Defining your “personal brand” is not just for A-list celebrities—and it’s not as hard as it might sound. Watch Bobbie LaPorte’s March 5 “Calling the Game” video for some practical tips you can follow to uncover and articulate your own brand. You might be surprised at what a powerful tool this can be!
A Three-Step Framework to Uncover and Articulate Your Executive Brand
Hi, this is Bobbie LaPorte, back with another week of “Calling the Game,” where I share my own experience and insights while giving you valuable tools you can use to call your own game…and plan the best moves for you and your team.
In last week’s post, I shared how the concept of self-promotion – something that often has a very negative connotation to most leaders – is critical for career success in today’s complex and uncertain environment.
In Part 2 of my three-part series this week, I will share a framework for uncovering your personal brand – the foundational concept for effective self-promotion.
As we laid out last week, a personal brand helps you tell your story to people who can be advocates and supporters of your career. If you don’t give the market your story, they will define it for you. And you don’t want that.
So, let’s start with defining what a personal brand is. Note: it is important to remember that this is not just a concept for celebrities, politicians, and bigger-than-life figures (think “Elon Musk” + others).
Your personal brand is NOT your job title or description. A personal brand is your value proposition – what you are known for and what people can expect from you as a professional.
Think of professionals you know and respect. How would you describe them? What are they known for? What do they consistently do better than anyone else you know?
That’s what you are looking to develop.
The Three-Step Framework for Defining Your Executive Brand
Here is the 3-step framework to help you define your personal/executive brand:
- What you do/deliver/the impact you have as a professional
- Who you do it for – your audience, clients, stakeholders
- How you do this that is different from your peers – this is the emotional connection that people make with you
As an example, here is my personal brand statement:
I help executives ‘stay in demand’ through expert insight, practical advice, and personal advocacy.
Now, do I walk around saying that? Of course not. But I do incorporate the elements of my brand into conversations, social media, and other ways I want people to experience me. I want them to know that I know my stuff, I am direct and bottom-line oriented, and I am always there for my clients – even when they are no longer clients.
This is not as hard as it sounds, but it does take thought and intention to uncover and articulate the basics of your brand. Give it a shot over the next week. You may be surprised at how it unfolds and how it feels when you can start to use it with others.
More on that in next week’s VLOG when we discuss how to operationalize your brand through self-promotion, which I define as “sharing your successes with people that matter.”
OK, that’s it for this week’s “Calling the Game.” I hope this helps you gear up for a great week and navigate any curveballs that may come your way!