Business Leaders, Caught in the Small Picture

It’s easy for business leaders to get caught up in the details of everyday business, assuming the role of micromanager, not leader. And because leaders may not be focusing on big-picture questions surrounding the vision, mission, and value of their business and brand, many leaders end up feeling stuck—trying to figure out how to implement strategies without any real framework to guide these decisions. As a result, employees and middle managers can often suffer.

Too often, big-picture questions are dismissed as important, but not necessarily urgent for business. But gaining a clear vision is the most important thing you can do to propel your business forward—with everyone aligned behind and empowered to make that vision a reality.

The Big Picture Demands Time

In the end, many business leaders ignore the big picture simply because they feel they lack the time. Repositioning, realigning, and rebranding all take time and resources. And building a big-picture mentality requires really looking forward.

Because many leaders are taking on too many priorities (many of which exist on a micro-level), it’s difficult for them to feel as though they have the resources needed to address big questions. And instead, they focus on aspects of the business that might, when it comes down to it, not really be their job.

In fact, business leaders may be so connected to the brand—a brand they’ve built, owned, and currently hold a lot of stake in—that they struggle to let go of their reigns and empower others to create change.

Leadership needs to focus on seeing the big picture before anything else.

These are the key macro questions that we believe need to be answered:

Why does your organization exist (what’s your purpose, vision)?
What does it deliver (what value do you offer)?
Why does what you deliver hold meaning in people’s minds and hearts?
And how will it bring its promise to life (how do you behave)?

In order for leaders to find the answers that will empower others to do their job, they need to:

1. Create Guardrails

Defining what you are not—what you do not strive for, what you do not deliver, and how you do not behave—helps gain clarity around who you are and why you matter. Creating guardrails forces leaders to think through consequences of positioning and the various trade-offs of a strategic decision. This kind of clarity can inform your brand and business moving forward—informing how you speak, how you look, where you’re headed, and how to make each decision down the road.

2. Think Strategically, Not Tactically

Big-picture thinking means strategic thinking. Brand strategy and business strategy are all about seeing the whole picture. Considering things in a silo never creates an impactful strategy. And often, leaders get hung up on tactical details that stall powerful, strategic thinking. Although it’s important to occasionally check validity by considering your thinking on a micro level—how actually would you implement this?—it’s important to think big.

3. Listen to Everyone

Often, seeing the whole picture requires widening your perspective. It’s not just about what the C-suite has to say. Everyone should have a voice. Listening is key here. Alignment demands good listening. Give everyone within your company the chance to have a voice and even consider involving an outside perspective that might help put it all into context, identify gaps, and change the conversation.

4. Focus on the Future

In the end, every leader is responsible for driving their business into the future. And there must always be something worth moving toward. A clear vision increases employee productivity and commitment. And being clear about what that future could hold has the power to fuel innovation and empower the people most important to making your vision a reality. It’s easy to feel caught up in the present, stuck in today, and unable to think toward tomorrow. But being a leader is all about the ability to look forward. Then you go back and rally the troops who will make that possible.

If you want your business to succeed, you must focus on the big picture. And a clear and acted-upon purpose that comes to life through consistent behavior is a requirement for brands today. So, take the time and dedicate the resources to taking a macro approach to your brand and business. Be a leader, not a micromanager. Think big and reap the benefits.

Emotive Brand is a brand strategy and design agency in Oakland, California.

Unrealized Business Value

If you’re feeling thwarted by business value that’s falling short of its potential, the answer may well lie in your brand. It’s true that brand lives under marketing, not finance. But a sharp, well-aimed brand strategy can address critical business results from lagging market capitalization to margins.

At Emotive Brand, we believe that brand isn’t just about what you say. It’s also about how you behave, how you serve each of your audiences, and, fundamentally, what you believe. That means your brand strategy is a foundation you can use to build value holistically, across your organization.

Here are three ways brand can build measurable business value:

Market Capitalization

Apple shares were trading below $1 when Steve Jobs rejoined the company in 1997. Today Apple has the highest market cap of any enterprise, clocking in around $867 billion, or $187 per share. Its brand value is the highest too – $184 billion, according to Interbrand.

To put that into perspective, Apple’s brand value is worth more than the entire book value of Coco-Cola Co., according to this tally.

One of the first things Jobs did upon rejoining Apple was to redefine the Apple brand and articulate it to the world.

In a staff meeting revealing the Think Different campaign, when Jobs had been back at Apple just a few weeks, he gave a talk that brilliantly explains the value of putting brand first.

This might be the most inspiring explanation of the power of brand we’ve seen, so do yourself a favor and watch the whole thing. Here are some key points:

“To me, marketing is about belief…. [and] the things Apple believed at its core are the same things Apple really stands for today…. Apple’s about something more than [making boxes…. Our] core value is that we believe that people with passion can change the world for the better… And those people that are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones that actually do.”

Jobs’ clarity about his brand and its audience of passionate individuals helped guide Apple’s innovation and success. Those in turn have helped create the mega-brand value and world-leading market capitalization that Apple enjoys today.

Margin

Apple is also sitting on some $267 billion in cash, according to its latest quarterly earnings report. That illustrates another way brand can help build business value: profitability.

The gross profit margin on the iPhone X is reportedly 64%, up a healthy 5 percentage points from the 59% margin on its immediate predecessor, the iPhone 8. Overall, Apple’s corporate gross profit stands at a whopping 38%.

Of course, many factors impact corporate margins. But it’s clear that Apple’s brand appeal heightens its ability not only to charge a premium, but to launch new products that its fans line up to buy.

Recruiting

Brand appeal has just as much power in recruiting as it does in sales – if not more. It’s not lost on any job hunter how much a gold-plated brand stands out on a resume.

Of course, hiring the right people is essential to the success of any business, but a strong brand also has a direct impact on costs.

LinkedIn reports that a strong employer brand yields 50% more qualified applicants and reduces both hiring time and costs by half. Three quarters of job seekers say they consider the brand before applying.

A strong employer brand even correlates to a higher retention rate. That both saves recruiting and training costs and contributes to higher workforce productivity.

You can learn more by downloading our white paper, How Emotive Brands Drive Business Results.

Emotive Brand is a San Francisco brand strategy and design agency.

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Tag: Business Value

Why Business Leaders Must Address the Big Picture