Creating your vision of success.

Our profession is an important part of our life both in terms of the time we dedicate to it and of the impact it has on our personal fulfilment and happiness. So, professional and personal success are intertwined dimensions of our lives and cannot be separated. This is often why some of us, at some point in life, decide to leave a comfortable position in a company we know well and move on. Maybe our inner voice tells us that what we do is not aligned with who we are any more. It’s a raucous voice that tells us that we are out of tune and it is time to review our profession in a wider perspective. That voice, once we hear it, cannot be shut down.

In looking at professional success, we must thus take a broad view. One that not only takes our legitimate material or career ambition into account, but also acknowledges other aspects of our sense of fulfilment, like our need to be loved, to be part of something greater than us, and to make an impact. An advertising campaign by the luxury watch maker Patek-Philippe epitomises the idea of success as legacy, for instance. The campaign is based on the idea that ?you will never actually own a Patek-Philippe, instead you look after it for the next generation.? There is a story of success and one of love and legacy in that advertising, but it goes deeper than that. From an anthropological point of view, the ad is addressing our need to expand our self through the things we own (to know more about this fascinating topic, reed the article Possessions and the Extended Self by Russel W. Belk) and is taking it to its extreme via the idea of leaving our watch (a symbol of material success) to our son or daughter (a symbol of love connection and perpetration of the self).

True success.?

In identifying our vision of success, especially when we approach a personal brand strategy, we need to develop a larger idea that encompasses different dimensions of our wellbeing and sense of fulfilment. In so doing, we need to investigate at least three dimensions in which success is manifested. At this stage we are not investigating the idea of success in our profession (that wil come later), but in life.

• We must consider how we see ourselves in the world (identity), because there needs to be alignment between what we do and who we are.?
• We need to dig deep into what goals really move us in life (ambition), because, as Stephen Covey brilliantly put it, it would be a pity to get to the top of a mountain and discover that we have climbed the wrong one.?
• And we really have to decide what impact we wish to make (legacy): not only in our entire life, which can be an overwhelmingly epic thought, but every day, in every little thing we do.?

The intersection of the three domains offers a good proxy of a balanced and successful life. And if we align our professional endeavours to what we find, our efforts to be successful in our business will also nurture our personal happiness.

A strategic approach.

What is inside that intersection, is the starting point for a personal brand strategy that really focuses on laying the path for a fulfilling life. We will be able to identify what really matters to us, what we want and what we as a person are not ready to accept in pursuing our career success. We will be in a very good position to set some key life goals and to align our professional objectives with them. And we will finally be able to identify the key strategies that will lead to achieving our professional goals.

Let’s get practical, now. Here is how I suggest you go about defining your personal brand goals and the strategies that go with them. Remember: we start with defining life-goals and end up identifying professional objectives and strategies that align with our life-goals.

STEP 1

Write a description of the “future-you” that has already achieved success in life. At this stage you are considering the three dimensions not only for the professional life, but for life in general.

Identity. Describe yourself in different contexts: Family, profession, your community, society. For instance: ?I am a loving husband/wife and a nurturing parent that offers values and opportunities of growth to the family. I am a respected thought leader in my profession. I contribute to different organisations with my knowledge in order to spread a vision of prosperity that is fair and respectful of the environment.?

Ambition. Define moonshot goals that you would like to achieve. Use the same contexts that you considered for the section “Identity”. For example: ?I have achieved a substantial financial freedom yet I continue to be an active member of my community and a top thought leader in my profession.??

Legacy. Describe the impact you will make in those contexts out of achieving your moonshot goals. For example: ?I have contributed with my loved partner to raising my children with a balanced approach to life, with positive values and an evolutionary vision of life. My family is happy. I have a group of friends that I consider my extended family and that rely on me in good and bad times. There is love in my life, and I have created the conditions for it to be there and for it to be an example for my children to follow. I have contributed to raise the awareness on matters related to social fairness and sustainability in my community.?

STEP 2

Once you have finished the three-step investigation about your “future-successful-you”, translate what you have learned into life goals. For example:?

• To leave a good life (financial independence and active in profession)
• To be part of a loving family whose members spend enough time together
• To become a sought after brand strategist consultant known for his/her humanistic approach.

STEP 3

Reflect now on how your professional life can contribute to your vision of success as drafted in steps 1 and 2. Repeat the exercise in step 1 from the professional perspective only and express your professional identity, ambition, and legacy. For example: ?I am an accomplished consultant. I earn? (put here what you deem is your ambition). I serve clients that … (describe the type of clients you serve). I am especially appreciated for my ability to (describe why you are different). When I work with my clients, they normally reach new insights and align the success of the company with the happiness of employees and all stakeholders. Etcétera.?

STEP 4

Translate what you have learned into professional goals. For example:?

• To become the leading strategy consultant in (your market of reference) sought after by companies that seek to align with a humanistic view of business
• To generate a turnover of X (your ambition here)

STEP 5

Translate your professional goals in a sub-set of goals (be sure that they do not conflict with your life-goals)

STEP 6

Identify the key strategies that will lead you to achieving the professional goals.

Good luck!

I am a brand strategist and I believe that business should help people to be happier. So I work with corporate and personal brands on a journey to the next level, with powerful strategies and inspiring narratives.