Mythbusting personal branding

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“The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.” - Socrates

Ponder this…

When I bring up personal branding to my coaching clients, it’s often met with resistance. Many executives say that it feels egotistical, superficial, or selfish. Others have told me that it feels dehumanizing to consider themselves in the same light as a product. In interviews I conducted with 20 senior executives, more than half of them told me that they had shied away from the idea of personal branding at some point in their career out of a distaste for the concept.?

If that sounds like you, I have some bad news: you already have a personal brand, even if you’ve never thought about it. In simple terms, your brand is what you’re known for. It is your reputation. Here’s the question: is your current brand the one you want? Will it enable you to create the greatest value for your career and your organization? Layoffs are up nearly five-fold so far this year -? if the worst happens, will your current brand serve you well??

As a leader, your success is largely based on the quality of relationships you build and what you’re known for. So, it is imperative that you understand and manage your brand. Otherwise, you are inadvertently running some risks. Here are three common misunderstandings about personal branding, and alternative perspectives to adopt.

“I don’t need a personal brand”

Many leaders are under the impression that they don’t need a personal brand, but consider the following. I worked with two leaders, both senior directors at the same tech company where I was brought in on consultation. Petra’s positive reputation preceded her. She was highly- regarded, someone people enjoyed working for and with, and her career trajectory reflected her popularity. Her colleague, Marcus, didn’t share her positive reputation. Instead, he was known for his controlling and abrasive style. He struggled to retain strong performers, and others within the company objected to collaborating with him or his team.

Both Petra and Marcus were smart, hardworking individuals. Petra, however, was also aware of and actively managed her brand within the company while Marcus did not. While he had achieved much, he operated under the faulty assumptions that results were everything and that managing his brand was an irrelevant nuisance. Petra continued to enjoy the benefits of her positive brand at the company, receiving career-enhancing opportunities, the support of her team, and increased influence. Marcus found himself increasingly marginalized, with reduced scope and ongoing retention issues on his team.

Brand matters.

“My results speak for themselves”??

While Marcus is correct that results matter, if you operate under the assumption that others will naturally see your great outcomes, you may find yourself disappointed.?

Creating your brand is about considering your major stakeholders and demonstrating what you have to offer. As described in Harvard Business Review, “A strong personal leadership brand allows all that’s powerful and effective about your leadership to become known to your colleagues, enabling you to generate maximum value.” The promise of your brand must be known to be capitalized on. Simply put, if those in power don’t know about your positive contributions, they can’t help you get ahead or hire you on.?

Being known for the value you deliver has a huge upside for your career success. From having a seat at the table, to accessing opportunities, to being able to attract and hire great people. A positive brand acts as a lever for accomplishing more, creating meaningful results, and achieving greater impact.?

“Personal branding is egotistical”?

A positive leadership brand enables you to generate maximum value, not just for yourself, but for your team and for your company as well. The greater your scope, the greater the impact your brand will have on others - for better or worse. Just consider the events at Enron or Uber to understand how a few unprincipled leaders can tarnish the brand of an entire company.

Using your brand to benefit others can extend beyond your team and organization. As one CEO I interviewed explained, “At first it felt egocentric and selfish. [Then,] I realized that things that are personally meaningful to me could form part of my brand. I could use my position to achieve the change that I care about in the world.”

To clarify your desired personal brand, ask yourself these straightforward (though not necessarily easy) questions:

• What do I want to be known for?
• What value or results do I want to deliver through my efforts?
• How do I want colleagues to describe me?

Developing a strong and compelling personal brand requires reflection, awareness, and making choices that are congruent with your desired brand. For your desired brand to become real, you must move from rhetoric into consistent and aligned action.?

But with a cascade of benefits for you, your team, and your organization, it’s well worth the effort.

Therefore, really consider this final question: How can my personal brand reflect who I am and who I want to be?

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