I had the pleasure of coaching a group of women who were working on their personal brand statements. We had a great pitch session where each of them got to share and give each other feedback. Here’s some of what I heard in the fruitful discussion… should my brand be personal or professional? Should I focus on my expertise or talk about my accomplishments? Should I include all my values? Talk about my current role or future legacy?
There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to your personal brand statement. That’s why they call it personal! But based on my experience over the years, here are my thoughts:
- Values. Start here and you can’t go wrong. Your personal brand should be unique to you; that means deeply rooted in what you believe and how you show up in the world. That doesn’t/shouldn’t change when you come to work in the morning or leave the office at night. I believe it transcends your personal and professional life.
- Never compromise those values. Part of my value narrative includes competence and diversity of thought. That means I am open to the idea that there is more-than-one-way, but I will always make decisions in my outer-life that are aligned with my inner-values. That’s my version of authenticity.
- Align what you do with who you are. You are so much more than a job title or a list of your responsibilities and accomplishments, so your personal brand should answer the question, “so what?” In the past, when my work didn’t align with my values, I couldn’t truly experience joy and fulfillment. One of the observations I made, was that faith, family and/or spirituality showed up in many of their top three values. Yet, none of them included those values in their personal brand. Why do you think that is?
Societal norms and corporate culture can certainly influence us. We ALL deserve our perfect work-life blend and our personal brands should be a reflection of that. It’s up to you to define it, align it and OWN it. There is no point in developing a personal brand or mission statement, if you don’t intend to let it resonate.
My challenge to you — the next time you are asked to introduce yourself at a work or networking event, stand up and share your personal brand statement, not your personal resume. People don’t care WHAT you do, they care WHY you do it. Just ask Simon Sinek.
