Have you ever given much thought about how much you stand out from the company? By ’stand out’, I meant being recognised as someone in the sea of employees that a company has. Do you have a reputation, a personal ‘brand’ if you may, that holds you in good stead of the bosses? Today’s work market is crowded with smart, talented executives that would look similarly alike if not for a personal branding attached, so we’ll need to gain an extra edge over them if we are to succeed.
Don't be faceless, get recognised.
Personal branding, or ’shameless marketing’ for some, is where we build a reputation for ourselves to the point where we are comfortable talking about ourselves in a way that doesn’t put people off us. Don’t get confused between personal branding and ego-tripping, where we gloat about ourselves to others to the point of putting them off just to make ourselves feel better (or superior for some) than others.
How comfortable are you in talking about yourself? Can you communicate to others who you are and what you bring to the table? Are you able to articulate your skills, attributes and abilities well? Can you say with confidence, “I am the best candidate for the job”?
Imagine that you have a reputation so strong – and you convey it so well – that the marketplace comes to you. It recognises your personal value and seeks you out for your unique talents and accomplishments. Imagine standing out from your peers, utterly confident in expressing your distinctiveness as a business leader and human being.
Every executive needs a personal brand. Even if you are happy with where you are and what you have, your ‘brand’ is the insurance that assures you that you won’t just fade into the corporate woodwork. After all the years of hard work and accomplishments, don’t you think you should get yourself a compelling personal brand for others to remember you?
In my real life, I’m building a reputation for myself as a person with strong principles; a person that believes in not just doing things right but also in doing the right things; a person who’s always cool, calm and collected in every situation. Hence, the Coolbert Principle best describes my character and my ‘brand’. I’m gradually trying to add a ‘W’ to the three C’s that I have, in the hope that my Coolbert Principle branding can be described as being Cool, Calm, Collected and Wise.
[...] The Branding of You [...]