It’s a fact that the quality of leadership has a direct impact on your brand’s reputation and bottom line. And it makes sense – people who enjoy working for their manager consistently perform at peak levels. It’s a sad fact that too many people are placed into leadership positions based on all the wrong reasons – such as industry knowledge, tenure, or technical abilities – and then fail.

To be an effective leader requires a very specific set of skills. Read on…

Are leaders born or made?

It’s the million-dollar question, and arguments can be made for both sides. We are all leaders in that we make decisions for ourselves. However, managing a sea of diverse personalities, motivating individual people to consistently give their best, building teams, creating synergies in groups, and knowing how to efficiently resolve conflict where everyone “wins” (feeling as if their needs have been met) are skills that very few people intuitively have. These are skills that must be refined or taught from the ground up, especially when you consider that most of us developed our leadership styles based on leaders we personally admire or believe to be effective. And here’s the trap – in the absence of leadership training where proven management techniques are taught, managers rely on trial and error with many different leadership styles until they find one they believe works. It’s this trial and error leadership style that frustrates employees and perpetuates already dysfunctional manager/employee relationships.

What makes a great leader?

There are a number of characteristics that make up the fabric of good leaders, and it starts with having a high E.Q. (Empathy Quotient a.k.a. Emotional Intelligence).

What does this mean? Think about the last three people you know who were fired. Did they lose their jobs due to their lack of product, company or industry knowledge? Or were they fired because of their inability to get along with others, be a team player or a team leader?

Leaders with higher E.Q.’s, develop cultures in suit where people naturally work and communicate better with each other. In other words, interpersonal conflict is either low or non-existent.

Great leaders are great active listeners – they have mastered the art of acknowledging and feeding back what they hear to confirm understanding. Where many people in conversation are simply thinking of what they want to say and waiting until one person is finished talking so that s/he may speak, active listening involves focusing one’s attention on the function and purpose of a conversation. It cannot be faked. It builds trust, deepens relationships and is the most sincere form of communication there is. One of the greatest active listeners I know actually walks out from behind his desk, sits down at a small table away from his computer, turns off the ringer on his cell phone and gives his undivided attention to the person with whom he is speaking. How would you feel if your manager did this for you?

Great leaders also encourage open communication without roadblocking. Roadblocking occurs when we order, warn, moralize, suggest, use logic, criticize, praise, label, analyze, reassure, question and recommend. In other words, roadblocking is steering a conversation toward our direction and way of thinking, inhibiting open and candid conversation. We’ve all been roadblocked and know how offensive and irritating it can be. Think of it this way: roadblocking is the #1 reason teenagers don’t talk to their parents!

Great leaders don’t solve problems. They see to it that problems get solved. When people come to us with their problems, some of us can’t wait to jump in and tell the person who owns the problem how to fix it. Nothing could be worse for three reasons: 1) the person who owns the problem may very well dump all their problems on you in the future, or 2) you may offend them because you are indirectly telling him or her that they don’t have the intelligence to fix things on their own, and 3) Once you, the manager gets involved, you immediately assume responsibility for the problem and the consequences of the advice given.

The better approach is to employ active listening to facilitate the problem-solving process, as the one who owns the problem is in the best position to resolve it!

The Age Factor

Let’s assume for a few minutes that you are the young leader who is managing people who are not just a few years your senior, but some who are old enough to be your parent. Not only do you need to prove your worth as a manager, you need to earn and retain the respect of those who may view you as someone who has “no clue” and “little experience.” At times, when you have conflict with an older generation employee, it can become personal.

This is precisely when you’ll need to practice those skills I identified a few minutes ago. They are fundamental and proven leadership skills that will help you identify core problems and work toward solutions. There will be times when you’ll need to confront problems head on, and early on, to get them solved. The way you manage those conversations and facilitate solutions will determine your success or failure. In my opinion, one of the best leadership books ever written is L.E.T. by Dr. Thomas Gordon. He doesn’t just write about leadership, he also teaches those skills.

Attracting and Retaining Strong Leaders

Most companies are structured with one Grand Poobah – usually the Chairman, CEO or owner – with lieutenants below.

Great leadership needs to start at the top, which is why I’m a huge proponent of leadership training. CEO’s are a special breed – they take risks, push themselves hard, can smell the blood of new business, and know how to negotiate and close deals. And then they get back to the office and have to deal with egos, attitudes, under-performers, complainers, and a host of other issues they would rather ignore, or don’t know how to deal with and, thus, wears on their patience. You know what happens next. Failing to deal with these issues makes matters worse and the hole in the ship only gets bigger.

