Developing & Branding Your Personal Competitive Advantage

I did not know Leona Helmsley other than what you read in the media and see on Saturday Night Live skits.  There was a movie about her as well -Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean, which starred Suzanne Pleshette as Leona and Lloyd Bridges. 

Sounds like she was a pain in the ass to be around and mean, hence being branded as Leona Helmsley - "Queen of Mean".  I was not around her so I don't know if she was worth the trouble as she wrote countless millions of dollars in checks to charity and payroll.  - Leona Helmsley's charitable activities included a $25 million gift to New York Presbyterian Hospital, $5 million to Katrina relief and $5 million to help the families of firefighters after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In the late 1990s, she gave millions of dollars to help rebuild African-American churches that had been burned in the South.  These numbers came from the CNN article but no doubt following the headline of her being mean with an iron fist business women and jailbird.

I have interviewed thousands of executives and have seen my fair share of tough and deliberate personalities.  There is a fit for everyone and I am willing to bet many people appreciate and thrived in her leadership style.  That said, she is portrayed as being mean and was I am sure.  Many regret past things done and said, as we all do.  But to be branded as mean as she created jobs and community opportunity and worth mentioning again, a true philanthropist.  How mean, right?  The brand, that brand, will not sell in theaters and not worthy of print in the media. 

Maybe her philanthropy was not genuine or was a PR stunt.  I doubt it though, because if she was mean, she would have told stories of the survival of the fittest - which, of course, she did not do.