A few weeks back I had the joy of speaking with Sheri Killingsworth on Around the Bonfire about Leadership and Brand Identity.  Sheri has lived in this world and strongly believes that leadership plays an important role in guarding a property (or property management company) brand identity. A property’s brand identity, in turn, must then be experienced by the residents who live there. What’s more, is that if the identity of the property isn’t lived out and experienced by the employees working there, then, despite the best intentions of the social media team, the brand’s identity begins to… leak.

When the brand’s identity begins to leak, employees begin to leave. After too much turnover (while saying nothing of factors like interest rates and oversaturated markets), the brand's reputation can be damaged, leading to lower occupancy on site.

Sheri’s thoughts provoked and seemingly coincided with some ideas I’ve been wrestling with about identity. One of my friends who’s been in the business for a while told me, “In multifamily, we tend to overcomplicate things because, at the end of the day, it is all about getting heads in beds.” All of this got me thinking, why is identity so important? What is it? Who comes up with it? Why does it matter?

According to dictionary.com, identity is the character, qualities, and beliefs that distinguish or identify a person or a thing.

Vendors, such as yours truly, also spend a lot of time on brand identity, persona, and values, all in hopes of convincing management companies to work with us (such as the one Sheri worked for previously).

Here is where Sheri’s thoughts really got me thinking. Identity matters. Who we are as people matters. And if you’ve not noticed, today’s America is fascinated by defining itself by political parties, the clothes we wear, which era we are in, etc., etc. And the noise! As I type I am currently subjecting myself to three screens (not counting my precious, iPhone). Whether it is apartments flooding your feed because you googled “apartments for rent” or some influencer trying to sell you some bio-hack to change your life, the entire world is trying to shape you, and your team and influence your identity.

Attachment Theory:

I learned this a long time ago from some smart shrinks. Attachment theory is a psychological framework that explains how humans form bonds (think glue) with other people. These attachments (in)form our identity. It goes like this:

Interaction ⇨ Attachment ⇨ Love ⇨ Identity

What we interact with forms our attachments (think of a mom with her newborn baby). What we attach to shapes what we love, and in turn, shapes our identity.

At an apartment level or a vendor level, we are all trying to get the right customer or client to interact with us, so they form a deep emotional bond that endures and makes them feel good about our product, service, or apartment community. Eventually, people will identify as loyal customers! Think about Coke vs. Pepsi. Or Nike vs. Rebook. Or Greystar vs. Asset Living. Or Bonfire vs. ABC Vendor.

Don’t believe me?

Check out this quick video on the Neuroscience of Branding.

So, think about the company you work for or the apartment you live in. Do you have a deep attachment to it? Are you proud to say where you live or work? This is where I agree with Sheri 100% on the importance of leadership having a clear, authentic brand identity and company values. For the residents living on-site or customers using your service, do they know who we are? Is it authentic, or are they just another head in a bed? Or is your customer just another number that adds to the bottom line?

Now think about your leadership.

What about the employees? Is the leadership shaping the brand identity in such a way that it is authentic, and that the leaders care about their employees and their experience? I mean, work is work. That is why we get paid because, in most jobs, there is at least one aspect that people would not simply show up and do for free. But at your community or company, are the employees living into the identity set up by the leaders, or are they just doing a job?

If leaders do not have a clear sense of identity, both personal and corporate, then how can they maintain the integrity of the brand? I am not the kinda dude who wants to spend week after week going on vision retreats with peyote in a sweat lodge, nor do offsite team-building exercises. However, like most humans, I want to be a part of a company identity that brings clarity and purpose. It seems one of the primary jobs of a leader is to clarify the identity of the company and gather people around. Strong brands with a clear identity tend to have loyal customers who enjoy being a part of that brand.

Every time I think I have this figured out, every so often something pops out and makes me question who I am, and just what am I doing. But take heart - identity - both of a company and as individuals, is a lifelong discovery process.

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