If you’re looking to attract strong leaders within your organization, as the CEO you’ll need to prove that you have a culture where leaders can grow and flourish. Hint: strong leaders will not work for the micromanaging CEO. Nor will they work for those who lead through fear and intimidation. If you fall into one of these categories, your reputation will one day precede you and finding good people will become more and more challenging.

What Now?

As the CEO or owner of your company, you need to fight the good fight every day to compete and succeed. And, you also need to find, hire and retain the best mortgage professionals you can find. Your leadership style will determine the success or failure of your company and the people you have representing and selling your brand.

Remember, team your best salesperson with a crummy manager and you’ll get a resignation letter and loads of business that could have been yours going to your competitor. Team a highly trained and skilled manager with a group of average-to-slightly- above-average employees and you’ll soon have enthusiastic and highly motivated team-players willing to bleed for your company.

And it doesn’t make sense because you are an aggressive marketer, you speak at industry trade shows, network heavily and have a vibrant online and offline PR presence.

You obviously don’t have a marketing problem. You have a brand problem.

The simple fact is that if your customers don’t clearly understand who you are, how your company is different and why you exist, they are left confused and don’t really understand why they should do business with you. It leaves plenty of room for others to take advantage of your vulnerabilities with their own strong brand positioning, making your company less and less relevant.

Community-building online starts with an audience that comes back regularly to a site. Keep them coming back with posts that are focused on a handful of specific subjects that you know will be of interest. Developing this content has to be part of an overall online strategy. Encouraging and driving online interactions from current patients and other community members, whether they have been patients or not, allows consumers not yet connected with your brand to form an opinion as to your organizations’ persona, what it’s like to receive services from your organization and what your organization stands for. It also provides an environment that encourages those who have received care to post their experience which is very important to your growth and volume. Let me share a statistic with you…according to the 2012 Local Consumer Review Survey, 72% of consumers surveyed said that they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. 52% say that positive reviews make them more likely to use a local business.

Here are some basic rules you should follow as a “content creator” for your organization…

• Put together what’s called an “editorial calendar”. An editorial calendar helps you organize your thoughts for future content. This takes away the pressure of coming up with subject matter “on the fly” which can lead to a lot of pressure. You will also be able to focus on what’s working and what’s not and then make adjustments along the way as you see fit. Now, you will have quality content which enhances your brand and trust level within the community which will help build your online community.
• Develop a regular schedule of publishing.  A consistent flow of content will build, and keep, the attention of your audience. 
• As a host, you need to be prepared to “stoke the fire.” Your brand needs to actually participate and promote conversation around your content to build a community. You may wish to invite people from your organization to comment on your posts. Be sure to respond to comments added to your content and add your own comments to content posted to your community. Go out to like-minded web sites, LinkedIn and Facebook groups. Participate in chats and reply or re-tweet on Twitter. Just make sure you are engaging in actual conversation and not straight promotion. No one minds you mentioning your brand when it’s appropriate but you will be flagged right away if you are spamming a conversation.
• Always keep an eye toward finding ways to improve your site and content. Add features and functionality that allow people to carry content over to other communities and social networking sites. Play around with new features. Some will be appreciated by your users but be prepared that not everything you add will be a success; some features may be ignored, others may cause an uproar. So, be prepared to roll back a change if you don’t feel completely sure it will work.

 Above all, don’t be afraid to experiment a little…think outside the box…and have fun!

Earning a spot on two of the most prestigious lists in one of the most respected business publications was no accident. Nor was it by coincidence or luck.

There is something magical happening at these companies that goes far beyond profit and growth. There are leaders at the helm who understand the value of nurturing their brand while fostering a culture conducive to peak performance. Employees don’t rank their company as the best to work for unless they have passion for what they do and are working for a respected brand in their industry.

These are the leaders interviewed by Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company and Harvard Business Review for the purposes of sharing their insights and secrets with salivating entrepreneurs and CEOs. They have developed a knack for inspiring their people to give their best, day after day, month after month and year after year. They know how to retain top talent and keep them engaged. They lead by example.

In times of growth, they also enjoy the luxury of handpicking and hiring only the best candidates for their culture, as everyone wants to be a part of their brand. It’s a very fortunate place to be, especially when other companies gripe that they can’t find good people. These are also the leaders who have created brands that lead their respective categories. After all, who does Intel really compete with? When most people think of management consulting, they think of Accenture. And Google, which which has been officially declared a verb (Google it!), continues to dominate not only search, but the entire Internet.

Every company, yes, every company has the potential to be known as a best and most admired company, and it must start with unrelenting focus on brand development.

1. Define who you are, how you’re different, why you exist and what you are capable of becoming.
2. Communicate the who, how, why and what throughout your organization.
3. Structure and organize an internal brand adoption process to ensure everyone buys into your brand, believes in your brand, lives your brand and delivers on your brand expectations.
4. Promote your brand until the wheels fall off.

