One of the most difficult challenges for companies is to create alignment in stakeholder perceptions between the organisation's leadership values and its ultimate strategy. This often results in a misalignment between corporate identity (how the organisation wants to be seen by its stakeholders) and how it is actually seen (corporate image). When this happens it will always result in a negative effect on corporate reputation.
When you think of this process using "lenses", it it is often easy to see where the potential "blur points" occur:
1. Are the company's unique selling points and brand value identified and clearly articulated?
2. Does top leadership demonstrate congruence in the way they lead and what they say?
3. Does the company execute on its strategy in terms of products and services and innovation?
4. Is there ongoing effective stakeholder engagement to ensure that critical issues are identifed and addressed timeously?
5. Are there clear stakeholder Key performance indicators with a real time stakeholder dashboard to identify and potential?
There is a direct correlation between leadership, stakeholder engagement brand positioning and corporate reputation.