There are two brand principles that I emphasize more than others:
1. Brand strength comes from what you own - what you distinctively do better than anyone else, placing you in a market position that transcends competition.
2. A brand is a promise - and brand value is determined by how well your brand delivers on its promise through the experiences you offer.
I am constantly looking to find my clients' unique strengths and partnering with them to find new ways to leverage those strengths into their offerings and performance.
And while I place a great deal of emphasis on pushing forth what you / your brand is extraordinarily good at, that - in no way - should diminish the tremendous importance of working on the things that are not currently your strengths today.
A great basketball player can shoot with their left or right hand. Sure - one is more natural and probably has a much higher percentage of success, but a champion knows the time might come when their team relies on them to take a shot from their weak hand in order to clinch the championship. So, they will spend hours of frustrating practice to work their weaker shot for the sake of the team.
I could go on for hours with like analogies, but the point is this: to be a champion that your team can count on, you've got to get out of your comfort zone and push yourself to do things you are not 'the best at' today, in order to be an asset to others tomorrow. You must branch out in order to be able to provide new skills, services, offerings, etc. to continue increasing the value you currently provide.
It's painful to try new stuff that is not your strength. It's uncomfortable to step into a world that is not your own - especially if you are an 'expert' in something. And that is exactly why you should do it.
· Innovation comes from stepping into the uncomfortable unknown
· Courage and Bravery come only to those who allow themselves to walk into a fearful situation
· Wisdom only comes to a teachable spirit who allows itself to be humbled by those wiser
· Change only comes from new perspectives that require placing yourself in a position you've never ventured to stand in before
Big talk from a consultant who makes a living telling other people what they should do differently, right? (It's OK if you were thinking it - I agree with you). No one should give recommendations or advice they are not willing to take themselves. I ask a lot of people to stretch and get uncomfortable by thinking and performing in new ways. It would be easy to lose sight of how difficult that truly is if I didn't practice it myself on regular basis. So, I do my best to stick my own neck out there and place myself in situations where I am personally responsible for creating new experiences that are not my current areas of expertise. And most of the time I don't broadcast it. But this experience is different:
On Sunday, October 5th (six days) I will be participating in a 10K to benefit the courageous Women of the Congo whose suffering has been unimaginable and extreme due to the violence that has plagued their area.
It is important that you know I am not an athlete by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, a nasty spill down a flight of stairs last year (and other bothersome physical limitations) have kept me from normal exercise - period. And I've never, ever participated in a 10K before. So there is absolutely no glory in performing this experience for me personally. In fact, if I was worried about how this made me look, the real possibility that I will be one of the last to finish (or THE last) would probably be enough to stop me from taking on this experience. As is always the case when you find yourself in situations that stretch you past your normal comfort level, there are a myriad of 'reasons' that can be found not to this:
· No adequate time to train, prepare or run a large campaign (wasn't sure I'd be in town & available until now)
· It's still 100 degrees in Phoenix – upping the level of difficulty substantially
· I have no idea 'how' to run a 10K (strategy) - can't really conceive where the finish line will be
· It's 'ramp-up' season with work - very busy right now
Those are all great excuses, right? So why am I doing this? Here are a few reasons:
· I have the blessing of intelligent people who challenge me to stretch and be my best. A lovely woman named Renee M. challenged me a year ago to stay vulnerable
· Then another inspiring woman named Laura A. invited me to do this
· Then there is the spirit of another woman, Marilyn M., who cannot run but has put her faith in my abilities to make a difference
· And then, most importantly, there are the many women of the Congo who have experienced the devastating loss of 5,400,000 people due to one of the deadliest wars in history - struggling to re-build their lives and community. How much more motivation could I possibly need?
· THE BOTTOM LINE IS: You don't have to be great at something to do something great for other people.
Maybe I will look foolish - But I'm willing to help
Maybe I will look as if I've failed every time I stop - But it's my victory to be active once again
Maybe I will finish last - But I will finish for the cause: the Women of the Congo
Maybe I will raise a modest amount of proceeds - But I will help someone
I am not a 10K expert. I am not even an exercise enthusiast. Running is nowhere in my current personal brand strength. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't try to stretch to improve this area - Especially if there is a team counting on me.
Please consider 2 things:
· Supporting this very import cause and the lives it impacts by visiting my fundraising page at: http://www.active.com/donate/runforcongoaz/DMcKay34
· How can you step out of your comfort zone and work outside of your expertise for future strength and the benefit of others? What’s stopping you?
Thanks for thinking about joining me in Brand-ching Out for the Women of the Congo. I won’t win anyone a gold medal, but I won’t let the team down, either – I’ll finish the 10K and we’ll help as many people as we can.
Yours (in earnest if not speed),
Dolores McKay, ZAG Group CVO
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