Enjoy.

I also remember that Sears had a catalog offering anything anyone would ever need for their home, from tools to clothes to appliances and everything in between. It was clear that Sears’ goal was to destroy everyone who competed with them and dominate the world of retail.

Times have certainly changed.

Fast-forward to today, 2012, and Sears is getting their clock cleaned. If you stop to think of why, consider that…

• For far too long, Sears has tried to be everything to everyone. A quick trip to their website reveals that they sell anything that can be put into a bag, box or truck. And, they also offer driver’s education, Sears Automotive, Sears Dental, etcetera.
• Sears’ competitors include hardware stores, appliance stores, clothing stores, driving schools, discount jewelers, house ware retailers, portrait studios, lawn and garden centers, auto centers and many more. In other words, they compete with retailers in many more categories than a Best Buy or Home Depot, which places them in many more vulnerable competitive positions.
• The Sears house brand of tools, Craftsman, can now be purchased at their most formidable hardware competitor, Ace Hardware. (In fact, Ace is supposedly replacing their house brand with Craftsman.)
• Their merger with K-Mart confused even more of their customers. The Sears brand was confusing enough before they merged with a deep-discount retailer that was having its own brand-identity issues. So who is Sears? How is Sears different?
• When was the last time you saw Sears advertise? When was the last time you saw Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Boston Store, Bed Bath & Beyond and other competitors advertise? Exactly.
• Some have criticized Sears for not sprucing up their stores for quite a long time in order to keep up with their competitors. Some customers describe their stores as looking run-down and neglected.

The Sears brand has been pushed aside and made less relevant by much stronger competitors who have powerful, influential and relevant brands. Will Sears be around in the next two, three or five years? Let’s hope so.

If they are going to make it, they must answer the four most important brand development questions and promote themselves internally and externally with unrelenting focus:

• Who are we?
• How are we different?
• Why are we doing it?
• What are we capable of becoming?

You’ve heard and read a lot about personal branding, and now you’re ready to post some blogs, upload some videos and build some social networking profiles!

If the idea of blogging gives you writer’s block, you’re not alone. Coming up with compelling blog topics as a healthcare professional can be intimidating.  

First of all, remember that the idea behind personal branding is to differentiate yourself from the pack in terms of your knowledge, skills and abilities. It comes down to communicating the things that make you remarkable and convey your knowledge. It’s not about bragging. It’s about positioning yourself and demonstrating how you bring value to your community, physician referrers and the work that you do.

In our work with corporate brand development, we ask companies to answer the three most important questions about their brand:

Who are we? How are we different? What are we capable of becoming?

We point out that a brand must be built from within, where unique talents, experience, intellect and passions are unearthed and leveraged to become what no other organization can duplicate.

When it comes to personal branding, the process is very similar. I’m assuming you’ve already put some thought into your personal branding project and have identified the competencies and interests that are a part of your brand. If not, now is a good time to do so.

Based on the values you identify, the next step is to position yourself and your personal brand through a series of brief essays or articles – or blogs. Blogs are meant to be thought or positioning pieces and are best when they express your own ideas and reveal your creativity and ability.

Here are some ideas I thought I would share with you to begin stimulating your thought process…

• Taking quality of life into account in health decisions
• A weight loss program that’s easy to follow
• Choosing a primary care doctor
• How can I avoid second-hand smoke?
• For profit vs. not for profit healthcare providers…should I care?
• Diabetes prevention…how to take control
• How to keep your bones healthy

Of course, this list could go on and on. The above ideas can assist you in creating blogs that are helpful to the community you serve and position you as being a caring, knowledgeable organization. To garner more ideas for blogs, leverage Google Alerts and set your search terms on Twitter to get updated on health trends and information of value to your community. These are tremendous sources of information.

Remember to be authentic and let your personality shine through. Give readers a sense of your style and who you are when speaking to these and other topics. You want to be seen as a thought leader, or at least a thoughtful person, even if you haven’t yet had that much experience. And, above all, have fun with it!

Last June, Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Ron Artest caused a stir in the world of sports when he legally changed his name to Metta World Peace. Evidently, his motivation was so that he could have “World Peace” on the back of his jersey (Metta, if you’re wondering, means love, happiness or kindness).

If you haven’t planned on changing your name, maybe you have given some thought to changing your organization’s logo, the colors that you use in your advertising or the tagline that endears you to your community. Maybe you feel that a rebranding initiative would stimulate more patient referrals or give your organization a fresh start in the community.

To illustrate the point I wish to make about the importance of strategic branding, first let me share a short list of some famous retail companies that have been wildly successful over the years and how they came by their current names:

Starbucks™ – Named after Starbuck, the first mate of the whaling ship Pequod in Herman Melville’s novel, “Moby-Dick.”

