How does Leadership Branding play a crucial role in your growth?
Viktor had been in charge of the compensation vertical of the HR division for almost 16 years now. Over time, he had become increasingly well placed in terms of political connections too at work. He knew how to get work done. He knew who to talk to and how to keep the machinery well oiled. But his boss never once presented him as such to the CEO. Recognition was a driving factor for Viktor yet he was subtly denied that. His boss Raina always had something to placate him with. From saying “they aren’t ready for you yet” to “don’t focus on small ticket items like these” to “the boardroom is glorified, but often a waste of time”, Raina went out of her way to not showcase Viktor to the leadership team.
But she was eager and quick to project Chandler there. Chandler handled the Talent Acquisition function and had had a journey almost similar to that to Viktor. But he hadn’t really up-skilled with time. He was struggling with the implementation of a new sourcing system and then with the implementation of a shared services framework. Yet he always won favour with Raina.
Organisationally, there are three reasons for why Raina was behaving the way she was:
Chandler was a weak contender to her. So projecting him to the leadership meant ensuring that they would continue to see value in her presence. That would keep her indispensable to them.
Raina was worried that if she revealed Viktor and his mind to the leadership, they would have better use of his skills than she could hope to provide for him in her team. She didn’t want to lose a high performing resource to another group.
She wasn’t convinced about Viktor’s executive presence. And Raina didn’t want to be judged for the kind of talent she had on her team.
The first two reasons, Raina will need to work on herself. But the third reason – where there is a clear link to leadership branding, that is where I have started coaching Viktor .
There is a strong energy vibe that we all need to be aware of when managing people who we don’t like or just pretend to go along with. Viktor’s dislike of Chandler though camouflaged was still evident in their interactions. Viktor often found Chandler’s views not thought through or viable. It got him a lot of flak from those around but also a lot of disrespect from the closer ones.
Raina probably felt that if Viktor wasn’t able to handle animosity courteously at work, then there really was no growth path for him. She’s not wrong in her thinking.
Viktor and I have started our work on “growth behaviours”. No these aren’t “desired” behaviours. Desired behaviour would have him pandering to Chandler’s and Raina’s eccentricities. But growth behaviours guide him to place himself favourably with most stakeholders.
We are currently working on inclusive thinking which means whether or not he “feels/ thinks” that some person has something to contribute to a discussion, it is our prerogative to at least listen.
Over the last few weeks, Viktor's vibe at the workplace has transformed. We talk about the many conversations that he has with people at work, some approaching him on the fly because suddenly he has his ear to the ground. He has realised that for recognition to come his way, Raina need not be the only sponsor. The system can help him to get there too.
Leadership branding works this way, with small, difficult to spot growth behaviours that transform how people look at you.
