277. Leadership & Branding: Moving from Friend to Love with Doug Zarkin

What if your greatest leadership asset wasn't your product or service, but the emotional connection people feel towards your brand? In this thought-provoking episode, award-winning brand strategist Doug Zarkin challenges the idea that branding is just a marketing function. Instead, he positions it as a vital leadership responsibility—one that shapes how people engage with your organization at every level.

Doug, former chief marketing officer for Pearl Vision and author of Get Your Brand Out of the Friend Zone, introduces the idea of “sticky brands”—those that earn both high passion and high trust. He connects this directly to leadership, explaining that people are drawn to brands and leaders they believe in. Just like customers choose brands they trust and love, employees stay loyal to leaders who value and inspire them. Leadership and branding, Doug argues, are reflections of the same human principles.

He also offers practical insights on building teams, hiring for passion, and embracing the “three A’s” of Authority, Autonomy, and Accountability. Through powerful sports analogies and his concept of “thinking human,” Doug reminds us that creating emotional connections—with customers and team members alike—is the key to lasting impact. Whether you're leading a large organization or a small team, this episode offers a roadmap for turning brand loyalty into leadership success.

🌐 Connect with Doug:
• Website: https://www.dougzarkin.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougzarkin/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dougzarkin/

📚 You can purchase Doug's book on Amazon:
• Moving Your Brand Out of the Friend Zone: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKD7F4S4/

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