Be a Brand, Not a Bland

The tall attractive blonde woman with her hair pulled back in a long ponytail spoke with a slight English accent. She slipped on her oversized sunglasses as she climbed into the driver side of the Rolls Royce. The look of surprise on her face mirrored that of everyone watching the video because inside, the car, a Rolls Royce had no steering wheel or front seats, just a couch in the back. It was a luxury, self-driving car. She was sharing a glimpse of the future.?

Play out the future scene a little. While the car drives you can hop on a Zoom meeting. After the meeting, AI will produce a meeting summary that you can email to attendees. And before the car pulls into your driveway, you can use the app on your phone to turn on the smart TV in your living room and have it cued up to your favorite scene.?

It’s not that far away. But it’s not what you may think.

It’s not technology giving you an advantage or a leg up on the competition. It’s a glimpse of the new norm. Okay, not everyone will have a self-driving Rolls Royce, but there will be a lot of self-driving cars in all price points. Zoom already uses AI to produce meeting summaries. Your phone can already control a lot of the technology in your house.?

This isn’t merely a glimpse of luxury. It’s a glimpse of the direction technology will travel for most people. Sure, if you were the only person that any of this applied to it would set you apart. But does your smart phone set you apart now? Of course not. Most people have one. Does your laptop set you apart? Your directions app? No. Those are the norm. And that’s what technological evolutions create: breakthroughs that become the norm, the standard, the average experience.

As a professional do you aspire to be standard or average??

Then you’ll have to think beyond what technology will do for you. To find your unique advantage you have to look in the mirror. That’s where you’ll find what can make you a leader no one can compete with: the authentic you.

Technology always evolves from a tool for a few to a tool for of the masses. It levels the field instead of elevating the part of the field where you stand. What will elevate you is people skills, communication skills, and the ability to present yourself as a unique brand. To do that you have to dare to put yourself out in front of audiences large and small. You have to dare to lean into your unique talents and skills—whether those are writing, juggling, playing guitar, or speaking multiple languages.?

The more you lean into your humanness, the more you stand out in a world that leans more and more into technology. Please be clear. I’m not against technology. I use it all the time. I’m a fan of technology as a tool, but I still prefer to make my mark by looking people in the eye, by speaking to people one on one or one to thousands.?

There are nearly a billion and a half iPhones in the world. Most are similar. You aren’t the only person who does what you do for a living. Most of the people who do what you do are probably similar. But a few stand out—whether they are coaches or surgeons, CEO’s or nurses, astronauts or teachers. The ones who truly stand out are the ones who develop the skill set of an expert and the people skills of a leader.

If you don’t think people skills and the ability to present yourself and your ideas to other people matter, then consider for a second why Rolls Royce allowed a well-spoken, attractive blonde woman to showcase its futuristic car. It’s because technology promises to improve the human condition (and frequently it does), but it’s human traits—like communication skills—that bring context to technology.?

The next release of the next operating system won’t dramatically change the arc of your career but taking the time to learn how to deliver a powerful speech, give an influential presentation, and connect with an audience at an emotional level that moves it to action will change the arc of your career. Ironically, it might give you the clout and resources to one day ride in that Rolls Royce.?

Of course, by the time your driverless Rolls arrives, it might look a little different than you expect. After all, remember how you thought ten years ago that the next wave of technology was going to give you more free time?

You don’t have to drive a Rolls Royce to be seen as special. You have to be the Rolls Royce of your profession. When you become the brand in your field you become a leader no one can compete with because no one can compete with your unique human skills and traits, unless, of course, you don’t put in the time to develop them.?

Go be a great brand!?