Strong, compelling personal brands are not an accident. They are nurtured, strategized, refined, and they are always top of mind. Every career or personal choice is -- at some level -- a brand choice: Is it on brand or not? Will it support the brand, or not? Will it build brand authenticity and visibility, or not?
Strong personal branders know the power of branding, and its need for consistent attention. In fact they welcome branding because it gives shape and focus to their actions. Everything has a distinct purpose. In fact every action attracts the notice of the brand's target and leaves "non-targets" uninterested.
And that's a good thing – because great branding, built on authenticity and passion, simplifies decisions by automatically “repelling” opportunities that aren't a fit -- the stronger the brand the more aligned the opportunities -- the others fall away.
I’ve been a career management professional for executives since 1989, and exclusively for C-level execs since 1999, and my clients have always done well. But since becoming a Certified Personal Brand Strategist in 2004, I’ve seen my clients’ success skyrocket when they purposefully focus on building personal brands that enhance their already stellar value propositions.
The biggest benefit I convey to them is that top talent will usually make it to the short list – but how hard will it be to get there? Purposeful branding activities build visibility so that execs become the hunted rather than the hunter. Once on the short list, how hard will it be to win out over superstar competitors? Purposeful branding builds the chemistry that is often the key decision-making tool, when all else is relatively equal.
Effectively coupling personal branding with a strong value proposition is, in my opinion, the defining difference between “good,’ “great, ” and “What will it take to get you on board? When can you start?”
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