Executive Power Brand ~ Deb Dib, The CEO Coach

CEO Confidence Index rose in May

"Chief Executive magazine’s CEO Confidence Index, the nation’s only monthly CEO Confidence Index, rose in May. The CEO Confidence Index rose 15.6 points to 109.9 – a gain of 14.2%."

Seems like good news, but caution is advised by a number of CEOs cited in the study. As one CEO reflected, "We’re likely to see the economy pick up in the next quarter, but the global situation could reverse the improvement trend. All said, we may see some quarterly growth the next few quarters, but watch out for the real devil behind the scenes.” 

What's your take? Good news, or too soon to tell?

Are You Attracting Digital Dirt or Digital Desire? Here's How to Find Out.

With today's virtually unlimited public access to a deep-dive of digital information about you, you MUST know what you look like on-line.

What are people saying about you? If you are a successful executive (or just about anyone), employers, recruiters, board members, the media, and even your friends and family will Google you.

What will they find? Good, bad, or indifferent, you want to know. Knowledge is power -- power that will enable you to leverage what's positive and mitigate what's problematic.

Visit Dan Schawbel's Personal Branding Blog for a list of 5 free, must-use tools to help you track and manage your on-line (and off-line) reputation.

 

Five Ways to Jump-Start Your Network When Your Network is Nowhere

Is this you?

You know networking works. You know everyone says networking is the best way to get a job. Maybe you even got a job from a lead a contact gave you. But you’ve been too busy doing your job to keep your network alive, or maybe you’ve never networked.

And now your network is nowhere.

You keep meaning to get out there and get started networking. When you have time. When you need to. When it feels right.

Now you’re afraid you waited too long.

You’re afraid that your job may be in jeopardy, or that you are being passed up for a promotion, or that you are stagnating where you are, or that you need more professional visibility.

Or maybe, the worst has happened—you’ve lost your job and you need a network NOW.

Jump Starting is Your Answer

Building a vibrant network of professional and personal contacts doesn’t have to take years. You CAN jump-start your network—even if you’ve not networked for months or years. Even if you have never networked.

Using just five simple steps you can create an action plan that will get you out there, get you known, get you traction, and get you set for a lifetime of powerful and satisfying networking. Follow these five simple steps to jump-start your network and create career momentum:

1. Be your own advertising agency
2. Be your own PR organization
3. Become visibly involved in industry groups
4. Get personal with one-on-one calls and meetings
5. Go virtual to get personal

The steps are not hard, but you will have to work hard to make this happen in a compacted timeframe. Remember—you likely have a lot of catching up to do! But with a plan and with passion, you can make it happen, and make it happen faster than you think.

Is success real without value?

Stop by Cube Rules today and read Scott Herrick's post Value Must Precede Success.

In the bustle of business we sometimes forget our grounding -- the reason we are in business -- and the way we want to conduct our lives.

Sure you can have a business (and a life) without value, but for how long, and at what personal and professional cost?

At Executive Power Brand, my passion is to work with leaders who consciously practice value as a goal -- in business and in life. Value is in their DNA. It's who they are -- an authentic part of their personal brand -- and it touches everyone they manage, the products or services the company sells, and the world in which they live. You might be surprised at how many of these great leaders exist in the corporate jungle, quietly and powerfully doing the right thing, everyday -- and leading highly successful companies or divisons.

Scott's post is an apt reminder of value's reach. It touches every part of life and business. With value, purpose meets passion and profit follows.

Can committed and passionate leaders instill a value proposition throughout the organization? Over at Chief Executive Robert M Donnelly explores how Apple, Costco, and FedEx have built value into their products, people, and customer interactions. Their corporate DNA is built around an implied promise of value, and their brands are wildly successful in their markets.

Without value can true personal and business success be achieved? Without value does success have real meaning? What do you think?

Purpose and passion as catalysts to profit – a bad brand fad, or better for business?

A year or so ago, the Working Knowledge Newsletter (published by the Harvard Business School) posed the question “What Do YOU Think: Is There Too Little "Know Why" In Business?”

The column was written by Jim Heskett and featured two then-recent books on the role of purpose in business: Know-How, by Ram Charan and Purpose, by Nikos Mourkogiannis. 

"Let others play with 'strategy' and 'tactics' and 'management.' Purpose is the game of champions." says Nikos Mourkogiannis.

According to Heskett, Mourkogiannis’ theory says transformation is based upon purpose found in four areas:

Discovery: challenge / adventure / innovation (as in dot.com 24/7 entrepreneurs)
Excellence: high-standards for the long-term (as in Berkshire Hathaway / Warren Buffett)
Altruism: serve first / profit will follow (as in Nordstroms)
Heroism: big plans to change industries / the way we live (as in Bill Gates / Microsoft)

I found this interesting because I see these areas and their impact reflected in my clients every day. My clients are corporate leaders who are pragmatic and purpose-driven, who can vision and execute, who are leaders and learners.

My clients sometimes lead Fortune companies; they sometimes lead less visible organizations. They always create impact and they often inspire. And they make a difference while delivering robust profits. They dream of what can be and make money doing it.

My clients find that coupling purpose, pragmatism, and passion can build great companies and it can change the world in small ways and large. It's the best of American capitalism.

Do you agree or disagree?

Do you think purpose can drive innovation and profits and world change? Is it all “New Age” drivel, the groundswell of a passing trend, or a sea change that is transforming the face of American business?

Where do you fall in the Discovery / Excellence / Altruism / Heroism quadrant? Do you fall anywhere in the quadrant at all?

And if you do, how do you reflect YOUR purpose in your work life? Do people know what you stand for? Are you in alignment with the values of your company? If you are a corporate leader, do you work to make profits with purpose?

If purpose is important to you, take a stand and be on brand!

Build a brand statement around your passion and purpose. Use it in all your career documents and use it as a basis for decision-making in your career. When you make your brand visible in all you do you’ll attract companies that are looking for someone like you. And, since as a leader, you reflect your company’s brand, being brand-aligned is critical! As you build your brand you’ll build theirs and as you build theirs your build yours/

Here’s my brand statement to the world: I am unabashedly passionate about helping visionary, gutsy, fun corporate leaders with a conscience build great careers, mold great companies, and even change the world a bit.

What’s yours? Get gutsy, get real, and get it out there!