“I am the greatest!... I
said that even before I knew I was.”
- Muhammed Ali
“The Greatest” is probably one of the most well-known
and successfully used personal brands with which we are all familiar. However most people either don’t know or
don’t remember that Ali created this brand himself before he had any evidence
or agreement that that’s who he was... or as he said, even before he knew it!
Personal
branding and its central idea of defining and declaring who you are in the world has been a theme of many books. Creating a
summarizing statement to use as a self-promotional tool, much in the same way
as a company promotes its products, has become part of many self-development
and leadership programs. And yet, as I
meet with executives, I witness that while many have grasped personal branding
as a must-do activity, when it comes
to the mechanics of defining their brand – powerfully and effectively – they struggle.
“I’m one of the most senior executives at Cisco Systems, and
first and foremost, the key to success is knowing your personal brand.”
I then asked this Senior Vice President what her brand is,
and she went on to speak for 5 minutes.
She said that her brand is to empower people, with direction,
inspiration and integrity. She said it
was about doing the ‘right’ thing rather than just doing things right. She said it was about being a leader that she
herself would be willing to follow.
It was a description, a wish list, a character study, a
resume, but not a brand.
It’s not just
a case of finding a zingy one-liner; I’ve heard many clever words that fall
flat from the lips of those who still haven’t truly nailed their personal
message and mission. It’s about finding the only one-liner it could be; the
statement that clearly lights up the whole being of the individual who speaks
it.
Think of where the word brand comes from, we’re thinking here
of a cowboy taking a metal rod, sticking it into a blazing fire until the metal
with the ranch insignia is not merely red hot, it’s white. The cowboy then
takes the metal from the fire and places the fiery end onto the butt of a cow. You can smell the skin of the cattle being
seared; you can hear the hiss of it burn.
The “brand” of the BarC ranch is
sizzled on the cow’s behind. This was
and is still used so that from a distance, it can be distinguished as to which
ranch the cow belongs. It had to be
clear, simple, distinctive from others… and short enough to do all this and
still fit on a cow’s butt!
When I am working with executives on finding their brand, I
tell them, “You want a brand that leaves an imprint on others even when you
walk away. It has to be powerful, clear,
succinct and memorable.”
The purpose of your personal brand is not only to distinguish
yourself from the other “cattle”, but as a reminder to yourself about who you
have declared you are going to be in your job, your profession, as a leader, a
contributor, a trend-setter, or even as a citizen, community or family
member. It’s a “call” to being your
self-authored higher or bigger self.
It’s a declaration of being intentional versus just reacting to the
situation.
In 25 years
of working with executives across the globe I have created a process to connect
individuals with their true purpose and motivation and help them capture the
essence of who they are in a simple, impacting and empowering statement. I have been honored to witness many emotional
moments when, through the techniques and activities I use, people have come to
truly “get” themselves and be able to communicate this confidently – and with
contribution – to others.
My first key
to realizing success has been to ensure that those I work with see branding not
as a purely self-promotional tool – but as a calling to higher action. They are given a chance to self-author and then create a better self – from the
inside out in a way that
authentically connects with their most intimate sense of who they are… a person
who always takes the higher ground. They
are able to imagine the person they want to show up as in the world.
My second key
has been recognizing that while defining and declaring your intentions in a
powerful and memorable way acts as a powerful catalyst to action, people can
then stumble with what they then need to DO
to actually live their brand. Again,
through many years of working with executives across the globe, I have
developed simple insights and techniques that help people quickly make the
shift from having defined who they know
they are to actually being that
person.
The results
of my approach have been a privilege to witness. The effect on individuals’
confidence, career success and fulfillment and the quality of their
relationships – both within the workplace and the family – have been transformational. Individuals from a wide variety
of backgrounds and work and life experience, of various ages and both sexes,
have made dramatic shifts towards living the life they know they were meant to lead.
If it be for your career, your
development as a leader, or to empower
yourself to live an extraordinary life, and you would like to get your brand
and how to use it in your life, please contact us at: nita@nitatucker.com
