Warning: If Your Brand is You
Here’s a principle you need to understand in leading a church, team or organization.
I see many church planters, pastors, and other leaders who build their organization closely around their own identity. They brand the church or the organization, very closely associated with their personality.
When you think of the church…you can’t help but think of them.
In fact, you may think of them even more than you do the church.
It has their flavor, their culture, their stamp. That happens naturally in leadership. It’s unavoidable to an extent. People like to follow a leader. People follow a person. But, these leaders seem to do so purposefully.
I’m not saying that’s wrong. It is certainly one option. I even encourage personal branding in this post. And it often works.
(Unless, of course, it’s done out of arrogance or in the case of the church it’s done at the exclusion of the real brand of a church…Jesus!)
But here is the warning…
If you brand something around you….
It will be harder to hand off should you ever or when you ever need to.
You can build a brand around your name, your personality, your particular flavor…
You can probably be successful at it…maybe even more successful at it.
The problem is that when you build around yourself…when you don’t give others a seat at the table of leadership…when you don’t let others share the “brand”…
…and then you leave.
What happens to the brand?
It often leaves with the one it was branded upon. Then others have to build a new brand.
Makes sense, right?
I’m not saying it’s impossible to brand around a person…lots of organizations have…some continue to be successful…it’s just more difficult. Take this blog for example. Who else wants the brand, right?
If you want the vision to last long after you are gone…
Build your brand around a vision that is bigger than you….known for more than just your name.
Read more from Ron here.
Tags: Attention, Brand, Leadership Development, Ron Edmondson
