Build Your Business Brand Through Boundaries - By: James C. Tanner

One rarely has to go far in their business reading to stumble across an article or book on the subject of building or developing a business brand. Developing brands has become one of the "Hot Topics" of the entrepreneurial world today. Not too long ago I received an ezine article entitled "Building Your Brand Through Blogging!". In the weeks previous, almost every other article or book to cross my desk, touched on this very subject with great care and detail, everyone of them missing on one critical aspect of branding a business. You cannot build and maintain over the long haul, a business brand without the clear establishment of "boundaries".
Boundaries are invisible and symbolic "fences" that have three basic purposes. First, to keep unwanted competitors, customers, personnel, and/or any other business related entities from coming into our space, destroying our focus, and abusing us or our business. Secondly, to keep us from going into the space of others and doing the same. Thirdly, to give each of us a way to embody our business with a sense of "who we are"as a brand and a business.
A boundary is a means of setting limits that enhance a personal and/or a business ability to have a sense of self and identity. Boundaries control the impact of reality on the individual and/or business entity as well as those around it. The sole purpose of a boundary is to contain and protect reality.
In the world of business, there are two main components to boundaries. The external system and the internal system. The external system protects the business and controls distance as well as touch (the outward projection of our business actions in our community) in business relationships or activities. The internal system protects business thinking and behavioral processes (what goes on inside the walls of our business). The internal system acts like a filter and functions in conjunction with the external system.
Boundaries are created by first, visualizing your external and internal systems. Then creating business and personal statements which clearly define those external and internal boundaries. Those statements being simplified enough to be easily committed to memory. A mission or purpose statement, a code of ethics, code of personal conduct, a business plan, a marketing plan, all of these are part and parcel of the statements which clearly define your business boundaries.
Boundaries without accountability are useless, and as a leader you expect the best from those around you. As the leader, it's your role to hold them to the higher standard. Once you are clear about your boundaries, you must educate people on how to act in accordance with your business boundaries. If you never tell people how to treat you or your business, they will treat you in whatever way they so choose. When you say nothing, as a leader, you surrender your authority to lead.
Part of being a leader means demanding excellence of others, and never settling for anything less. When workers come up short of excellence, as the leader, it's your job to bring it to their attention. When you assert yourself and point out inappropriate, or less than stellar performance, you demonstrate leadership, exhibit self respect and become a role model for others.
In the business world, if your business boundaries are clearly defined in writing, include them in an employee manual and present a copy to every employee upon being hired. When boundaries are violated, it makes it easier for an employer to sit down with that employee and review from the employee manual where things went astray.
Finally, there is an important subject to touch upon before one can walk away from the subject of building a business brand through the use of boundaries, and that pertains to the personal conduct of leaders. One of the great pitfalls which swallows many a great leader is the arrogance that comes with success. With arrogance often comes recklessness. A leader in society, or in the corporate world is a leader 24/7 and his or her conduct must reflect so. Many great leaders fall flat on their face due to the lack of personal boundaries in their own lives and especially in the area of sexual conduct, or best stated, mis-conduct. Leadership is a lonely place to be, it takes men and women of incredible inner steel to stand alone over long periods of time in the face of making tough unpopular decisions. When society around a leader may be willing to compromise, true leaders hold to the line, "Others may, I cannot!"
While great effort and care needs to be taken in building a business brand, even greater effort and care needs to be taken in building a personal brand. The grandchildren of a corporate leader may never understand the business accomplishments of their grandparent, but they will never forget the personal ethical downfalls, and the private events that lead to loss of face, loss of honor, loss of glory, on the home front. Great leadership begins at home, and is simply reflected in the workplace. It begins in your own personal life, bringing your private inner world in order. Contrary to popular opinion, great leaders are not dictators, they are people who through personal example, give strength to those around them, causing people to want to emulate them.
Before one can succeed in building an effective and successful business brand, they must first fight the good fight, and learn how to build their own personal brand as a human being.