Is your leadership brand known for valuing relationships and enhancing the work lives of your people?

I’ve been writing about ways to establish (or improve) your leadership brand. This includes:

·      A fundamental foundation of a strong reputation: what you’ve done, what you’re capable of doing, and what you stand for.

·        The building blocks of your behaviors—how you act, your personality traits, and your leadership style.

·        Appearances: yours, your office, and your organization. They are also indicators of your abilities, engagement, and commitment.

·        Your communication style and skills, which impact and reinforce your brand.

·        Relying on relationships. That is to say, the leaders who have the greatest relational skills have the greatest chance for success.

Leadership is essentially the ability to achieve goals through effective relationships.

Relational leaders have strong personal brands because their people feel valued and satisfied. Employees enjoy working for a leader who treats them like a partner, like an appreciated resource. This promotes a feeling of security. In the work I do, I see leaders who offer these kinds of relationships to maintain a highly regarded brand.

You see, leaders with relational skills want to connect with and engage their people. This involves showing an interest in them and seeking to understand their hopes and concerns.

Leaders who can dialog with active listening build relationships.

Asking questions and actively listening demonstrates interest in others and signals that their thoughts are worth knowing. Be inclusive, asking for feedback from everyone at some point or another.

You honor people by appreciating their ideas and solutions to problems.

A key factor is to be approachable and reasonable. If your people know they can come to you and build on a relationship, they will trust you and value your leadership. When employees are comfortable and satisfied with their leader, there are no limits to what they can accomplish.

Inspire your people with a positive, empowering approach. Delegate as much authority as their level can accommodate. Celebrate their victories.

What do you think?

Do you rely on relationships to build your leadership brand?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. You can reach me here and on LinkedIn.