Qualities of An Effective Brand Manager

While this is only my opinion, I believe the following to be qualities of an effective brand manager:

• Well read - fiction (storytelling, character development, plot development, human motivations and drama), nonfiction (art, architecture, music, history, biography, leadership, philosophy, religion, physics, metaphysics, science fiction, food, travel, psychology, sociology, anthropology, behavioral economics, marketing, finance, business management, business strategy, etc.) and poetry
• Well travelled - as a true world traveler, not just a tourist, getting to know local people and cultures
• An ernest observer of human behavior, with an intuitive understanding of what motivates people
• A solid understanding of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
• Curious about everything with a genuine interest in everything
• Spiritual and philosophical, striving to have a deeper understanding of things
• An out-of-the-box thinker - an idea person
• Friendly, amiable and approachable
• A strong orator with persuasive verbal communication skills
• An entertaining conversationalist
• A good command of logic and argument with good debating skills
• A very strong writer, with a flair for language and persuasive written communication skills
• A good storyteller
• Talented at creating emotionally compelling sound bites
• An effective influencer
• A competent project manager with the ability to manage against cost, schedule and performance
• Adequate analytical skills - ability to sift through data to discern anomalies and trends
• Marketing research expertise
• Financial management skills
• Decisive
• Confident
• Self-aware
• Willing to make tough decisions and take calculated risks
• A good manager, counselor and coach