Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.
~
JFK
Executives and leaders are making daily decisions that help to drive their organisations forward, from the routine to the big decisions that come with a high degree of managed risk that could make or break an organisation.
However, are executives and leaders making the same level of decisions over their personal positioning, brand and what they stand for?
The answer of course is some are, but some do not.
As this quote by JFK points out, there is no substitute for action, even courageous action without a clear sense of purpose and direction.
Executive positioning is not only an important element of a strategic communications approach, its actually essential. In this modern era, where so many leaders are expected to do more than just run their organisations, they are expected to take a stand on an issue, even outside of their industry, or country. Let’s think for example of Microsoft, who have used their influence and $500 million to support affordable housing in the Seattle (US) area, where rents have shot up considerably as tech workers there and at Amazon have moved in.
Some communication ‘shops’ talk about executive positioning, but it needs to be much more than simply crowbarring your voice into any opportunity to get media coverage under the banner of thought leadership.
Executive positioning should be an important and well thought through component in a wider strategic communications strategy for the organisation that will elevate both your own and the organization’s brand. This wider strategic approach should focus on how the executive positioning aligns with both the personal objectives of the leader and with those of the business. It is not, and should not be simply about shouting into the ether.
All of this starts with defining the narrative of both the leader and the organisation. It is important to craft the ‘human centric’ focus throughout this, what makes them tick from their own personal values and beliefs, along with their sense of character and personality threaded throughout it. This will drive a stronger, more powerfully authentic and emotional reaction to their expressed point of view.
This will feed through the crafting of the storytelling opportunities making your strategic interventions more authentic, credible and result in trust being further instilled into the audience hearing it.
The Executive Positioning Opportunity
At Manara Global, we strive hard to build, craft and shape these narratives – we believe it’s important and shapes how authentically your message is received by the audience. Our approach in this, is to ensure a great deal of focus on the human-centric element, after all people are not ‘robots’, they want to be and more importantly, actually feel inspired. This is exactly why we focus a lot on the purpose-led approach, to really make you stand out from the crowd, be bold, stand for something, be known, and be inspiring.
That is why, once the narrative work is well crafted, is compelling and truly authentic, we focus on the leadership angles for your messaging. This, of course, should be married with ambitious, bold and creative thinking for where to strategically place the voice of the leader.
We care about making the ‘stars align’ to ensure that at all times, interventions by the leader are strategic but also brings together the concept of effort and courage married with purpose and direction.
This enables leaders themselves to stand on the shoulders of giants, and truly inspire those around them, and listening to them.