Personal Branding

The idea of personal branding is becoming increasingly important in business. Creating a personal brand that projects your professional and personal values and defines you in the workplace or the market will allow you to become a focus of attention and expertise.

Such a focus of attention is one of the 3P's of management that I often work with aspiring corporate and entrepreneurial leaders to create. To stand out and to move up the ladder of business you need to Profile yourself, Position yourself and then Promotion will follow.

Simply the best person that I have seen in this space is Lesley Everett of Walking Tall.  Lesley understands the importance that what we hold to be true, of that which we will always strive for - our values - and how they can be an integrated part of what we project to people.

In a world of limited time - where what we project is what people will perceive to be true - careers and businesses are made on what we project to our clients. It's worth some time to do an exercise that Lesley recommends. Sit down with some friends or colleagues and ask them to write five words with which they would describe you. Look at the list and notice the ones that appear most often.

For me the exercise produced results like 'professional', 'credible', 'fun'' 'provocative' and 'bad but influential' (there's the rebel in the busines suit!).

Your brand is, as Lesley would say, 'what people say behind your back'.  It's worth some reflection and application. Let it be what defines you and makes you stand out in a world that increasingly revels in mediocrity. Let yourself shine - and then learn to network and connect.