Monday’s keynote on the “5 Steps to Building Your Authentic & Powerful Personal Brand for Leadership and Promotion” was for a group of forward thinking leaders at Amazon. These trail blazers are committed to their personal and professional development, as well as the development of those on their teams.
It was educational, actionable, and fun to boot…so I thought I’d share a few insights with you as well!
Did you know?
Everybody has a brand, YOU are your brand! Your brand tells of your story, experience, and unique value of contribution and is comprised of everything from your skills and talents to your behavior, character, etiquette, appearance – and so much more!
When you take ownership of who you are and how you’re showing up in the world, it fortifies you from the inside-out, inspires confidence in you and in others, elevates your style and brand, frees up mind-space, and empowers you to attract (or release) more of who and what you want in business and in life!
Below you will get a glimpse into the 5 step process of authentic personal branding that I’ve created and taken hundreds of individuals through in order to champion them in achieving their goals.
While this is just a high level overview, think about how you can harness your personal brand for promotion. What might you desire to add, change, modify or create to support you in getting to where you want to be?
Oh, and by the way…before you get started, reach deep for some vulnerability, courage, and curiosity as you unearth the many wonderful layers of YOU!
Step 1. Consciously Connect
Take a self-discovery journey!
Commit to holding the space for a conscious connection to who you really are as the brand called YOU so you can powerfully lead with your strengths. This is the most important step of building your authentic personal brand.
Why?
Before you can take more ownership of you -speaking, acting, looking, and living in alignment to your personal brand, you must get clear as to who you really are and what you really bring to the table. You must understand and define the essence of your unique genius.
During this step you will be digging into both your personal and professional stories to mine the TRUTH of who you are. Because research shows us that you operate out of your belief system and how you see yourself, it is imperative to get a healthy and right aligned perspective about who you are. This step will also give you the opportunity to challenge any limiting beliefs that are keeping you from showing up as who you were designed to be.
While I ask a plethora of questions of clients when going through this process, here are some to get you started!
• What are your unique skills, talents, and abilities? – What are you known for?
• What are your core values? – What are you willing to fight for?
• What is your “WHY” for getting up and goin’ to work every day?
• What do you aspire to be or do?
• What personality and physical attributes do you most admire about yourself?
Don’t be surprised! …After you do a deep dive in Step 1 and take more ownership of who you are, your authentic confidence will inevitably increase and help you be more effective in the subsequent steps: (S)PEAK, (A)CT, (L)OOK, and LIVE your brand out loud.
Step 2. (S)PEAK
Photo credit: Olaf / Foter / CC BY-SA http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/legalcode
Having a hard time being (seen and) heard?
When you (S)PEAK confidently in ways that add value to the conversation and communicate with your brand strengths you will elevate your leadership effectiveness…and you will be heard.
Consider not only what you say, but how you say it:
• Consider the pitch and tone of your voice. If you have a high pitched voice that sounds youthful, try speaking from your diaphragm to strengthen the delivery of your message.
• Increase your confidence when speaking by raising your testosterone levels and decreasing your cortisol levels. Have you heard Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk, and the power pose?
• Create your 10 second Positioning Statement (elevator pitch) to clearly tell management, prospects, vendors, and peers of your unique value of contribution and what they can expect from you. (Thank you Lois Creamer for your added suggestions!)
BONUS: Speak well of others and avoid the gossip. It takes years to create your trusted brand and seconds to tear it down. Gossip, breaking confidentiality, or hearing you speak poorly of clients, colleagues, or vendors can quickly have your hiring manager (or prospect) concerned that they you will undoubtedly do the same with them as well – regardless of the situation.
…I was at a networking event and was intrigued by a man who clearly was talented in his field of expertise. A few weeks later as I was filling out paperwork for him to do work for me, I discerned that I can admire his ability to deliver results -and his overall likability- but I no longer felt confident in hiring him (or even referring him business.) I wasn’t upset, but all it took was hearing how he talked about others in his professional sphere to have me go from a “YES” to a “Thank you, but I’ve decided to go in a different direction.”
Step 3. (A)CT
Are your actions in alignment with your words and who you say you are as a brand? Are they supporting you in attracting who and what you really want? Having brand and personal integrity is a must when you want to increase your bottom line, increase the effectiveness of your serve, elevate your leadership or win the promotion!
