Ali and the Brand

As the rest of the world, I mourn the death of Muhammad Ali.  The weekend was filled with tributes and accolades for his in and out of the ring talents.  Controversy surrounded him throughout his life but the “Ali Brand” will always be remembered with fondness.

All of this got me thinking about how Ali managed his “brand” or “reputation” etc.  I’ve come to the conclusion that he didn’t manage his brand.  Yep I just said it… you’re probably cursing me at this point, but let me explain.

Ali did what he wanted… he didn’t care about what others thought…he let his conscious, beliefs, life experiences and character steer his brand.  In other words, Ali was authentic long before being authentic was cool.  You took the good and the bad with Ali.  You always knew where he stood.  He didn’t mince words.  His ACTIONS defined him, albeit his mouth certainly had skill unto its own.  

Those actions defined his brand.

As companies strive to be authentic they can learn something from Ali.  Not all of your decisions are going to be received positively – but true authenticity requires you to go through the storm to get to the sunshine.  However, in the end doing the right things – helping your community, providing the best product/services, growing your staff, being honest and not trying to put lipstick on a pig when you make a mistake will all lead to long-term authenticity.

RIP Champ and thanks for the lessons.

Scott

P.S.  Check out the NYTs article on Ali… I think it is the best piece I’ve read.  http://nyti.ms/28fWBQH