Our founders are back together on this week’s podcast episode to discuss a topic we see many leaders struggling with today: personal brand. What does executive presence look like? What are the steps to repair a damaged brand so you can move on and move up? Listen as Brandon Smith and Randy Hain provide actionable insights. 

1:15 “Most people are not self-aware about their brand.” – Randy

1:30 What defines your personal brand? “What do people say about you when you’re not in the room?” Randy and Brandon discuss.

2:25 Hire, promote or fire. “The three most important decisions about your career happen when you’re not in the room.” – Brandon

3:30 Randy explains the importance of “reading the room well” and quotes friend of Leadership Foundry, John Kim: “Responsiveness is cheap currency.”

6:00 Candor Conversations. Randy encourages leaders: think about what you’re saying and how it lands with others. We often think about what we’re saying, but not how it’s received.

8:30 “There’s a human being on the other end of everything we do.” – Randy

11:00 From mid-level to higher level executives, how does your personal brand change? Brandon and Randy discuss what happens when the damage its far-reaching.

12:45 Brandon shares an example from his Executive Presence series with a basketball analogy: Points only versus points and assists.

13:48 Randy points to his book “Upon Reflection” and the story of Saint Thomas Becket: Always have trusted people around you that can bring your “errors” to your attention (in private).

15:30 If you’ve damaged your brand, what can you do? Randy explains “the grace tour.”

19:23 Tell your team the “why” (state your intentions). Brandon explains.

24:00 Reflect with your team; ask: “What should I start, stop and continue to help you?”

26:00 What to expect when making a change. (It takes ~6 months of doing the same behaviors every day to repair a damaged brand.)

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