Your Personal Brand is a Promise
Jeffrey Stier
People Strategy Architect. EY America’s lead: People Sustainability EY America's lead: Strategic Purpose & Vision Realized EY Global lead and co-founder: The EY-Simon Sinek ‘Why Effect’
Accelerate the infinite game by leading and managing with your personal brand promise. The unique WAY you think, act and operate.
What is a Brand?
Most people think of a “brand” as a logo, tag line or jingle. For example, the Geico Gecko, McDonald’s Golden Arches, or the “State Farm is There” jingle. But what makes a brand valuable is much more. The most successful brands create value by declaring a brand promise and then consistently and authentically delivering on that promise.
What is a Personal Brand Promise?
Every individual is also a brand. Your personal brand is what makes you special and different from other people. It’s your character. The authentic you. The unique WAY you think, act and operate.
Your personal brand promise is the promise of value you make to everyone you interact with on any level: clients, co-workers, family members. It is the essence of what you offer to the world. It’s a filter that should guide all your decisions and how you live your life. The strength of your personal brand is determined by how you keep the promises you make. The more consistently and authentically you keep your promises the stronger your personal brand.
Michael Johnson says, “no one is born with good character; it’s not a hereditary trait. It isn’t determined by a single noble act. Character is established by conscientious adherence to [your brand promise] not by lofty rhetoric or good intentions. Another way of saying that is, character is your [brand promise realized] by action.”
Realizing/living a Personal Brand Promise
Involves “articulating” in writing and then “realizing” in action a personal trifecta:
1. Inspiring Personal Vision
A destination. A crystal-clear picture of an ideal future world that an you imagines and are committed to strive to create by living your purpose and values every day.
2. Worthy Personal Purpose
Your superpower. The single skill/expertise that (i) when you do it you feel most fulfilled, and (ii) when you do it every day it directly contributes to building the future world described in your personal Vision.
3. Actionable Personal Principles/Values
Guiderails to keep you on the right path in the quest to achieve your Vision. Actionable mindsets, and behaviors.
Authentically living a Personal Brand Promise transforms you from a finite to an infinite leader, manager, supervisor.
Do these four things to authentically realize your Personal Brand Promise:
#1: Articulate in writing your: (i) Inspiring Vision (ii) Worthy Purpose (iii) Actionable Principle/Values
#2: SAY your Personal Brand Promise: when you wake, @ lunch and before bed. Else “out of say=out of mind”
#3: DO your Personal Brand Promise everyday: consciously use it as a decision filter before taking any action.
#4. BE. Consciously SAYING and DOING leads to subconsciously BEING and authentically living your Personal Brand Promise. The world has little tolerance for inauthentic people. Three times/day consider how you were DO-ING. Work with intent to close any gap between what you promised and how you are delivering on that promise.
Learn how to accelerate the infinite game by leading with your unique WAY. Register today for SAPPHIRE NOW and the ASUG Annual Conference. When there make time to join me for the interactive session: Are you Playing the Infinite or Finite Game of Business.” Thursday May 9th 12:00-12:40.
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Purpose | Strategy | Innovation | Customer Experience | CCXP | Story teller | Creating lasting impact
5 年Great article Jeff and even better to finally meet you face to face and talk Purpose this week! Love your work.