Successful companies, large and small, understand the significance of a powerful brand. This note is not for them it’s for you, the world of individual players. Those who need to be the “CEO of Me”.
Your Personal Brand follows you around like your shadow. It’s essentially your value and your reputation. It’s critical that you make it count.
You can look to others for inspiration but you can’t copy because You Are The Brand. Any attempt to be someone you’re not will lead to a place you don’t want to go…brand confusion and potential brand extinction. It just won’t serve you.
In today’s massive global, digital world with everyone vying for attention, and a secure position in their careers, what is the leverage that helps keep you unshakeable? What separates you from the rest?
Skill and credibility aside, there is a very important aspect of your personal brand that many overlook. An authentic brand emanates from the inside out. It starts with your purpose..the purpose that emanates from your soul. I call this your soul purpose or your soul line. In other words, it’s the very thread of passions, desires, attributes and personal values that drive and sustain you. It’s a big part of what makes you, you.
I find that many go about the process of creating a personal brand backwards. They start with the external, identifying an image they may like or a tag line or message that’s snazzy, often losing sight of who they are. They may consider what the competition is doing and adopt a similar brand out of “brand worship” thinking it’s a recipe for success. Instead of being unique to themselves, they develop a brand that is truly distant from their powerful selves.
That’s dangerous thinking. Because the fact is You are Not Your Competition. You are You.
Your brand must derive from you.
And in this day and age of mass competition and commoditization it’s important that you define yourself not only within your organization but outside of it as well. It’s important that you nail your brand.
So how do you do this? Here are some tried-and-true suggestions:
- List your passions.
- List your talents.
- List your skills.
- Focus on your noteworthy distinctions and consider what is remarkable about you. Pay attention to what people ask or come to you for.
- Create a narrative that is authentic to you, articulating your story. This includes how you add value.
- Craft content and information that is rich, relevant and valuable on a consistent basis so you become a trusted source.
- Lead in your area of expertise. Take a risk and make your thoughts known. Share your big idea and contribute. And do this as a regular practice.
- Don’t forget to claim what you truly desire. Your Personal Brand supports that goal.
I cannot stress enough how important this is in order to stand out from the crowd because remember, your brand must derive from You.
With heart and brilliance,
Noreen