carpet supplier, not a top end supplier but one that I had received excellent service from in the past. Based on that, I walked in to the local shop. Within minutes I had walked out again. Had I thought better of it? No. Was there something wrong with the drains? No!

I drove to the next nearest branch. An hour later I had placed my order, paid and left. My decision to buy or not was totally been based on the approach of the previous salesperson - the personal brand of that individual. Superficial possibly, but fact. Everything about them shrieked that I would not have a good buying experience.

So what of a personal brand? Well – if you want ‘5 quick steps on how to create a personal brand’, stop reading. There is a plethora of articles on the web and many great books that talk about how to develop one, what to do with it etc. But how important is it – REALLY? Does it make a difference if we are professionals working within an organisation or running our own business? What are Things To Think About (TTTA) that the books don’t always say?

The harsh reality is this. A ‘job for life’ no longer exists. We have to move around to progress our careers, and often not through choice. ExecuNet's 2012 report showed that corporate leaders are changing jobs every 3.3 years. Thinking about the next stage in your career is no longer something you do when you are ready to move, it relies on a constant process of keeping in touch and being ‘sticky’ in people’s minds so they remember you when opportunities arise.

Equally, progressing within the organisation is no longer a fait accompli or ‘right place at right time’ It needs to be strategically planned and you have to ensure that you are visible in terms of skill, aspiration and reputation with a wide set of stakeholders – cultivating the network before you need it. In the current climate, companies do not just grow through profit, they also grow through cuts – job cuts – maybe yours. You need to prove your worth to show you are an asset to the business not just a commodity.

If you are running your own business it is even more obvious. Think of your favourite suppliers. What makes them so? They may not be the biggest or the best in the public eye but I am sure if I asked you, the answers would reflect quality, appeal, service, reliability etc. All triggered by assumptions formed through your own experience.

So, professional or consultant, the question is – what is the experience people have when they meet you? Think about it – for take it or leave it, people are constantly making instant decisions on whether they ‘buy in’ to your brand or not, just as I did. It is your personal calling card.

In my next blog, I will explore the whys and wherefores of establishing a brand and what to look out for – TTTA (things to think about)!

Reference: ExecuNet's Annual Executive Job Market Intelligence Report 2012