Social Work Leadership: Establish Your Leadership Brand as a Social Worker

by Becky S. Corbett, MSW, ACSW, and Elizabeth J. Clark, Ph.D., MSW, MPH

     An organization’s brand is what its clients, colleagues, community collaborators, partners, and vendors say about its staff, board of directors, products, and services when a representative from the organization is not around. In a similar way, your personal brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room. It is who you are and what you do. It is how your friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues see you. Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, says, “A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well” (Brown, 2016, p. 1).

How can I develop my brand as a leader?

    One approach to developing your brand as a leader is using an organizational tool. This tool applies the Producktivity® Principles of Identify, Connect, and Organize—identify your core values and strengths, connect them to the elements that make up your brand, and organize a plan to establish your vision and implement your brand.

Where do I start?

• Reflect. First of all, take time to really think about who you are. What makes you uniquely you? When you look in the mirror, who do you see? Do you see a grown-up professional who takes charge, or do you see someone insecure and uncertain? Are you pleased with your image, or are there things you want to change? Do you feel as if you are grounded and ready to move forward, or do you feel as if you are pretending to be someone you are not? Being self-aware is an important first step for leadership.
• Complete an assessment. Do a thorough and comprehensive personal and professional assessment. Begin by conducting an Internet search on your name. Think about what you find. How are you portrayed over social media platforms, including LinkedIn? On social media outlets, who do you follow, and what do you “like”? Ask your friends, parents, grandparents, siblings, mentors, supervisors, and colleagues to describe your leadership skills and traits. Don’t be defensive. Are there several traits that almost everyone recognizes? Note these as strengths. On the other hand, are there skills and talents you think you have that almost no one mentioned? If so, think about why that is the case. How can you make your leadership skills more apparent to others?
• Define your leadership qualities. Leadership author John C. Maxwell teaches that your brand is about your authenticity, character, charisma, communication style, humility, reputation, and trustworthiness. How do you want to be known as a leader? Which of Maxwell’s leadership traits do you already have, and which still need work?
• Review the NASW Code of Ethics. The ethical principles and standards for the social work profession should serve as an important and overarching guide for your professional conduct. When was the last time you read the Code of Ethics and discussed key concepts with a colleague or mentor? Do you feel you are an ethical professional? An ethical person?
• Challenge yourself. After you have completed the steps above, decide what you think your brand should look like. It is not simply about marketing your skills, but, rather, about being certain your personal brand is authentic. Your social work training taught you about the importance of authenticity, and that importance carries over to both your personal and professional worlds
• Describe your current level of influence. Your level of influence is related to your personal brand. Do others know you are a subject matter expert (SME) in social work practice and related areas? Do they see you as a problem solver, a disrupter, a social change agent, a social policy expert, or as someone ineffective? To be an influencer, you need to build social capital, which is defined as the networks of relationships among the people you live, work, and interact with, enabling an organization or group to function effectively. As your career progresses, building social capital becomes easier.
• Look at your personal and professional relationships. How do you treat other people? Be honest with yourself about this topic. It is exceptionally important for leadership development and for professional success. What is your level of tolerance? Do you get frustrated easily? Do you express gratitude often? Remember, your actions speak louder than your words, and people will watch and observe a leader before they will follow.
• Be intentional about your growth. Read publications from management and leadership experts, such as Ken Blanchard, Dale Carnegie, Jim Collins, Peter Drucker, Spencer Johnson, John C. Maxwell, Sheryl Sandberg, and Zig Ziglar. Talk with a mentor, sign up for executive coaching, or attend a mastermind group of like-minded individuals to hold you accountable for your brand.

    Perhaps the most important question to ask yourself is, “Would I follow me?” If the answer is “probably not,” your personal brand needs some work. Keep in mind that you are the one in control of your brand. Clearly articulate the specific leadership skills, knowledge, and abilities you want to be known for and establish consistent action steps to become a trustworthy, authentic, and skilled social work leader who always delivers on her or his commitments.

Resources

Brown, R. (2016). Build your reputation. New York, NY. John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Davis, S.M., & Dunn, M. (2002). Building the brand-driven business. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Clark, E. J., & Hoffler, E. (2015). 100 ways to start smart and get ahead in your career. S2C2 Publishing (http://www.startsmartcareercenter.org).

Clark, E. J., & Hoffler, E. (2016). 100 ways to stay smart and keep your career on track. S2C2 Publishing (http://www.startsmartcareercenter.org).

Maxwell, J. C. (2012). The 21 indispensable qualities of a leader: Becoming the person others will want to follow. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

NASW Code of Ethics. (Revised 2017). Washington, DC. NASW Press (https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English).

Producktivity® Principles. BSCorbett Consulting, LLC (http://www.bscorbettconsulting.com/producktivity.html).

This column on social work leadership is written by two established social work leaders.

Dr. Elizabeth Clark was CEO of the National Association of Social Workers from 2001 to 2013. She currently is the President of the Start Smart Career Center.

Becky Corbett served as the COO of NASW from 2008 to 2013. She is now the President of BSCorbett Consulting and is a national speaker, trainer, and executive coach.