All great Brand Managers are a bit like Rahzel, who can famously rap/sing and beatbox at the same time.

Great Brand Managers are able to do the impossible -

1. Balance quant and qual - The numbers will give you the what, but the people will give you the why. Great brand managers have to intimately understand both. They need to grasp the puts and takes on the business and the real human drivers behind the business results. Otherwise you are just data rich and insight poor.

2. Think short term and long term - There will be no long term horizon for your brand if you mismanage the immediate. But too much focus on today will eclipse the long term investments that will help you survive tomorrow.

3. Play and coach - The brand manager cannot delegate their way to success. They also have to be ready to execute. The brand manager must have a deep understanding of the systems and processes so they can not only see around corners and coach effectively, but they also have to be prepared to “do” when their team is out of their depth or just out of office.