How do you use emotional intelligence to build your personal brand?

Self-awareness: Take the time to understand your own emotions, strengths, weaknesses, values, and goals. Reflect on how you want to be perceived by others and align your actions and behaviors with your desired personal brand. Authenticity: Be genuine and authentic in how you present yourself to others. Stay true to your values, beliefs, and personality traits, and communicate openly and transparently with others. Empathy: Practice empathy by putting yourself in others' shoes and understanding their perspectives, feelings, and needs. Show compassion, listen actively, and demonstrate empathy in your interactions with others. This fosters trust, rapport, and positive relationships, which are essential for building a strong personal brand.

"Emotional intelligence is the ability to sense, understand, and effectively apply the power and acumen of emotions as a source of human energy, information, connection, and influence." -Robert K. Cooper Self-awareness: Know your strengths, weaknesses, values, and emotions. Self-regulation: Manage your emotions and reactions professionally. Empathy: Understand others' emotions and perspectives. Relationship management: Communicate effectively and resolve conflicts. Authenticity: Be true to yourself and your values.

Knowing yourself to the core is essential in personal branding - keyword: personal. Your values shouldn’t change much over time, so being honest with yourself and staying true to your beliefs is imperative. Be your authentic self. Don’t switch your perspectives to TRY to “appease the masses.” You will always have people who’s values don’t align with yours and that’s ok; there’s another company/person out there for them. But knowing what you stand for up front, without wavering, is the only way to lay the foundation for a solid personal brand that will stay strong throughout the years.

"Your brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room." -Jeff Bezos Audience understanding: Know your audience's needs, values, and preferences. Adaptability: Tailor your communication style and messaging to resonate with your audience. Empathy: Connect with your audience on an emotional level by understanding their perspectives and experiences. Authenticity: Stay true to your values and personality while aligning with your audience's expectations. Feedback: Listen to feedback from your audience and adjust your brand accordingly.

"The greatest ability in business is to get along with others and influence their actions." -John Hancock Self-awareness: Recognize your strengths, weaknesses, and how others perceive you. Empathy: Understand the perspectives and emotions of those you interact with. Relationship management: Build and maintain meaningful connections by fostering trust and mutual respect. Adaptability: Adjust your approach to different personalities and situations to navigate smoothly. Communication: Express yourself clearly and listen actively to cultivate understanding and collaboration.

Due to the nature of personal brand building, many times we hone in on the outcomes we want to be known for or how we want to be seen. In the process we may manufacture certain aspects of our presence because we are concerned about being liked or respected. Emotional intelligence is being who you are authentically while simultaneously being conscious of how your presence may make someone else feel. That doesn't mean you need to change who you are, it simply means that you are in a position of power to influence the outcome of an interaction based on that understanding. If you are known for treating people the way they want to be treated rather than how you want to treat them they'll remember you for it and thus solidify your brand with them