What a treat to get the NSA Presidents Award… a crystal shoe – how perfect!
Love the opening line in Sally Hogshead book Fascinate (a great read) ‘growing up in my family, earning attention wasn’t a recreational pursuit, it was survival’. She goes on to say fascination is a force of force of attraction. We are fascinated with people who are fascinating. You might enjoy this blog and video we did a while back, click here.
Some of the most significant and ah-mazing leaders you know are fascinating and they have built strong personal brands that get attention.
If you have ever interviewed for a new job, applied for a job promotion, started your own company, presented at a conference on a panel or served in your local community … you know the importance of a personal brand.
Your brand is what people say about you. Making your brand fascinating might require you read Sally’s book and also consider these strategies below:
Be aware – start with a brand audit. Simply ask five people you trust what three words they would use to describe you. That’s a great indication of how you are perceived. Start to monitor the articles people share with you through email and social media. There was an article published to state that if you drank champagne each week you could boost memory and prevent dementia… 15 people sent it to me (that makes me giggle as I am known for my love of champagne it’s my drink).
Be clear – know what you stand for, what is important to you and create your own brand guidelines. This includes; colors you choose, types of clients you serve, clothing you wear, people you surround yourself with and online platforms you participate in.
Be Selective – be very clear about the posts you create (my policy is only positive), the people you retweet and feature (our policy is only those with strong ethics I admire) and people you surround yourself with (I choose those who inspire and motivate me to do more and be more). This applies to people you are photographed, published and and presenting with.
Be Consistent – create your own style guidelines for your brand. We only use a special paper stock called shine for our thank you notes, letterhead and business cards. I have a deliberate consistent look and feel for my work outfits that is very different to my play outfits. Your clothing (and in my case, my shoe collection) is part of your personal brand.
Be Generous – constantly be promoting others you support, with messages you agree with and brands aligned with yours e.g. I share posts by Mark Sanborn, Megan Kristel, Connie Podesta, Mark Scharenbroich – I believe in their messages. At every speaking engagement, I provide the meeting planner two names of possible speakers they can hire for their event next year. It promotes the best speakers I know and makes their job easier. You become known as a resource.
Be Social – social media is a part of your personal brand. Share generously of other’s brilliance, be consistent in your messages and choose the platforms and groups that best serve your brand. Be responsive to conversations and ensure messages are a reflection of your personality.
Today as a leader in your industry, could you spend a few minutes paying attention to your personal brand? Invest 15 minutes:
- Do a brand audit.
- Create brand guidelines.
- Create an action plan for actions outside your desired brand.
To build a fascinating brand you need to be aware, clear, consistent and selective, what can you do to build your personal brand today?
Thank you for the informative article. As an image consultant, I cannot express enough the importance of your personal style is to your brand. We are seen before we are heard many times– what does your appearance say about YOU?
Absolutely! Pay attention to what your appearance is saying about you and your own personal brand. Make every aspect of you work as hard as you do!