Reilly Newman | Many believe clarity is about vision, but in reality it is about thought.
The best form of clarity is clarity of thought. It bleeds into all aspects of life because thinking is life; from business to personal life. And I’ve learned that this clarity isn’t about adding “good stuff” by reading, learning, and growing but also requires keeping the “bad stuff” out. It is why we use the term “clarity” in talking about diamonds and impurities.
If it were just about adding the good, then everyone could do it because we have plenty of books, courses, information, etc. about everything available to virtually everyone. Incredible, but the missing component is discipline. The same discipline to learn, adapt and grow is the same discipline needed to keep the bad out.
You can add all the good you want, but if the bad is able to enter it will undermine all of your effort. This bad can be things from additive behaviors and bad habits to just plain old pride getting in the way of the good taking root in your life. The bad can quickly blur your clarity and put you in a tailspin. Let the bad in and it will not only stall your progress, but poisons what you’ve already built.
This clarity of thought connects directly to brand. Clarity of brand is not something you install. It is something you actively maintain.
Clarity of a brand sometimes gets dumbed down to having a clear “mission statement” or “why” behind the brand and although this may be nice to have as a reminder, it won’t move the needle. Applying the same principles of having discipline to our brand in order to harness the good and keep out the bad will lead to clarity as a natural byproduct.
The clarity that moves the needle for your brand is found in understanding what you need to grow, adapt, and transform. This is a longterm mindset. It is a learning mindset that is looking at the horizon and seeing where the wind blows while keeping a pulse on the immediate. This is stewardship.
Being a good steward of a brand also means ensuring there is no bad being introduced into the brand. This means anything that can spoil the brand experience. From a unharmonious visual representation of the logo to poor customer service or faulty product quality.
Now with both good and bad being attended to, you have set yourself up for clarity. This stewardship allows for clarity to flourish because you not only keep the toxins away but have found sources of healthy nutrients that keep your thinking active and improving. This thinking is where special dots get connected and allow the brand to stay on its toes as it dances through the market while competitors stand in line.
This clarity is not something that is set and then forgotten, it is a constant hunger to feed with a healthy diet of books, articles, podcasts, and the exercising of thought with writing and day dreaming. It’s also the constant defense against the dark arts of trends, status quos, doubts, fears, and even economic headwinds. These toxins will inhibit your hunger and stunt your growth.
Clarity is a matter of active discipline and stewardship. Clarity is thinking. Clarity is a verb.
