In politics and beyond: How to build a robust personal leadership brand
Consistency, emotional connection, distinctiveness: three key leadership ingredients. Dr Selin Kudret explores how to build a strong leadership brand in the latest for our Ballot Box series.
There have been reports of internal jostling and positioning within the Conservative party by MPs who are hoping to take the leadership position should Rishi Sunak step down post-election. But vision and visibility alone do not create a leader. So, what can MPs and political party leaders do to create their own robust leadership brand?
Some years ago, I developed a conceptual framework in my PhD research to set out what makes an employer brand, and over the years, I’ve quickly come to realise this framework can be effectively applied to personal leadership brands in business.
It involves three key elements: walking your talk, striking a chord with your followers, and providing your followers with a sense of positive distinctiveness. Here are practical tips for leaders – in politics and beyond – looking to build their own personal leadership brand using these principles.
- Walking the talk: Authenticity and consistency
- Striking a chord: Emotional resonance and connection
- Providing a sense of positive distinctiveness: Unique value proposition
- Putting it into practice: how to build your leadership brand