Karen Tiber Leland, an author, coach, and Sterling Marketing Group’s founder, emphasizes the importance of a strategic and thoughtful approach in personal and business branding. She notes the evolution of personal branding, highlighting its shift towards responsibly showcasing contributions rather than mere self-promotion. Karen provides expert strategies for attracting ideal clients and effectively creating branding, especially in business. She underlines the significance of CEOs actively participating in social media to foster consumer trust. Advising CEOs, she recommends focusing on practical experience and skills rather than just certifications, to better demonstrate expertise and attract suitable clients. Additionally, Karen underscores the lifelong significance of learning and the necessity of an open mindset, asserting that the capacity to learn is not limited to any age group.
Key Takeaways:
[03:06] Karen shares the importance of a strategic, thoughtful approach in personal and business branding, cautioning against one-size-fits-all methods. There is a caution against the tendency to confuse tactics with strategy, urging a clear understanding of brand definition, strategy, and tactics as distinct components. She mentions that defining a brand involves more than just a logo or tagline, with various facets to consider, and asserts that understanding the business and customer is the crucial first step in this process.
[07:38] She mentions that with technological advancements, especially in the realms of the internet and AI, executives, and entrepreneurs are compelled to build a robust personal brand. Karen notes the broad impact of a strong personal brand on investor relations, talent retention and recruitment, and customer trust. She stresses the CEO’s need to be active on social media, as it is likely to build trust in the company among customers. Karen highlights proactive reputation management in the AI age, emphasizing the need to train platforms like Google about identity and values.
[10:35] Karen tackles the issue of false expertise claims in inaccessible fields like marketing, coaching, and sales, recognizing the challenge consumers encounter in discerning genuine experts from those making false claims. Even with tools like ChatGPT, Karen highlights the importance of maintaining a unique voice and perspective in content creation. She stresses educating consumers about valuing experience over certificates and short-term programs. She believes taking a stand for one’s knowledge is crucial, attracting the right clients and deterring those who may not appreciate true expertise.
[15:33] She mentions the unrealistic expectation of completing an entire to-do list in a day, instead, prioritizing the two or three top tasks that will define a successful day, considering additional tasks as a bonus. She challenges the illusion of completing everything and advocates for realistic prioritization. Additionally, Karen notes a common issue among CEOs and entrepreneurs, where they engage in tasks that could be delegated, often driven by a need for control.
[19:50] Karen talks about the changing work expectations for Gen X and Gen Z individuals, emphasizing the importance for companies to adapt by redefining work to include remote options, stressing the need for leaders to acquire or refine skills for effective remote team management. Discussing remote work challenges and benefits enables global hiring but poses issues with time zones and cultures. With this, she suggests boosting online meeting interactivity, maintaining efficiency, and fostering connections through emails and calls.
[25:06] She shares her passion for trail riding and how engaging in such activities contributes to their happiness and overall well-being, highlighting that there are valuable lessons she had learned from horseback riding, theater, and art, which they integrate into their coaching sessions as analogies or metaphors. Karen emphasizes the importance of being a satisfied and healthy individual when coaching others. Her diverse experiences have contributed to her creativity and effectiveness in supporting individuals and companies in expressing their uniqueness through personal and business branding.
[29:56] Karen shares the significance of lifelong learning and having an open mindset, regardless of age, advocating for continuous learning for everyone. The significance of acquiring the skill of learning itself, noting that being a lifelong learner keeps individuals interested and growing. She also touches on the concept of a growth mindset and how it is easier to work with individuals possessing it, even if they lack specific technical skills, as opposed to those with a fixed mindset.
[34:51] Karen shares the ‘1% improvement’ strategy, emphasizing that small enhancements, like refining a LinkedIn profile or acquiring new skills, can lead to cumulative personal and professional growth. Karen discusses the evolving landscape of personal branding, noting that it’s no longer about bragging, but responsibly communicating one’s contributions. She also explains that in a world driven by visibility and engagement, individuals must take responsibility for sharing achievements to make a meaningful impact.
[38:17] Closing Quote: Remember, you don’t need a corporation or a marketing company to brand you now: you can do it yourself. You can establish who you are with a social media following. – Ray Allen
The Leadership Podcast is sponsored by W.S. Darley & Company.
Founded in 1908, Darley remains a family owned and operated business, providing the highest quality equipment solutions to our country’s warfighters and firefighters.
Learn more at darley.com and darleydefense.com
Quotable Quotes:
“When rebranding, clearly define the brand, its strategy, and tactics for a successful transformation.” Share on X “A personal brand used to be a luxury, but is now a necessity.” Share on X “Train Google across the Internet on who you are and what you stand for, or you're not going to be found.” Share on X “It's not just about reactively managing your reputation, it's about managing your reputation proactively.” Share on X “Having a distinct voice and a distinct point of view and distinct information will separate you.” Share on X “Use AI as an assistant, don't use it as a replacement.” Share on X "You have to thoroughly consider the correct strategic and tactical approach when doing a business branding.” Share on X “Be willing to take a stand for who you are, what you've done, what you know, and back it up.” Share on X “The key is to learn to prioritize what matters most.” Share on X “Leaders should train themselves or get trained in skills for handling virtual teams.” Share on X “You have to learn how to create interactivity so that people aren't just sitting there for hours just listening statically.” Share on X “It's hard to be coaching people if you're not happy and healthy yourself.” Share on X “Analogy makes a huge difference.” Share on X “Oftentimes, the most powerful examples for people are things that are outside the business.” Share on X “One strength of a CEO is the willingness to learn.” Share on X “You have to learn how to learn.” Share on X “The key is being open to learning. This is what creates movement and growth, creates value, whether it's in business or life.” Share on X “1% improvement makes a big difference.” Share on X
This is the book mentioned in our discussion with Karen:
Resources Mentioned:
- The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com
- Sponsored by | www.darley.com
- Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com
- Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com
- Karen Tiber Leland LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/karenleland
- Sterling Marketing Group Website | www.sterlingmarketinggroup.com
- Karen Tiber Leland Instagram | @karentiberleland
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