Think personal brand and the chances are you are already thinking about how you are projecting yourself as an individual. Presidential candidate Donald Trump has done much to promote that idea that it’s all about you. As of this writing, it seems to have worked. But in most circles this is not going to go down well. It’s not about you at all, and when 54% of people don’t trust brands this should be rammed home even harder.
This guide is going to show you what personal branding is really all about.
To an Extent It’s About You
It may not be all about you, but equally the individual is still the consideration. What personal branding is really about is how you are going to use your individual talents to improve the situation around you. This could be in the form of a situation, a team, or an entire organization.
With few exceptions, you’ll notice the greatest brands all have built strong personal brands. Take Steve Jobs or Bill Gates as examples. They built their organizations largely on their personal brands. Yet neither of them are particularly charismatic or interesting.
They are not standing out in any form. But yet they are held up as having some of the strongest personal brands in the world. Why is this the case?
Despite their lack of charisma, they are respected by those around them. They are credited with taking their brands and dragging them to where they need to be. This can only be done if you have the right qualities.
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Attributes Not Charisma
The attributes strong personal brands have are related to real work. A strong character inspires, innovates, and preserves a strong sense of integrity at all times. These attributes have a real effect on people’s work, rather than just shouting from the rooftops about how great you happen to be.
When you think about your personal brand you should be thinking about how it impacts the performance of your company. Anything else is entirely irrelevant.
How Do You Actually Assess and Improve Your Personal Brand
It begins with being able to look inwards. You already have a personal brand without focusing on it. It’s the effect you have on your company. So how are you going to actually go out of your way to improve your personal brand?
Self-Assessment – Begin by looking inwards. You need to discover who you truly are. Think about what you bring to the company and what makes you unique. Once you have focused on the positives it’s time to focus on the negatives. Consider where your weaknesses are and how you can improve on them.
360-Assessment – Developing a personal brand requires you to find out about how people perceive you. As the leader of a company, you already know that this is difficult. People are not going to give you an honest opinion because they are afraid of getting fired.
Anonymous surveys and simply by observing whether your employees are giving their all should help you to form an idea of how people view you in time.
Talk Less – Too many people think that personal branding is about giving a lot of speeches and making appearances at all hours of the day, this is not the case at all. You should be thinking of ways to do something that gives real value to the company. Again, consider how you are adding value to an organization.
Show Don’t Tell – This is something that authors are told all the time, but it’s just as relevant to personal brands. Show off your personal brand don’t tell people about it. There’s nothing more arrogant to just talk about yourself when given the opportunity. You’ll notice that the strongest personal brands tend to be pretty humble.
Self-Development Not Brand Development
You are better off considering yourself as a person rather than focusing on your personal brand. Someone who adds a lot to a company is always going to have a bigger effect than someone who is spending lots of money on personal brand support. Focus on where your failings are and how you can do better. How are you bringing the best out of your team?
This is a process that does take time to accomplish. You are not going to resolve your failings overnight, and you are certainly not going to see a revolutionary change overnight.
Your brand is made up of its leaders and what it’s actually doing. Spend more time on the actual functions of your business and not the glitz and glamor of everything else.
In your opinion, what are the most important aspects of personal branding?
Your Personal Brand Is Not All About You
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