What behaviors do I need to get rid of? Maybe you’ve always skidding into the office five minutes late or have a hard time accepting compliments. Making simple tweaks can really improve your personal brand.
What are my talents and values?
Now, it’s time to dig a bit deeper. Think about how you’re built, and what matters the most to you:
How am I wired? Some people are built to create, others thrive on tough physical work, and some find fulfillment as a coach, consultant, or humanitarian. make a list of activities that make you come alive.
What do I want to be known for? This question isn’t meant to create a lofty and impossible goal. It’s supposed to reveal the core of who you really are. If you love business, maybe you want to be known as an incredible team builder.
How do I want to be perceived, and what actions should I take to create that perception? If leadership matters most to you, you might want to be perceived as a team player. To be perceived as a team player, you need to take actions that support and serve your team.
How do I express myself in other ways? The way you dress, walk and talk are all ways you express your values. Do you smile? Do your clothes fit well and represent your industry? Do you speak with confidence and kindness? These are all cues helping—or hurting—your personal brand.
Get feedback
Invite your friends, peers, and anyone else who knows you well to speak about your current personal brand. You’re going to have blind spots pointed out, but this is good. You’re also going to learn what people appreciate about you. The point here is to get an idea of how people experience you (your brand).
Once that’s done, it’s time to create a new vision for your winning personal brand. Ask yourself:
What are my beliefs? What do I stand for?
What are the results I want to produce?
What does my personality bring out in my relationships and work?
These questions go one layer deeper to help you discover what really motivates you and what you want to express to the world.
Sharing your personal brand
All this work to create a personal brand won’t matter if you don’t share it with the world. Here’s how to communicate what you’ve learned about your values, beliefs, strengths, and character with the people around you:
Be yourself – If you try to be a knock-off of someone else, you rob the world of your unique talents, mission, and purpose.
Take action – Put your values into practice. Start taking steps that line up with who you want to be. Come to work a few minutes earlier, and don’t complain about it. Compliment your team on their drive and enthusiasm.
Show (and tell) your brand – Don’t be obnoxious, but you want people to know what you’re all about. Naturally introduce those facts about yourself, your values, and your skills in conversations over time. Live them out. Walk your talk.
Keep maintaining and growing your brand – Do as much as you can to live and work in excellence. Continue learning through books, classes, and podcasts. Invest in your relationships with peers and mentors, and take care of your health.
Developing your character and personal brand is a lifelong journey. And this is just the beginning!
Courtesy: DN
