Leadership Branding in a 3 Minute Scene

It may seem like a cliché to say Hollywood creates great movies that stir people’s emotions, but creating a realistic leadership brand requires the same ingenuity to create a fascination with you as a person and leader. In one 3 minute segment in the movie “Crimson Tide” you can see and feel an entire Ivy League course on leadership branding. The scene stars out with the crew of the USS Alabama lining the dock in a rain storm. There is a crisis in Russia and the Alabama has been called by the government to protect the millions of Americans, this is both the suspense of the situation and call to action rolled up into one. Then the captain ties himself to the crew, aligning them with his own personal brand. By saying the only thing he asks of his crew is for them to Keep Up with him, yet another call to action. Then,  he ties himself and the crew to the ship. By stating to the Chief Petty Officer, in front of the crew, the ship has a proud name, representing a proud people, from a outstanding state, from the finest country in the world. Then to top it off says “GO-Bama” as the crew replies, “Roll Tide”. Now everyone and everything is innately connected, ship, crew, and captain in call to action for a life or death struggle to save America.

From a branding standpoint, it is more than a great scene. It is more than a call to action. It is a scene that ties the actors and viewers into the story. From the initial fascination with the characters people choose sides on which leader is right and which one is wrong.  It delves into changing demographics and organizational paradigms, old versus new, authoritarian leadership verses inclusive leadership. But even further it creates the image that people want to be a part of something larger than them. A reason to sacrifice themselves if need be for the greater good. Ultimately, you a sucked into the leadership brands of the Captain and his Executive Officer.

As a leader you have a brand that you created over time and are judged by through every encounter you have with your employees. What is your brand? Are you able to tie the mission of your organization in with the job responsibilities of the people you supervise? Without giving a speech, written by a highly paid writer, and based solely, on your actions do you create your own call to action? Do people believe you have the knowledge and skills required for you to be successful? On a daily basis, do you create a vision of where you wish to take your team and inspire them to willingly follow you?

 If your team is motivated by you, and your actions on a daily basis, to accomplish things that they would not believe they could accomplish then you have created a brand that is truly remarkable and rare. Without a doubt, you will make a huge Splash on the Matrix.