Your personal brand - more than a career compass
“Truth lies within a little and certain compass, but error is immense.”
Any boy scouts or girl guides from long ago out there? Anyone watched Lawrence of Arabia in the last decade? If so then you know the value of a compass. In simple terms, a compass is a tool that shows the direction of true north and your bearings from it.
So what do I, a psychologist morphed into an accountant, evolved into a business consultant and coach want to tell you about a compass? I want to share a few thoughts about my compass- my personal brand- and how it serves as a pointer to true north for me.
Let’s start with personal brand… some of you may have read about or devoted some time to thinking about your “personal brand” or “personal mission statement.” For others, it may not ring any bells, so a quick explanation-
… a personal brand is your clear, concise statement of your differentiators. It is born out of your values, fuelled by your passions, and burns a path to the version of you that you strive to be.
It’s not marketing BS and it need not be shared with anyone else – once it’s your compass kept safely in your pocket for reference when needed. It’s what you want people to say/know about you when you are not in the room, and it keeps your bearings straight in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world.
My personal brand statement has shortened and evolved over the last years, but the essence of it hasn't changed much since I was in my late 20’s (a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away) … “I bring Energy, Value, and Growth to every interaction.” As I read it in print, it sounds arrogant, but the sentiment is not so much a result, rather it is what I constantly strive towards, how I evaluate myself at the end of every day, and how I gauge where I can continue to grow and improve. It is a work in progress and one that inspires me and allows me to measure my progress. It applies to every interaction because I decided long ago that I did not have the time or inclination to be a different version of myself at work vs home, so I aim to try and be the best version of me -full stop. So, my personal brand is what I want my kids to know about me as a parent (– is having my phone in my hand as I walk in the door after work bringing value and growth to our interaction?), it’s what I want my employees to know about me as a manager (– is avoiding giving the feedback on that missed deadline bringing growth or value to that interaction?), it's what I want my clients to know about me as their service provider (– is a delay in returning that confrontational email modeling energy and value for the relationship?). On a simple day-to-day basis, knowing my personal brand helps me find the energy to try and live up to the standard I have set for myself.
And there have been broader instances where much bigger decisions have had to be made where it has been equally valuable. For example, the high profile, very lucrative team building and coaching engagement with the hidden agenda to find an excuse to get rid of a senior employee because he disagreed with the CEO (a long time friend of mine). Man, did I want that client on my portfolio list. Boy oh boy would those fees have been welcomed as we ushered in baby number 3 … and it would have been easy to do. But who would get value from it? No one that I could see. The company (and my friend the CEO) would get a lot more long-term value trying to collaborate and work through the issue instead of just burying it. Who would grow from it? Easily, no one- it was intended to hold the status quo. Could I bring my energy to it? No, it just didn't sit right. In hindsight, it all seems so clear, but at the time I lost a lot of sleep over the decision. In the end, it literally jumped out at me. I was sitting in my home office and my eyes landed on the small statement in the whitewashed picture frame – Energy, Value and Growth – in every Interaction – and it was like a tree branch snapping: crisp, clear, the answer was so obvious. A not very comfortable phone call followed. I never did get that client on my portfolio list, and a friendship was rebuilt from a different place I reckon.
It's a simple statement that helps me keep my bearings and navigate my path towards North.
Look up this interesting guide and overview from Forbes in case you’d like to read more on that matter.
