Whether you are a business owner, consultant, or employee, the concept of personal brand awareness is critical to your success and advancement.
Do you know your brand?
Most of us have what I call an “accidental brand”, which is the reputation we’ve got and the cumulation of variables in how we are perceived by those around us. To identify your accidental brand, you can ask those around you in an informal survey, “What am I known for, how am I known?”
Ideally, you’ll want to create an “intentional brand”, which is a strategically crafted image based on the leader you want to be known as, and then you manage perceptions accordingly. This is a bit more complex than identifying your accidental brand, because you’ll need to identify a baseline as well as the ideal state and then determine an action plan for closing the gap between the two states.
One way to do that is to interview people you respect and ask them what they consider to be your brand qualities. Ask them, “What do you think people will think is true about me when they first see me, even before they meet me?” Or you might ask them, “How do I show up for you? How do I show up in this organization? What kind of leader do I show up as?” Then, compare these responses to who you want to be and how you want to be known.
What are your strengths and special contributions to make in the world? How will you go about being known for and recognized for whatever you choose rather than the automatic, accidental stuff that’s accumulated thus far?