Adidas^® – The company name was taken from its founder, Adolf Dassler, whose first name was shortened to the nickname Adi. Combined with the first three letters of his surname, it formed Adidas.

EBay^® – Originally, the site belonged to Echo Bay Technology Group, which tried to register the domain name Echobay.com. That name was already taken by Echo Bay Mines, a gold mining company, so it was shortened to eBay.com.

Amazon.com^® –Founder Jeff Bezos wanted a name that started with the letter “a” so that it would appear early in alphabetical order. He started looking through the dictionary and settled on Amazon, which is the world’s biggest river. He hoped his company would likewise be the world’s biggest.

Some names are simply “happy accidents,” like eBay. Others are clever combinations of descriptive words, while still others are proudly based on the names of company founders, locations or cultural icons.

Would any of these companies have been less successful than they are with different names? It seems doubtful. What really makes each of them successful is their brand distinction, a quality or way of doing things that earns them a place of prominence in the eyes of their customers.

The problem is that many healthcare organizations – and their agencies – still confuse branding with brand development.

As we define it, brand development is the discovery of a brand’s unique (strategic) distinction, while branding is the tactical (visual) application of that distinction. A new logo, tagline and color pallete (and yes, even a new identity) can refresh a tired communications program, but none of these tactics are designed do anything to change the brand’s strategic distinction.

The difference is important. Branding is a marketing initiative that mainly impacts external communications. Brand development is a corporate initiative that uses both internal and external communications to achieve its goals.

Beyond the extensive media attention he received, did anything really change for Ron Artest when he changed his name? Not really.

It’s easy to become enamored and excited by the tactics involved in a new branding campaign. But is this really the road that’s going to take you where you want to go? Or is it just a road to nowhere?

If you decide you wish to engage a re-branding campaign, it’s important to really consider what you hope to achieve by doing so. This thought process will help you in deciding whether you simply need a brand refresh, or need to develop/change your brand’s strategic distinction.

QR Codes, or quick-response codes, are everywhere these days. You see them on billboards, magazine ads, direct mailers, on the side of buses, buildings…everywhere! Forward-thinking healthcare marketers are incorporating QR codes in their campaigns. But, there’s a problem…according to a Forrester Research study, only 5% of Americans that own mobile phones actually used the 2-D barcodes in the 3 months ending in July of 2011. That comes to approximately 14 million users or early adopters as we call them. As for the demographics of users, they are young, affluent and male.

Despite the low usage however, healthcare marketers continue to be loyal to this latest technology for obvious reasons….you can track hits/activity, provide great information and further develop the relationship you have with the community you serve which should eventually be reflected in gaining market share.

My opinion is that these QR codes will gain further traction with consumers…but we need to be aware of the challenges so we can overcome them. For now, QR codes are just another example of the latest “shiny lure” that marketers feel they need to adopt in order to appear innovative. Here are 3 reasons why they have not caught on yet…

• People are confused by how to scan them
• There’s not much uniformity among apps that will read them
• When scanned, people are disappointed by where it takes them…like a website or some boring landing page

The last bullet is the one that bothers me the most because I have seen this all too often. It leaves people with a certain level of disappointment because they are expecting to see some quality information… something exciting that isn’t just your home page that will be informative and encourage action…a video, valuable health information, contest, etc. You need to excite their senses while providing high quality information or somehow giving them a reason to “bond” with your organization.  If you fail to do this, consumers will not scan your code again and it will add to the wave of discouragement and be a disservice to your healthcare organization.

Here are just some ideas that come to mind…

• Provide contact information so that when scanned, people will now have this contact information on their phones and carry it around with them
• Give information that relates to an upcoming local event (run, walk, triathlon, etc.) or symposium
• Take them to an informative video about a specialty procedure or latest breakthrough
• Link to your Facebook page
• Prompt for flu shots, mammograms or other preventative services you offer
• Link people to patient testimonials
• Share expertise on special procedures you offer
• Link to a page that allows consumers to offer feedback on your marketing
• Allow those who scan to be entered into a contest of some sort that encourages interaction with your organization

It is a fact that adopting the latest technology, done properly, will position you as being ahead of the curve and therefore position you as having the cutting edge technology necessary to provide the best care for your patients. However, the first step is asking yourself the question as to what you want people to do once the code is scanned. Where will it take them? What will they see once they get there? What will they do next and why do you think they will do it…or what reason have you given them to do what you would like them to do? It all comes down to having a strategy in place. Think like a patient or a member of the community you serve and put yourself in their shoes. If you just take them to your web page, forget the code and just use your URL because it’s easier. Attach the code to something special…something that is designed to educate and drive interaction with your organization!