What separates average brands from remarkable brands? Simple. It’s the people.
Remarkable brands punch outside their weight class, because they have a founder or a leadership team that’s deeply committed to growing a sticky brand.
Their priority is not simply to grow a profitable business. Their goal and pursuit is to grow a brand that makes a demonstrable mark on their industry. And these people — these Brand Leaders — all share 6 traits.
The core traits of Brand Leaders
Perspective
They see their industry in a different way. They’re not stuck in the tried and true approach that their competitors have taken. They can see the opportunities, and can see where their industry can be changed.
Ideas
Brand Leaders both originate and find ideas. They have an innate ability to connect disparate concepts and information to generate new ideas. They are constantly taking in advice, stories, ideas, knowledge and expertise, and they distill all that information to create new ideas that they can apply to their business and brand.
Execution
Brand Leaders make things happen. The ideas they find or create are a means to an end. What Brand Leaders truly revel in is bringing ideas into action. And they not only drive themselves to act, they drive everyone around them to execute.
Restless
There is a fire that burns within Brand Leaders. They are constantly restless, and considering the next horizon. Where the company is today is not a badge of honor, because there’s always a new horizon or a new opportunity to chase. This restlessness is what causes Brand Leaders to really disrupt and change their industries.
Ambitious
Brand Leaders want their brand to change their industry, make an impact, and be famous. They have a personal ambition to work harder than anyone else, take bigger risks, and push for what they know is possible. Their ambition drives them, their team and their company to create sticky brands.
Talent
Brand Leaders are not only talented, they are talent creators. They surround themselves with extremely smart people who bring in talents and expertise they don’t have. Brand Leaders develop a team that embody the brand with people who are equally committed to taking it even further.
Beyond The Founder
The 6 Traits are most commonly possessed in founders, but they can be developed in both future leaders and leadership teams.
And it’s fine if you don’t possess all 6 traits. Surround yourself with the people who do. Brand Leaders fill in the gaps by developing their own team of Brand Leaders.
