Do you remember when your friends used to call you those nicknames that now make you cringe when you think back to the good old days? Do you know that being given your nickname, (if you had one) good or bad, particularly if it's from what people know about you, it's their way of saying 'we see you', 'We know you for ...' and that in a way is putting a mark on you for what you are known for.
The same way, when you are building your personal brand, you are putting yourself out to be known and seen as xyz...
I've mostly been a restrictive person and unknowingly, I've been working to my strengths from the days when I used to feel alone, shy and all by myself and all I could do, was write poems and lyrics for myself and my few friends from about 11 years old and somehow, standing out among my peers.
There was a mark on me for who they assumed I was or thought that I was and, in a way, that created a brand for me. Some liked my vibes, and some didn't. Some created a notion to my personality in their minds and could tolerate me whilst some could not. What was different at that time to creating a personal brand was the 'lack of awareness' of what I was doing. I was just doing my thing as that little girl, no intentions, no specific goals.
Creating a personal brand requires awareness, intention, and focus, which is why I continue to work on my brand, since the term and idea stuck, and in doing so, I'm aware of how my work affects the people I work with in my practice and how I help other female leaders build their personal brand.
Female executive leaders have the incredible opportunity to shape the world of business, but to do so, they must be aware of the power of personal branding. Crafting a personal brand is essential for executive leaders to gain recognition and achieve success, as it allows them to stand out from the crowd and make a lasting impression. Whether you are looking to network with other professionals, build a successful career, or grow your business, as a female executive, you need to understand the importance of personal branding to your success. With the right strategy and a focus on your unique strengths, you can harness the power of personal brand to achieve success in the business world.
What is personal branding?
Personal branding is the process by which individuals can create a unique identity that distinguishes them in their professional fields and helps them to achieve their professional goals. It is based on the idea that each person is a “brand” and that the success of any business is largely determined by how well that business meets the needs of its customers. In short, your personal brand is the way others perceive you and your value. Personal branding is an essential part of any high-level executive’s strategy and a way of representing yourself, that goes beyond your job title and industry. It’s a way to convey your passions and ambitions and show the world who you are and what makes you unique. Personal branding helps executives to stand out as individuals and as experts in their field. It’s about you crafting a message that resonates with your audience; whether this is your team members, colleagues, or the organisation and that your message connects you with them. It’s about finding a way to communicate your value proposition in a way that resonates with as many people as possible.
Benefits of personal branding for Female Executive Leaders
Female Executives who actively work to build their personal brands reap several benefits. First and foremost, branding yourself helps you to increase your visibility. By establishing yourself as a thought leader in your industry, you will be widely recognized for your ideas and expertise. This increased visibility can lead to more networking opportunities and greater access to high-level mentorship and/or connections, in the workplace. By building a strong personal brand, you will also position yourself as a role model for other women, allowing you to encourage and inspire other women in different ways and more importantly make huge impact and leave your mark.
If building your personal brand in the workplace is something you are struggling with or currently shoving off because you are not sure how to solidly build one, I have a few pointers for you.
Identify your core values
One of the first steps in establishing a strong personal brand is to identify your core values. This involves a great deal of self-reflection on what makes you who you are. Think about the experiences that have shaped you as a person and as a leader, and how they have helped to form your core values. Core values are the things that are most important to you. They represent the things that you care about the most. They should be based on your own personal experiences and personal ideals and realistically, your core values should resonate with your organization’s core values, otherwise, you are setting yourself up against a brick wall.
Understand your unique story
This is the story of your own journey to success and understanding it requires a reflection on the events that have shaped your life and career so far. By reflecting on the events in your life that have shaped you as a person and as a leader, you can identify your unique story and how you can use this to help others. A unique story is the tale that has led you to where you are today. It can include any meaningful experiences you have had, both good and bad, that have shaped your career path. By understanding your unique story, you’ll be able to effectively tell the story of your own journey to success, in a way that it resonates with others. This is essential for branding yourself as an authentic and credible leader. Your unique story provides a human element to your brand and helps you connect with your audience on a more personal level.
Craft your personal brand narrative
Once you’ve identified your core values and unique story, you can begin to craft your personal brand narrative. A personal brand narrative is your own unique story, told in a way that resonates with your audience and shows them why they should care about you and your ideas. A personal brand narrative should include the following elements: - Brand name: This is the name you will use when referring to your brand. Ensure that you carry your brand name in the most prestigious way, as this affects your reputation. This can simply be your name. Next, is your Core purpose: This is the reason you created your brand, and it is often a combination of your core values and your unique story, which make your Brand story.
Your brand story is the tale that you use to tell your audience about who you are and why they should care about you and your brand and lastly, is your Brand promise. This is the ultimate outcome you want your brand to deliver to achieve its purpose.
Crafting your personal brand story narrative in a compelling way, makes you irresistible, when it comes to lofty professional opportunities in your path.
Build relationship in the workplace
Building great work relationship is an important part of building your brand. It is vital for you to have good relationship with your colleagues and superiors to foster a healthy working environment. Building relationships in the workplace can help to create an atmosphere of trust, collaboration, and mutual respect, which will be an advantage to your brand in the long run. To do this well in the workplace, you need to communicate effectively and engage others. This means being open to different perspectives and understanding the needs of your team members and superiors. It also means being willing to listen to the ideas and suggestions of others and actively engaging in conversations.
Be authentic
As you know, building your personal brand starts with you knowing who you are and understanding your unique story. So, as you build your brand, stay true to who you are. Don’t be distracted by how other people are showing up. Don’t try to be someone you’re not just to please others or to fit a certain image. Be most interested in how and why and what you are showing up for. At the end of the day, it’s about the ‘YOU’, that you are creating.
Establish yourself as a thought leader
Don’t be the best kept secret in your industry, department, or team. Show-up, speak up and ignite your prowess through the ideas, suggestions, and the knowledge you share.
Leveraging social media for personal branding
Social media is a great way to build and maintain a personal brand. It allows you to connect with your audience on a more personal level and to share your unique story. It’s also helpful for building relationships with industry influencers and for establishing yourself as a thought leader. There are a few things you can do to leverage social media for your personal brand.
Focus: Focus on sharing your own story and core values, and on building relationships with people who resonate with your message.
Be consistent: It’s important to be consistent with your social media posts. This helps your followers to know what to expect when they follow you, and it also helps them to build a stronger connection with you and your brand.
Network effectively to increase your visibility
Networking is an essential part of building your brand and achieving success in your career. It can be helpful to think of networking as a way to build genuine relationships and connections with people who can help you to achieve your goals. Always ensure that you focus on genuine relationships in your networking efforts. This way, you will be of value to your colleagues and teammates and so, will they to you.
Get support
Find a mentor, sponsor or a support buddy who will keep you in shape and check in with you, just so you are keeping up the momentum. Often, you need that somebody who will cheer you on and also point out where you need to improve, do something differently or try new ways of doing things.
Be a team player
Teamwork is another way to build relationships in the workplace. Working together on tasks and projects can help to foster a sense of cooperation and mutual respect. When employees work together in a collaborative environment, they can learn from each other and build relationships that are beneficial to the business.
Do you need a step-by-step strategy on how to create your personal brand, let’s connect here.
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