The Golden Arches are one the most-recognisable symbol in the world. Now the topmost custodian of the McDonald’s brand shares what he thinks is the most important brand one will ever manage. And it’s not the fast food giant.
In a series of career advice columns, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski shared when he was a young brand assistant in his first job at global FMCG juggernaut Proctor & Gamble, a senior leader asked him what he thought would be the most important brand he would ever manage. He replied with the name one of the company’s largest product lines.
Kempczinski said, “The advice the leader gave me has served me in every job I’ve had since then: the most important brand you manage is your own.”
“Now, as CEO, I watch for people, both already in leadership roles and those earlier in their career, that actively assess and curate their personal brand. They’ve thought about what they stand for and what direction they want to take. It requires a high level of self-awareness, a willingness to hear honest feedback, and a focus on strengthening your weaknesses,” he added.
He went on to say he wants to work with people who are confident in their skills and humble enough to know where they need help: “But your personal brand is more than how you see yourself. It’s how others see you and what they say about you when you’re out of the room. Everything you do at work contributes to your brand or works against it.”
Kempczinski’s advice: “If you aren’t focused on your personal brand within your current job, you should definitely care about it for future career growth… When you’re in any field long enough, it starts to feel like a small world where everybody knows everybody else. Make sure they’re telling the story you want them to tell.”
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