The Visionary Brand | The Culture Matrix | Leadership

EPISODE 127

The Visionary Chronicles Podcast

CHRONICLE: September 20^th, 2023

 

Content from Bryan’s new Award Winning, Bestselling Book

The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands.

• Readers Favorite Award Winner: Best, Non-fiction, Marketing book
• Amazon Bestseller.

 

THE VISIONARY BRAND | The Culture Matrix | Leadership

 

" Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit” - Jawaharlal Nehru

 

To be a Brand, you must first understand yourself, who you are, and what you do, then engrain a singular voice around these principles and apply this to every segment of your business. In other words, creating an authentic Culture, driven through a passionate Team and Community collectively realizing your Vision.  

Brands who embrace this authentic Culture are often led through Servant leadership. Servant leadership is proactive and self-sacrificing and leads to a cohesive team loyal to a brand's long-term growth. Many brands, such as Patagonia, are committed to being Servant leaders and giving back whenever and wherever possible. The commitment is carried through in their brand culture;

 

“Patagonia supports environmental organizations with bold, direct-action agenda, and a commitment to long-term change.”

 

What an awesome cultural statement that reflects Servant leadership and consistent brand voice. The Vision of Patagonia through founder Yvon Chouinard’s eyes and carried through the brand and its team's bloodlines! A passion that has led to one of the world’s most successful and admired brands, a Vision to be a Servant leader, and to build a Culture that lasts for generations.

For your brand, Servant leadership can be carried through serving others without any hidden agenda for the betterment of the brand, employees, or customers on a global scale. By engraining Servant leadership into your Culture, a brand can better communicate its values and Vision to those looking to join your Tribe. However, always keep it authentic, real, and value-driven; this is the anchor of Servant leadership.

Another cultural value that meshes with Servant leadership is Character. A leader's Character, which consistently follows through at all levels of your brand, builds loyalty and trust across your team. A leader with character issues often drives inconsistent or unauthentic leadership. Authentic Character is a Foundational principle of Visionary leaders, and once it is broken, the entire foundation of a brand starts to crack. If severe enough, the whole brand may crumble; this is how vital Character is to a brand’s viability. It is not the brand's success that builds a great team; it is the consistent Vision, Character, and Servant leadership of its Visionary!
Diversity and Values leadership are additional areas required to create a solid brand Culture. Most brands fall short in these areas, not for lack of trying but not understanding the importance of maintaining both principles. You can’t simply pick and choose when you are committed to these principles; you need to be 100% committed once they are set. To say one thing and do another creates confusion, breaks trust, and reduces loyalty.
While at Oakley, we had a “take no prisoners” attitude, which bled through the entire brand culture and showed throughout our Community. We were the Visionaries, the category leaders, and we knew it. We were cocky and had an attitude. Best in class, or nothing!

Can you honestly say you understand “who you are and your culture?” If not, get to work and define it. Otherwise, you are a rudderless boat with no sense of direction or destination.

Anchor yourself and your brand in Servant leadership first, with consistent Character, defined Values, and brand Diversity.

So, in conclusion, in order to build a Culture that lasts for generations, and is tangible, authentic and genuine you must have the following;

1. Servant Leadership
2. Leadership Character
3. Diversity of People, Opinions and Roles
4. Value Driven Principles

These are anchors to the foundation of any great brand, and a Culture which sustains and maintains its passion to succeed.

 

Stay True, Stay Authentic, be Different, and be Great!

Enjoy the Journey!

 

Bryan Smeltzer, President

 LiquidMind Inc.

 

#TheVisionaryChroniclesPodcast

#TheVisionaryBrandBook

 

@LiquidMindsite.com

@BryanSmeltzer.com

 

 © All rights reserved, Bryan Smeltzer, 2023

 

 

Bryan Smeltzer is a consumer products business executive and entrepreneur. He has held executive-level roles in business development, Product, and marketing with some of the world's most prestigious brands, including Oakley, TaylorMade, Adidas, K-Swiss, and Schutt Sports, among other international brands. He also founded a men’s apparel brand, successfully running a profitable business for ten years, eventually selling to a VC firm.

 

He also hosts a Podcast called The Visionary Chronicles, ranked as the #1 Visionary and Top 50 Marketing Podcasts by Feedspot, and recently finished his first bestselling book, The Visionary Brand, The Success Formula Behind the World’s Most Visionary Brands, and recently received the prestigious Readers Favorite Award for BEST Non-fiction, Marketing Genre book.

 

He is also a member of the Board of Advisors at UCI’s BCIE along with their New Venture Program, an Innovation Advisor at the UCI’s Applied Innovation program at the Cove, a Mentor/Advisor to UCLA’s Price Center Venture Accelerator Program, and a Mentor/Advisor at the San Diego Sports Innovators Accelerator (SDSI) center.

Bryan oversees LiquidMind Inc., a global brand strategy firm that partners with start-ups and established mid to large-cap consumer brands to empower businesses to think differently, be different, drive a passionate culture, and execute relentlessly.

You can contact or  follow him at;

 

 bryan@LiquidMindsite.com

 Facebook |  @bryansmeltzer33

Instagram |  @bryan_smeltzer

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 LinkedIn | linkedin.com/in/bryansmeltzer/