For over a decade now, we’ve brought brands to life for our clients. Throughout countless brand rollouts, we’ve discovered one key element that consistently separates the unforgettable launches from the run-of-the-mill ones.
That key element comes from leadership. Leaders within the organization who are not only willing to set the tone and goals for this new brand but also to stand behind their decisions, even in the face of adversity and criticism. They are the vanguard of their organization’s new identity.
Pull the string, and it will follow wherever you wish. Push it, and it will go nowhere at all.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Let's really take a look at this Push vs. Pull concept. Pushing is convenient. You push decisions onto others, push aside the responsibility, push for focus groups. Pushing feels safe because it eliminates personal risk. You take comfort in the fact that you didn’t make this decision alone, so it isn’t yours alone to steward. Although it feels like the most diplomatic solution, it lacks a vision. Trying to please everyone ultimately means pleasing no one.
What's the alternative, you ask? It’s trusting your gut and strategically creating what your customer and employees actually need right now. It’s about shifting your mindset and pulling others into your vision. Instead of seeking answers and validation, you take to motivating and educating your employees, customers, and prospects to create alignment of purpose. You’re the captain sailing ahead with confidence, prepared for smooth sailing or rough seas.
You’re still not alone because you’re pulling your team and your customers along with you. And because you started with a clear destination, you’re poised to be the champion of your brand. Every choice was made with confidence towards a goal, instead of ten voices pushing in ten different directions.
I spoke to one of our current clients, a CEO whose company we’re rebranding, and he said that his company is not the same company he started seven years ago. But let’s be honest, most companies, and people even, are quite different from who they were in 2019. This year has changed us all in countless ways, and in order to attract the best talent, retain the highest performers, and maximize everyone's potential, we as leaders need to pull our organization towards the future. Our customers and employees will follow.
Don’t tread in others’ footsteps when your rebrand should be seen as an opportunity to help blaze a new path, the right path for the future of your company, employees, and ultimately the people you serve.
