“A Brand Is Shorthand For What You Are.”

As spoken so eloquently by Lois Geller. If you have a strong brand – when someone sees your logo, hears your name or the name of your company, they immediately have a gestalt of who you are and what you are about. They have a visceral, emotional connection to the essence of what your brand represents.

Lois goes on to say that a great brand has a “patina” on it. This is a film on a bronze or copper piece that lets you know it’s an authentic antique. Strong brands have an authenticity about them that allows you to instantly identify them amidst the clutter of competing attention. There is an implicit trust that your brand will deliver on what you promise.

Here at Sage Leadership, we strive to represent wisdom, truth, honesty: to embody these qualities ourselves and to help you discover and live these values, particularly while you grapple with complex, difficult issues. If they were easy, you wouldn’t need help! It is at these times when you are tested the most, that you can be tempted to compromise.

We define these “values in action” as:

Wisdom – culling lessons learned from your experiences and applying them going forward to enhance your results – doing this with head and heart.

Truth – identifying and sharing what is real and true for you based on your current facts and perceptions.

Honesty – being fair, straightforward and sincere in all dealings.

In our view, whether you are an individual or an organization, consistently actioning these values is the only path to sustainable growth over time.

Living these values during difficult times is the true test of leadership because real growth is hard! Growth is rarely a linear, smooth path, so it requires your steadfast commitment. It is truly a sage leader who can uphold these values under pressure and hardship.

We hope this is your experience with us.

What are some of the most powerful brands that speak to you?

© Copyright 2012 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC All rights Reserved.

Innovation: What Would Grandma Say?

Yesterday as I reflected on my Grandma’s life, I learned that new technologies take longer than we think to make it to market, if at all, or to become popularized and cashed-in on their commercial value.

I’m sure you’ve heard the adage: Is there really anything new under sun?

I’m sticking with Grandma’s leadership this week: old wisdom is the new wisdom. She always said, hold onto your clothes long enough and they will come back in style. I have to admit I have some of her hats and coats from the 40s that I have worn recently!  I also wished I’d kept my fry boots – they’d be back in style and worth a fortune! Yet they were my sole present for Christmas one year when I was in high school, as my parents struggled to make ends meet raising six kids.

It’s all about perspective. Innovation is not about invention. It’s about taking an invention and making it useful, repurposing it and/or commercializing it.

So, I ask you – what exists right in front of you that you could view differently – whether it is a product, a problem, an employee, or your relationship with a family member? What is something that you can change about your life or business that would give you more money in the bank, greater productivity or satisfaction? These are different faces of the same coin. They are all about changing the energy of your current situation.

If you want your business or life to be different – The ultimate question is, how do you take what you have and make it different or conceive of it differently? This is innovation grandma-style – transform the old into the present for future wear-ability and endurance.

© Copyright 2011 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC All rights Reserved. www.sagelead.com