A powerful piece from a book I read by Charles Swindoll:
“Arthur Gordon, writing for a national periodical, says this about the importance of personal integrity:
Year after year businessmen study college records, screen applicants, and offer special inducements to proven people. What are they after, really? Brains? Energy? Know-how? These things are desirable, sure. But they will carry a person only so far. If he is to move to the top and be entrusted with command decisions, there must be a plus factor, something that takes mere ability and doubles or trebles its effectiveness. To describe this magic characteristic there is only one word: integrity.”
Getting the promotion is about so much more than just how we look, what we say – or even the “results” we produce. It’s about integrity – having our actions match our words.
So, what’s your brand of integrity?
Step 4. (L)OOK
Photo credit: TheCincyKid / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA
The way you (L)OOK expands beyond just your appearance. When people see your desk, online profiles, and appearance do they get a glimpse of your expertise, competence, and professional value?
Because YOU are your brand, I invite you to consider your overall look, to include your wardrobe and appearance, as your “brand packaging”.
Research indicates that when meeting someone for the first time in a face-to-face scenario, 93% of that first impression will come from your body language and your appearance. Only 7% will come from the words you speak.
What is the language of the first impression you are giving ? Is it accurately communicating the value of your your personal brand?
That said, if you want to achieve your goals –faster- consider your “ongoing interactions” to be just as important as first impressions. A first impression might get you in the door, but it’s not guaranteed to keep you there! Assuming you are aligning yourself with like-minded people and organizations, an authentic and consistent representation of your brand, will.
• A timeless tip: Dress for the job you want, not the one you have
• Adjust your (L)OOK, specifically your wardrobe
to reflect your audience, task, and role
• Update your online presence, wardrobe and appearance to accurately
communicate the story of your brand
Step 5. Live It Out Loud
Bottom line? #DOYOU!
In this step I encourage you to consistently align YOU as your authentic brand with the right roles, activities, volunteer opportunities, organizations – even friends. Authentically (S)PEAK, (A)CT, (L)OOK and live your life where your unique talents are valued and where your strengths can be highlighted and used for the benefit of others.
When you do this, I promise you – your confidence will sky rocket, you will be “seen and heard”, you will attract (and release) more of who and what you want in business and in life, and as your leadership effectiveness naturally increases, you will be well on your way to promotion!
How do I know? I’ve witnessed it to be true for clients who have ranged from college graduates to SR. VPs of fortune 100 companies and beyond…and I’ve experienced it myself.
…It’s crazy to reflect on my journey of going from survival to stability to success. Would you believe I started Uniquely Savvy while temporarily homeless and sleeping on the floor of a vacant house for sale? I had no money and I needed more than a promotion – I needed to get out of survival mode.
It’s an unexpected and incredible blessing to write that I’m in my 15th year of business and have been “promoted” many times over –and, if I can do it, so can you! I’ve come a long way, yet it didn’t happen by chance. One of the key reasons for my success is because I continue to mine the TRUTH of who I am, challenge my self-limiting beliefs, and consistently harness the process of authentic personal branding.
No matter where you are at today or where you aspire to be, I hope you gleaned some nuggets to help you strengthen or build your authentic and powerful personal brand for more effective leadership and promotion.
(For more style and branding tips, visit me here...)
Would love to hear from you!
Please let me know of your personal branding success or any questions you may have -and enjoy the gifts of your day!
Kim
READY to BE CHAMPIONED in YOUR STYLE, BRAND & CONFIDENCE? Call me…
425.503.9885 ~ kim@uniquelysavvy.com
Kim (Crumpler) Peterson is Founder of Uniquely Savvy, Inc and is a Champion of People who have a conscious connection to wanting to BE their best and dress their best to align from the inside-out! Kim works with individuals, teams, and organizations to elevate authentic personal brands and style, inspire confidence, and live more empowered. As a keynote speaker, image consultant, personal style & branding coach, and “Living Your Truth” coach, she works tirelessly, decisively and thoughtfully to bring about goal oriented solutions and results to those she serves. You’re invited to: Join the conversation on Uniquely Savvy’s Facebook business page, call for a free phone consultation, or book Kim to educate & inspire at your next event! Available for keynotes, workshops, seminars, and girlfriend parties, the programs your participants will love range from personal style, professional image and branding, to hope, freedom, faith, and living an incredible life in spite of adversity. Kim co-authored, “Incredible Life: Top Experts Reveal How to Create Yours”. Contact Kim @ 425.503.9885.