What every organisation can learn from CNN on Personal Branding

As I write, Christiane Amanpour just returned to CNN for her weekly news interviews. I can't miss Christiane's interviews for anything. She just finished interviewing the 26-year President of Uganda on Koni's matter and the anti-gay bill that are headlining the war ravished country. She is a diplomat. The previous day, Senator John McCann came on the show and I was amused that this Veteran was deferring to Amanpour. Amanpour's presence pierces through the unsaid words of her interviewees, you can see it on their brows. That's a persona. She couldn't pull that through on ABC. It takes a great organisations like CNN to give wings to Personal Brands.

How about Becky Anderson?

Becky Anderson 

Christiane Amanpour 

Becky is another ball game altogether. She is a Gladiator's archetype. Though she reminded us of Christiane years back, we now recognise Becky's voice in the clutter. She is highly very stubborn. She brings her point of view to bear on the news. She talks faster than Christiane.

And Quest Means Business? This is a News Anchor that has brought so much props to the newsroom that you'd think you are in a theatre.

That's CNN. Jonathan Mann. Clancy's files . Piers Morgan.

When you want to run a dynamic organisation that will continuously set the trends, you have to invest in the people as individual brands. Treat them as varied genre of styles that emanate out of your company. Help them find their own voice. All you need to give them is the Core Story of what you stand for. The rest is up to them.

Do you run an Insurance firm? Do your Managers see themselves as someone who is bringing something to the table? Is there enough room for them to grow their own voice?

Always remember that people don't do business with your infrastructures. People do business with people they can connect with. People cannot connect to sales pitch. They will only think about it for a few seconds, except they really need what you are selling. Emotion sells. And emotions reside in Persona.