My top 10 tips on personal branding, reputation management and leadership development

As I reflect on 15 years of teaching, learning, and advising about personal branding, #reputationmanagement , and #leadershipdevelopment I want to give you my top 10 tips for career and personal advancement.

1 - Be generous.

It's one of my core values and a consistent trait. Something I’ve always admired from my clients who are leaders in their industry is that they are generous. Some are generous with their financial resources, others contribute to next-generation ideation and mentoring, and others share their knowledge in public forums and in writing. As you build out your reputation, look for ways to help, inspire, mentor or motivate someone who needs it. You will find the rewards to be exponentially amazing!

2 - Be grateful.

Gratitude is one of my core values. True gratitude leaves an indelible impact on others. When we get busy, sometimes we forget to thank those around us who help, support, encourage, refer, endorse or empower us. The art of appreciation is not to be understated! Whether by a handwritten note, email, in person, or by phone, give a heartfelt thanks to those people in your life without whom you wouldn’t be able to do what you do. Tip: personalized gestures of appreciation make a lasting impact!

3 - Be strategic.

Create a strategy. You could be doing damage to your #personalbrand and professional reputation without clear direction, objectives, goals, and planning. When you can drive and direct your reputation and your career, you put yourself in the driver’s seat.

A strategy gives you the framework, insight, and design to know where, when, and how to show up in your career.

4 - Be clear.

Anyone looking to enhance their leadership potential should begin by becoming very clear on their values and their goals and how being a leader supports them. Be clear on what leadership means to you, and ask yourself what kind of leader you want to be:

• A servant leader?
• A thought leader?
• A transformational leader?

This is where personal branding and self-discovery are critical. In order to be an effective leader, you need a clear sense of self and a good understanding of your unique values and skills.

At the root of your personal brand should be a clear understanding of what you represent, believe in, and what you’d fight for. These are your values. You’ll need to ensure you confidently act in ways consistent with those values in order to earn credibility for them. This is how others will find you valuable for the contributions you offer.

5 - Be authentic.

To be relatable and credible, individuals need to share insights into who they are, what they care about and why they are passionate about the work they do.

While reputation management and personal branding practitioners encourage clients to be "real" and "authentic" in what they share and how they present themselves, we speak of a truth that is appropriate, consistent and reliable. More important than how much you share is that the information and insights shared add value, are appropriate for the forum and platform and can be relied upon. The goal is not to project a perfect image, but one that's consistent online and in person.

6 - Control your narrative.

Controlling your narrative means you are thoughtful and strategic about how you speak about yourself and your value. You are consistent in how you present yourself (leadership presence) and the people you associate and build networks with. And controlling the narrative means that what I see online about you is consistent and authentic with how I experience you in person. Without consistency across all forms of interaction, the narrative falls apart.

7 - Stay top of mind.

You need to be visible and top of mind with your contacts. Life is too busy for most people to expect they will remember you if a great opportunity arises for you. Instead of leaving your fate to chance, create a system for remaining top-of-mind with key contacts, reminding them of your offer, value, and resources, and continue to provide value to your network of equal or greater value than they give you.

8 - Seek influence.

Understand what motivates the people you seek to impact. People inherently follow leaders who make them feel good — whether that’s feeling safe, heard or valued.

9 - Don’t doubt yourself.

You will come across people and situations that make you question your beliefs, value, and goals. Stick to your values, lead from authenticity and openness, and keep focused on your legacy goals. This will ensure you achieve a consistent and integrated reputation that serves you over your life.?

10 - Keep learning.

No successful person I have ever met told me they stopped learning when they got to their goal. They continue to refine their skills and knowledge to keep them sharp and current. Read books on topics that interest you and your audiences, follow trends, and study new developments in your industry.

And last, but not least, I leave you my two most famous quotes as a reminder:

Everyone has a personal brand, by design or by default.

Your reputation is your greatest asset. Drive it!

As I continue celebrating 15 years ?? as LIDA360 , I appreciate you letting me share my experience and learning to assist you in your career development and personal growth.