“Here’s the problem: The top three or four business schools in the country all work from the same sources. We use the same textbooks, the same materials, even the same ideas. And yet one always comes out on top. And I’ve always wondered why!” 

I was chatting with the frustrated marketing manager of a business school that found itself perennially competing for second and third place. I had just delivered a presentation titled ‘Own Your Industry,’ and he had been in the audience. I had made the point that knowledge alone was insufficient to create an industry leader; be it an individual or a brand. One has to add two more ingredients to the mix before industry leadership may be achieved, in the form of personality and publicity. 

“The penny dropped for me when you said that,” he told me. “Because our dean is not keen on speaking in public. He is reluctant to appear in the media. And the dean at the school that holds the top spot is the exact opposite. He’s an outspoken public figure who’s always seen in the limelight. That’s their differentiator. That’s why they are seen as number one. The difference is in the dean.” 

‘The Difference is in the Dean.’

Sometimes, it’s the sheer iconic status of the individual that sets a brand apart.

When your buildings look the same, stand on the roof with a colourful flag. Resolve not to compete on price, but rather on the energy of thought leadership, and you can own your industry.

Read the full, article-length version here: http://www.douglaskruger.co.za/articles/article-136/The_Difference_is_in_the_Dean___Professional_Speaker_Douglas_Kruger.html