Seven Brand Strategies That Strips Away Ordinary and Celebrates Being Remarkable
“Remarkable is defined as ‘worthy of attention’. It is packed with the small details and actions that make a difference for others.”
Recently, I delivered a session for eighty plus Executive MBA students and alumni at the Rotman School of Business, University of Toronto. The experience was remarkable! From the Director who oversaw the event to the IT specialist who delivered an incredible experience for both the audience and me!
If everyone had operated from a mindset of just getting the job done it wouldn’t be noteworthy. Just getting the job done is a role of FUNCTION, which is reflected in your brand. FUNCTION does not stir people’s emotions or have them taking notice.
THE ‘HOW’ IS A CHOICE
The actions they took and the experience they created required effort and self-awareness. It was a choice in moving away from simply getting the job done to being intentional about what they wanted to create, beyond what was expected. They operated from a space of the experience they wanted to create for others and that boosted them to being REMARKABLE.
If you consider the people you admire, they are not the people that are just doing what it takes to get the job done. They are people who are stepping out of their comfort zone and creating something that is out of the ordinary ~ remarkable even!
Be it a product they are developing, a project they are involved with, or an experience they want to create.
It could be people who you see playing bigger and taking risks. Like Mother Teresa did with those she cared for with no concern of what she was getting in return. Or like Nelson Mandela did in regards to standing up for what he believed in and courageously accepted the consequences. Like Mark Zuckerberg did with Facebook, giving us a new way of communicating what we do with others. Like Oprah has done, first as a talk show host and now as a cable network owner, who offers programs that feed the soul. Like co-founder, Arianna Huffington did with the Huffington Post, which has, became one of the most widely read online news and blog sites.
Or, it can come from people with whom you interact and know in your own life. Clients say they admire the leaders who courageously share their personal stories and are transparent. They are not famous, but they too are taking risks, owning up to their mistakes, deciding to live life on their terms, being inclusive, demonstrating respect for others no matter what their title is or how successful they become.
Admiration and being remarkable doesn’t come from fulfilling the minimum requirements. It comes from extending yourself to create an extraordinary experience that positively impacts others.
CLARIFYING THE DIFFERENCE
To make a change from being functional to remarkable it is essential to know the difference.
FUNCTIONAL Brand – You are good at what you do. You are practical and execute a process or task well. You continually work at being functional by increasing your ability to perform a task more efficiently. You become known for what you can do.
REMARKABLE Brand – You are aligned with what you create. You consciously work to deliver an extraordinary experience and get noticed for producing results that matter. When you are remarkable you pull out all the stops and deliver an experience for others that exceeds expectations.You become known for your part in making things happen and inspiring others.
MAKING REMARKABLE MOVES
Here are seven clear moves that demonstrate how to shift from being functional to being remarkable:
#1 Move away from strictly positioning what you do and start to talk about the benefits that you create by doing what you do. The results, where you end up, carry more weight than the process of what you do.
#2 Move away from seeing yourself as a doer and begin to see yourself for the value you offer. You need to make the first move and create the link.
#3 Move away from a limiting mentality, ‘this is the way it has always been done’ or doing just what is requested and open your mind to the needs that are being voiced which provide an opportunity to deliver a solution that moves the needle past the expectation.
#4 Move away from being transactional in your interactions with others and begin to develop strong meaningful relationships.
#5 Move away from expecting others to do things a certain way and begin to appreciate the results they achieve.
#6 Move away from being ‘me focused’ in what you are doing to creating the experience you want others to have.
#7 Move away from doing what everyone else is doing and be the best version of you!
When you implement these moves, the perceptions others have of you will change. You will begin to be seen for the value you add, not just for what you do.
YOUR MOVE
Go back over the list of seven and, on a scale from one to ten, notice how you rate? Do you lean closer to one/two/three, which is currently being engaged in the ‘move away’ behaviour? Or are you over the halfway marker but not fully owning how remarkable you can be?
Choose the one you don’t fully own and work on implementing the behaviours that will move you up to a ten. Once you have that mastered, choose the next one that will move the needle for you.
Remarkable brands get noticed and you are worthy of that attention!! Go BE remarkable!
Align yourself with what matters most to you. Live your brand fully expressed with intention and purpose to play bigger!
Are you interested in having a conversation to explore how you can define your personal brand and accelerate your growth as a leader, individually or as a team? Send an e-mail to book a complimentary 30-minute consultation.
