The Leader's Edge: Using Personal Branding to Drive Performance and Profit

by Susan Hodgkinson

“ The Leader’s Edge is a must read for aspiring entrepreneurs and executives. Susan Hodgkinson has done what most management consultants and scholars are unable to do. She has written a book consistent with the best research on impression management, social networks and executive development without the jargon. The Leader’s Edge provides keen insights and actionable prescriptions for creating a personal brand. The 5 P’s framework is the most useful I have found for analyzing and taking action to maximize how others will value your potential to contribute and be willing to invest in it.

“Every aspiring professional of color needs to read this book. Susan Hodgkinson writes with sensitivity to the challenges racial minorities often face in large corporations. Her advice is part and parcel of the tools one needs to be liberated from the self-limiting and defensive approaches minorities often take to being undervalued in their places of work. This book is about power and taking control of one’s own destiny.”
—David Thomas, Professor of Organization Behavior, Harvard Business School, and Author of Breaking Through, The Making of Minority Executives in Corporate America

“Sue Hodgkinson is a brilliant executive coach and a vital partner to me in supporting some of my most important clients at Genzyme. Sue brings her successful approach forward in The Leader’s Edge. She gets to the heart of the matter in a way that few others do, enabling leaders to envision and embark upon new pathways to personal excellence.”
—Joan Wood, Senior Vice President, Leadership and Organization Development, Genzyme Corporation

“Every leader at every level needs to read this book.”
—Deborah Merrill-Sands, Former Dean, Simmons School of Management

“Progressing to senior leadership requires a concerted series of adjustments in your leadership approach. This book helps you assess all the dimensions of how you lead, as well as the barriers you should anticipate as you ascend, and strategies for overcoming them. The personal brand framework is practical and following Hodgkinson’s advice will bring quick, high impact results to your work.”
—James G. Connolly, Former President, Citizens Financial Group

“With the clarity and passion of a true visionary, Sue Hodgkinson delivers a practical and potent approach to the phenomenon of ‘personal branding.’”
—Donna D’Cruz, Founder and CEO of Rasa Music

Genres: Nonfiction, Leadership, Business

146 pages, Paperback

First published September 7, 2005

Reviews

[Jeremy Feghali · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was asked to read this book for work, though there was probably a better use for the time spent reading it. I did not personally find it very helpful. Also, if I interpreted Hodgkinson correctly, some of her points are fundamentally incompatible with a Christian worldview. The best thing that came from reading this book is that it made me more thankful for the freedom of the gospel of Jesus, which frees me from my sinful bent towards self-promotion and people-pleasing (the opposite of Hodgkinson’s message). How exhausting it is to constantly think of yourself! If you want a truly beneficial book on self-promotion, go read Tim Keller’s “The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness.”

While there are some good nuggets of information in this, it really could have been condensed into a one page article. In fact, the 1.5 page conclusion at the back of the book has all the relevant information.

[Aleksandra KW · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book a few years ago following a course on personal brand. A very useful
reminder of the intricacies of one’s own stamp in the corporate world. Brief, coherent and true.

[Melanie Engel McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly useful!

[Rana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book! Giving it 4 stars instead of 5 because it started out too vague and didn't really hit home until about a quarter of the way in. However, after that point, the author gave great examples of ways to make this book meaningful to relate to any professional at any level.
The book also makes you reflect upon yourself in a different way than your norm and really makes you take a step outside of yourself to see what others see when they look at you. This is a difficult task, and the book manages to help walk you through it. Would definitely recommend.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

reinforces the importance of being self aware of your personal brand - great book - easy read and it will hit home!

[Marie Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

The information was useful but the writing was a bit of a slog.

[Shaquanna P · Rating 3 out of 5]

Application of the 5Ps of marketing to personal/professional brand management.