Brand Leadership or Leadership Branding? That's my answer.

Employer branding is brand management inside and out. The employee as the center. To properly involve and integrate him in processes and decisions with the brand, with its identity and with the positioning of the brand, so that he can understand the brand and identify with it, to establish him as an ambassador, as a representative of the brand - to customers, to new employees, to the public - is one of the most important tasks of the companies. 

Because a company as a brand can only be convincing to the outside world if it works internally! All of the company's activities must be made clear: everyone in the company is pulling together. The leaders are leading by example. The 'Why do we do this' is clear to every employee. And every employee gets the support from the company they need to perform best possible - for joint success.

Many companies simply do not see the great opportunity for their brand. This is why these companies often fail in brand communication e.g. towards high potentials. Because instead of winning them emotionally by following their ideas and desires, they are only busy patting themselves on the back how "great" you are as a company and as an employer. 

This will remain the case until companies understand that brand management is the central element of a company and must be located at the highest decision-making level with an expert who lives the brand - inwardly and from there to the outside. Authentic, according to the brand identity and the brand values formulated therein. 

"Brand building and brand management are top priority!", as brand expert Esch correctly pointed out. 

Leadership branding means just that. And the fish, as we all know, always rots from the head down, which means: Brand management and associated employer branding are only possible correctly (= credible) if the company management aligns their thinking and acting for the company with the brand and its identity! 

A company that formulates 'trust' as one of its brand values and clarifies it by saying' 'We act with integrity and respect and promote openness' will fail as a brand if leaders do not demonstrate this value credibly inwardly. This means that employees lack the point of reference, which means that a real identification with their brand cannot arise. 

How should this brand then act authentically to the outside world and be perceived credibly from there?

But if the leaders manage to live the brand authentically inside, so that the employees can orientate and align themselves with it, develop a sense of the brand in order to be able to fully identify with it, then something will emerge that will exist in both good and bad times, because it develops a cohesion. A cohesion based on trust, respect and integrity.

#BrandManagement #LeadershipBranding #EmployerBranding #TheLittleBrandGuide #Trust

Sources: Esch Consulting, Mastercard