Have You Lost Your Identity?

So many companies are trying to be all things to all people and they end up being nothing for nobody. They have no clearly defined culture because it is totally fractured into mini-segments trying to serve the masses. They also no longer are able to differentiate themselves from the rest of the competition and are considered by customers to be a commodity.

Where is the appeal?
Where is the uniqueness?
When do you find passion is such organizations?

I see leaders making the same mistake in these recessionary times. They want to blend in, they are willing to do whatever the boss wants and conform to whatever the organization says because of fear of being the renegade, drawing attention to one’s self and being let go.

Renegades are what we need now more than ever!

We need leaders to break from the pack and try new things. We need renegades to shake things up and let go of the status quo that got us here in the first place. Leaders need to create their own identities and unique differentiations to stand out to customers and following employees. Uniqueness creates passion and passion creates commitment and commitment creates new ideas to solve problems. Now is the time to claim your identity as an organization and as a leader.

Overcome the desensitization

If you see enough ads on TV they all begin to blend together and become meaningless. If you see enough action in a movie there no longer is the spike of adrenaline from yet another car chase. We are becoming very desensitized to what we witness daily as a society and especially in the workplace.

As a leader you must reinvigorate a desensitized workforce!

Call a stand up meeting of employees to get them involved in solving a particular problem they've never had input on before yet deal with the problem regularly. Involve some of your front line employees in gathering ideas for a new customer contact campaign. Ask employees to suggest ways to stand out in the service to your customers. The key is to try new things and create a work culture that has meaning and importance.

Create your identity in the marketplace!
Stop being one of the pack!
Be the unique leader of a unique organization!

Most work cultures today don’t inspire employees to act, only to hide and blend in. Inspire your employees by creating some uniqueness in your organization and begin the process of building momentum for the emerging economy. Sales may be stagnant and orders may be off, but now is the time to be the renegade and out run your competition – by recapturing the real you and giving your organization a real identity.