Don't let being a quiet leader mean you go unnoticed....

Building your brand as a leader is one of the keys to success. It allows you to grow your network, get things done and be seen as a person with influence and credibility. For some of us, perhaps those more expressive, building a brand appears to be more natural: regular and relevant participation in meetings, spotlighting personal wins and appearing so at ease with public speaking that the next gig is the Oscars.

But how about those of us who are more reflective? How do you get your brand across? We once worked with a leader who knew he wasn’t ever going to be “jazz hands” but was comfortable with his brand – what came across when he did speak was clarity, knowledge and gravitas. Everyone in his team knew what was important, the vision and priorities for success. But, most importantly, he kept his promises to his team. He was humble enough to acknowledge his style to his team so they knew what to expect, which allowed him to remain authentic. This also meant he leveraged the bigger, more obviously outgoing personalities in the team to complement his style.

We work with a lot of leaders who find this hard. Begin by defining the leadership qualities that are important and true for you. We always advocate being authentic but have the self-awareness to flex your style within the context you are in. Look for quiet role models.

Ask yourself:

• How might my more reflective approach be received? What shadow am I casting (or not!) by adopting this approach? When might I need to flex?
• What opportunities and recognition might I be missing out on as a result of my approach?
• As a leader, who knows about the achievements of your team? Are you just seen as a team that gets stuff done? Egos will differ as to how much recognition you want/need. Don’t assume that people notice your achievements and the difference you make.
• What’s my stakeholder network? Whose advocating for me when I’m not in the room? What do I want them to be saying about me?

Here’s some tips, whether you’re a quiet leader or not:

1. Storytelling is a great leadership skill to master. Everyone can tell a story, so write your story and think about the audience you want to hear it.
2. Invest in some coaching to help you define your brand and how to build it. Consider doing some media training, presentation skills training, public speaking training – whilst you might have done loads of this type of training earlier in your career, you’re now at a different point in your career and you can always pick up new tips and techniques.
3. Map your stakeholder network. How are you engaging with them? Where are the gaps? Who can they introduce you to?
4. Find a way to talk about the achievements of the team. This might be really uncomfortable at first but notice who does this well.
5. Be really clear what you stand for and what you want – consistency and clarity will help you stay strong and help support your brand.

Being an authentic leader always wins in our book, but being able to comfortably explain what you and the team have achieved is equally important. Don't let your more reserved style let all your (and your team's) good work go unnoticed.