Companies have brands. We all know what it means and how we feel when we buy a hamburger from McDonald’s or a Coke or a Hermes tie or a Cannondale bicycle. We trust the company that made the product. It’s their promise to us.
When I coach executives we discuss their career trajectory and their brand. Their brand is what the market expects from them. Why they’re trusted. Their brand is their promise to the market.
But brands can become tired or obsolete. Where is JC Penney or Blockbuster Video or Tower Records? They all tried to keep their promise but the markets and tastes and technology moved in another direction.
Understanding your core competencies isn’t enough anymore. Believing that your talent and skills are fixed commodities is a dangerous form of static thinking. Your brand today, your promise, needs to acquire new competencies, new skills, new promises.