Tag: Connection

A Selfless Act Called…Branding!

 

Ideally, yes! And mind you, selfless doesn’t mean private.

 

Lets look at the importance of selflessness..

 

Selflessness improves relationships, Selflessness can keep you healthy, Selflessness gives us a new perspective, Selflessness forms connection, Selflessness gives you a sense of peace, Selflessness can be a form of therapy.

 

Typically brands spend millions of dollars to realise some of the above, if not all.

 

A great brand naturally flows out of the product or service. Graciously. Optimistically. With the singular focus of making it successful.

 

Yes, it needs shaping. Crafting. Articulating. Calibrating. But, the underlying shape- the bones of whatever it is- are present from its inception.

 

And the role of the brand builders is to help it find the appropriate outfit, to coach it on how to walk and talk, mentor it and set it free into the real world. So, when it finally goes out into the world, its appearance matches its personality.

 

Selfless, really?

 

Isn’t branding all about yourself? Looking inward? A transcendently selfish act?

 

Well, a brand is part of the society. As it steps into the world, it has to signal very clearly what it stands for.

 

That said, a brand cannot live in isolation. Like the fish in water, which are dependent on the ecosystem around it, a brand on its own is pretty much a useless entity.

 

A mobile phone needs a cellular network, an electrical infrastructure. It needs a marketplace, it needs software, it needs applications, it needs accessories. And each one of these ecosystems breaks down into smaller and smaller subsystems. Without all this, a cell phone is a useless brick of metal, plastic and glass.

 

With a logo on its back.

 

If a brand lives by itself in the forest, will anyone know it’s a brand?

 

You just maybe tempted to take a look at this article from BrandKnew about Personal Values and the Need for a Purpose Led Brand Culture.

 

ENDS

Words Worth!

Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity.

 

“Words, like nature, half reveal and half conceal the soul within.”

 

“Words—so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become, in the hands of one who knows how to combine them “!

 

We take the stage. The spotlight is on us. There is a great opportunity calling. Our words- it can connect, engage, open up possibilities, create progress. With the audience. Or, our words- could severe, distance, delink us from moving things forward.

 

Just an arrow that has left the security of the quiver cannot be retrieved, as is so with our words. So measure our words, use them for respect, by respect and with respect. Love is life in search of words, and words are wings that lift us, break us, join us, melt us, like rain.

 

The person in front of you keeps the door open for you as you enter behind her. You say ‘ Thank you ‘ and she responds by saying ‘ No Problem ‘. Nothing wrong with that. Except, that it may convey that the good deed she did of keeping the door open for you was a huge hassle but she did it nevertheless. A better expression of words could have been ‘ My Pleasure ‘. After all, she had a choice, and she chose to do this work precisely so that it could have an impact on someone else, in this case you. The story we tell ourselves about the work can be fuel for finding ways to do it better.

 

 

If culture and community are the bedrocks of our existence, then hospitality and connection give them the wings. Words are like loose canon. You can choose your words. But you cannot choose the effect they can have on people.

 

To quote from some wisdom of the past- ” Don’t use words too big for the subject. · Words are sacred. · Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit— YOU choose “.

 

May I direct you to this article from BrandKnew that just may dovetail into what I touched upon above.

 

ENDS

Calm A Sutra !

There is of course a phonetic co relation to what you are thinking but there ends the potential!! Sorry to disappoint you.

 

 

A sutra is a concise verse or scripture within Hinduism and Buddhism. In Sanskrit, sutra means “note,” “sacred thread,” or “code.” Sutras are often used in chanting and meditation. Many who have a spiritual yoga practice use the sutras as a guide to life.

 

 

” If then it’s not the things that you pursue or avoid are coming at you, but rather than you in a sense are seeking them out, at least try to keep your judgement of them steady, and they too will remain calm and you won’t be seen chasing after or fleeing from them “. Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 11.11

 

 

People often look to their leaders before looking at themselves before losing their calm and if their leader is calm, they will be calm too. This is what is meant by “calm is contagious”. It means you need to be mindful of how you’re feeling and what emotions you’re projecting.

 

 

Calm isn’t the only thing that’s contagious. You can pretty much replace calm with any word like panic, chaos, or disorder. 

 

 

Former Navy SEAL Rorke T. Denver’s idea of Calm is Contagious carries valuable lessons that every leader should know. Diving into the deeper meaning of “ calm is contagious ” shows us the role of leaders in any environment and how we can do better to guide our teams.

 

 

There is a maxim that Navy SEALs pass from officer to officer, man to man. In the midst of chaos, even in the fog of war, their battle-tested advice is this: ” Calm is Contagious “.

 

 

You don’t need to be a Navy SEAL to have a contagious calm. We all want to be around people who are calm and in control. But we also have an opportunity to be that person for our colleagues, our families and even ourselves. Our ability to calm ourselves and reduce stress fundamentally changes how we react and how we make decisions.

 

 

Given that others are likely to mimic or amplify your behavior, think closely about what you want that behavior to be. There’s an obvious contagious effect with our emotional and cognitive experiences; we’re constantly affected by others and their emotional states. 

 

 

Humans are hardwired for connection.Whether people know it or not, they’re constantly borrowing from other people’s nervous systems and lending out their own. It’s a trade off- give and take.

 

 

There are enough storms. Stick to calm.

 

 

PS: If time and inclination permit, you my find value in watching the interview in BrandKnew with Dr Jonah Berger( author of the book Contagious, among many other best-sellers).

ENDS