Powerful brands – we experience them every day. Whether picking up a latte at Gloria Jeans or surfing the Internet via Google on your iPad, each of these corporate brands evokes images in our heads and generates feelings based on what they mean to us.
Unfortunately, few people understand the power of personal brands and how and why they drive career and/or business success.
For example, women leaders who are brand names in Australia such as; Ita Buttrose, Elle Macpherson (The Body), Cathy Freeman, and Oprah Winfrey all have at least one thing in common – a well-understood brand that not only enhances their reputation as leaders, but defines the very DNA of organisations they lead.
During a decade as the managing coach of a business and executive coaching firm that has clients, both men and women who are senior business leaders, I’ve learned that some women just don’t do enough to make themselves known. Often, to be successful, you need to make a name for yourself, but how can you do that if people don’t know who you are and what you stand for?
Many of us are juggling multiple priorities in both our personal and professional lives, but if you’ve been in business a while you have probably realised that hard work and loyalty alone won’t get you to the top.
Discovering Who You Are
The first step to discovering your brand is to embrace the idea that you have a brand, that it has power and that you can harness it to accelerate your business and your career. Then, you can share these values and lessons to stand out as a leader, attract people to you, win trust, influence decisions, align your team and drive your vision forward.
The core of your brand is your character; the values that define the authentic you. How you communicate those values becomes your reputation.
Telling Your Story
Think back on the experiences that have shaped who you are – the great and the not-so-great. Each of those events, positive or negative, particularly the negative, represents character-building moments that taught you important lessons. This is your personal treasure chest of experiences from which to draw upon.
To start with, identify a story from your life or, business career that was pivotal. Talk it through with a friend or coach. What happened and what did you learn about yourself? Play with it by writing it down and reading it aloud. Don’t make yourself the “hero” but rather, look for the lesson that might be relevant to others.
People need to know who you are and what you stand for.
Embracing and communicating your stories will help you develop a more powerful and memorable brand and will lead you to where you want to be.
Reference: “Discover your CEO Brand: Secrets to Embracing and Maximising Your Unique Value as a Leader” Suzanne Bates.
