The Mirror Effect: Why Your Brand is a Reflection of Your People
There's a common notion that your people, meaning your employees, are supposed to reflect a company brand. And we know that gazillions of dollars get invested in an attempt to achieve that. But, not only do your people reflect your brand, but your brand reflects your people.
If leaders are authentic, which we argue is a key ingredient that it takes to excel, then they are who oftentimes defines the brand.
So to characterize a brand, it would be wise to understand the rules that govern how its leaders behave. And we argue here that there are rules that govern the behavior of leaders no matter how ‘unpredictable’ they might initially appear. Here's the logic. Leaders are humans, at least for now. And humans are part of nature. All of nature follows natural laws, the same laws that rule the atoms, the weather, and the motion of the planets and stars. But if we as humans follow these natural, universal laws — not human laws, but natural laws — then we think it is well worth figuring out what those laws might be. If you want to know how humans tick, how humans relate, then we need to understand how these laws also govern them. And, one of those laws says that everything exists on purpose, with a reason for being.
A company reflects a leader's biases and values, and each of us as leaders have a value structure, that structure of what it is that we think is most important all the way to the progressively less important. And that hierarchy of values is unique and specific to the individual.e. For example, while a leader might say they value ‘their people’, it isn't that they value all aspects of their people, it's typically some unique trait, action, or inaction that that particular employee does that the leader values. And what they value, eg. how they treat subordinates or how they focus on the bottom line - all gets translated into the brand..
Keith Cunningham is a business teacher in North America, and he says that running a business is at least two different components. In one, you are running the business for what is today and, in the other, for what might be tomorrow. And not only businesses, but countries, sometimes as a consequence of the democracy that we value so much, find themselves running for today. We are, we would submit, mistaken when we think that survival demands that we focus only on today because change is the only constant.
So, as we navigate the waters — the stormy waters at times — it is vitally important that we know what it is that we are seeking to accomplish as leaders, who it is that we are. Because as we give space to getting to know what we truly value, not what we say we value, but what shows up in our lives as proof that we have valued it. And we begin to understand why that is reflected in the brands we lead.. And mission, by the way, is reflected in what we value. Amit’s relentless focus on leveraging purpose, you might call a mission. He might call it his own purpose. And there is proof that he values that in the results of his life’s work to this point.
It is that certainty of mission, that certainty of purpose that allows you to control the only three things that we humans have control over. Three things that intimately and ultimately reflect your values. You have control over your perceptions, control over your decisions, and control over your actions. But, it is important to note that while these are in your control, you don’t have control over anyone else's perceptions, decisions, or actions. Whether it’s a kid, a parent, a spouse, or an employee, they maintain control over their own perceptions, decisions, or actions. However, you do have the option of influencing others by showing them how they can get more of what they value by following one or the other that encompasses.
We think a big part of leadership encompasses knowing you and knowing your people, what they value, and helping them see how they get more of what they want by helping you or your company get more of what you want. And by knowing this, you present yourself as an authentic leader, helping define your brand and reflect what you want it to be.
Power within an organization follows the same rules as a septic tank, the really big chunks always rise to the top. Look to see where the real power sits in your organization, because that is what is determining the people, how they show up, and is what is determining, therefore your brand... Stay tuned for our next blog, “The Really Big Chunks Always rise to the top…And other muses on the Real Seat of Power”, where we will dive into this concept further…
With Gratitude
Amit and Kumar Ramlall
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