Understanding Your Leadership Style Helps You Build Your Leadership Brand By: Jackie Robinson

It's not enough just knowing what your leadership style is. Understanding the attributes of your leadership style is where you can leverage your impact. The "way" you lead is what people remember about you most and is what creates your leadership brand.

Whether you identify as a transformational, authentic, situational, servant, or some other leadership type, understanding how you show up and represent yourself as a leader in that style is what you need to hone in on to develop your leadership brand. Leadership is not about the title per se but more so about your ability to influence and make a positive impact in that role. As you are intentionally building your leadership brand ask yourself, "How do I want people to experience my leadership?" Whatever your answer is to that question is what you need to focus on as you are building your brand.  Developing a strong leadership brand is not just about climbing the corporate ladder, it's about how you influence others.  Your leadership brand, good or bad, will be the legacy you create and leave behind.

Why is cultivating a leadership brand important? It sets you apart.  Leadership is not one-size-fits-all. Your unique style of communicating, collaborating, inspiring, and managing your team should be a representation of the leader you want to be known as, and others aspire to be. Your unique leadership brand can create coveted opportunities based specifically on your uniqueness.  As you are defining your leadership brand think about what you do better than any other leader in your organization and how you do it better? Your leadership brand should be just as much about what you do as who you are.  Your leadership brand begins with self-awareness. Understand your values, strengths, and areas for growth. Reflect on your purpose—why you lead and what impact you want to make. Authenticity is magnetic; people connect with leaders who stay true to themselves. Your leadership brand should evolve as you continue to grow as a leader but not completely change because you still want to represent your authentic self.

Another important component of building your leadership brand involves building your network.  You have to network with intent and strategy.  Your network should be diverse, including peers, mentors, sponsors, and industry experts you admire.  Some of the people in your network should be smarter than you, more experienced, and of course, well connected. It's true, it's not what you know, it's who you know that will get you ahead in life faster. Not only should you build these connections to enhance your leadership brand, you have to be deliberate about maintaining these relationships.  Offer help and support to others in your network. Do this before ever asking for a favor. What value can you bring to those in your network?  Reciprocate actions or gestures when it's possible. Show genuine interest in them and what matters to them. When it's appropriate, utilize your network to your advantage but always ask permission to use someone's name as a referral or in any capacity where you are seeking an opportunity. Respect and establish trust with the people in your network. Never take the people in your network for granted.  Networking isn't just about collecting business cards.  It's about building meaningful relationships.  A strong, quality network amplifies your brand.

Understanding your leadership style requires self-awareness.  When you fully understand how you lead, your strengths and weaknesses, and how others perceive your leadership, you will be in a better position to create the respectable  leadership brand you envision for yourself.  A strong leadership brand opens doors.  Make it a priority to strategically develop a brand that will make you stand out.

What's your leadership style?  What are you best known for as a leader?  Share in the comments.