Hard times arouse an instinctive desire for authenticity.

~Coco Chanel~

When it comes to truly successful organizational innovation, it’s imperative that companies rethink how they work.  Companies need to maximize performance from each employee to grow and maintain corporate brand strength.  A way to maximize performance is to encourage employees to build a strong personal brand to increase their visibility and as a gateway to share their thoughts to solve organizational problems to take the organization to the next level.

You might be asking yourself though if you really need a personal brand.  Shouldn’t your reputation be sufficient?  Or shouldn’t you let people come to recognize you through your efforts?   We typically think of celebrities who have a strong personal brand to set themselves apart in the highly competitive entertainment industry.

I hate the break the news to you – we are indeed in a highly competitive environment in all corporate fields.  You have to set yourself apart from 100’s or 1000’s of other candidates vying for the same career opportunity as you.  The days of automatically being recognized for your hard work efforts are long gone. You’re now operating in an era where you can sometimes find yourself continually playing Little Red Riding Hood who has to carefully maneuver herself around the big bad wolf.  Hard times, as Chanel points out, do arouse an instinctive desire for authenticity.

The answer to this is to build a powerful personal brand. A personal brand essentially is the story people will tell about you even if they can’t remember your name.  Your goal then is to positively influence the story that is created.  And all it takes is to follow 3 steps to your powerful personal brand:

1. Maximize the influence of social media.  Social media isn’t only for companies.  It’s an essential tool in building your own span of influence.  Setting up a professional Facebook page, a Twitter profile and a Pinterest account will help you exhibit your accomplishments.  However, it’s not only about sharing your successes and capabilities, it’s about providing value to your audience.  If you like your current company and would like to move up the corporate ladder, make it your business to promote them.  Did they just launch a new product or get a media mention? Write about it.  Or do you have any potential employers that you’re looking to connect with?  See what they’re up to on the social media circuit and see how you can tie in.  Also, generously share news or articles relevant to your industry.  Show that you’re in the know!
2. Toot your horn elegantly via self-promotion.  We’re not talking about being the braggart at the company event who bores everyone to death and whom people avoid.  We’re talking about the person who can elegantly weave in her accomplishments and capabilities into a conversation, and, yet, still make the other person in the conversation feel valued.  If someone mentions a problem he has, tell him how you can help him with the issue.  During a meeting with a potential client, identify the client’s core need and give examples of how you’re experienced in this area.  The key here is not to shy away from the word “I”.  The corporate world is very team-oriented.  However, it’s on you at times to promote your solo accomplishments and not always take one for the team
3. Spruce up your style.  That’s both your communication and appearance style.  Be mindful of the language you use and express yourself confidently during meetings and in presentations.  The latter is especially important for women who tend to hold back because they overanalyze what they want to say for fear of looking stupid.  Also, try to avoid starting off your sentences with  “I feel…”  “Allow me to chime in…”  “Sorry for…”  “It’s my opinion…”.  Just clearly communicate your view instead with words that get quickly to the point.  Also, when it comes to your dress and appearance, dress for the position you want to move into and not for your current job.  Wear fashions that allow you to be taken seriously – you can still add a unique flair to it.  However, if a black power suit is what the higher ups tend to wear – emulate them to show that you’re leadership material.

If you still question the need to having a powerful personal brand, take heed and listen to Tom Peters’ famous personal branding quote:  “Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding.  We are CEOs of our own companies, Me, Inc.  To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.”

I would love to hear your thoughts on the above.  Just drop me a line below and let me know what your thoughts are.  Also, if you like what you read, please share it with friends by clicking one of the links below!