2012 The Year of Fluidity

09/01/2012 Leave a Comment

I’ve dubbed 2012 the year fluidity.  From necessity in life and the markets.  2011 was, in my humble book, the year of resistance.  We ranted and railed and defaulted on a big brash country scale.  We held on as tightly as possible not really  getting ‘what was’ had already escaped us in 2009, discarded us in 2010 and made it felt in 2011.

Cause and effect have changed.  If we do this we get that.  Actually, if we do this, we get a lucky dip.  Perhaps curiosity is the only sanity.  If we do this, what will we get?  And if we do it again, what else will crop up?  Somehow, one has to have a sense of humour regardless of the outcome.  And fluidity – are we able to move with the tides, the natural ebb and flow and stay on our toes knowing we can control little above our state of mind or the context we operate in – or in navel gazing speak, our consciousness?

A great dins last night with a diverse, influential group of people.  All involved in the markets in some way shape or form.  And the debate, well it was varied.  And it was fluid.  No conclusive answers and many searching Q’s?

Taking stock in a new year seems to be a natural phenomenon.  What was 2011 all about, am I doing more than treading water, and what do I want to achieve this year?  No small Q’s and yet little steps are the only solution.  Stay fluid, take a small step at a time, be mindful and present to every nuance.

This, incase you are wondering, is as much of a note to you as to self!   Wishing you and yours the best of the best this 2012.

Filed under Authenticity, Business, Change, Consciousness, Curiosity, Economy, Insight, Leadership, Transition & Transformation Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What kind of brand are you?

15/08/2011 Leave a Comment

When we apply the word brand to people we should really be asking for a clearer definition.  At the heart of building people brands, we use the same principles.  Those of self-awareness, understanding our strengths, really getting how we are perceived, making conscious decisions about how best to deliver what it is that makes us successful… and strategic choices about how we put it out there.

Depending on your purpose, the outcomes you are committed to and the role you are in – or want to be in, the really smart stuff is all about consciously causing the effects you want to experience.

The art is being in action of all of this, whether you are in sales and are looking for better client impact, relationships and the ability to have those difficult conversations that are part and parcel of the territory.  And the resulting rise in revenues – afterall, this is how you are ultimately measured.

Or perhaps you are an entrepreneur, a business owner where you clearly are the brand and your bottom line is a direct result of whether people buy into you?  Executives and Leaders may need to focus on both their internal and external impact… And political and celebrity figures, probably the most public of all brands, have a whole array of specific and critical issues to deal with.

People brands – well, let’s face it, we all have one, need to be managed effectively to produce the outcomes we desire…

Filed under Authenticity, Brands, C-Suite, Career, Cause the Effect, Celebrity Brand, Chewing gum for the mind ;-), Conscious Business, Conscious Leadership, Consistency, Did you know?, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurial Brand, High Potential People, High Potential Performers, Image, Impact, Insight, Integrity, Leadership, Leadership Brand, Personal Brand, Political Brand, Presence, Public Eye Brands, Reputation, Transformation, Values Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bye bye 2009 – well hello 2010

15/12/2009 Leave a Comment

Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods

2009 promised and delivered tight, tough times for us all and as I write this, yet another bastion of business BA is in deep trouble with 12 days of Christmas strikes planned; Sir Ken MacDonald has publicly voiced his deep disapproval of Tony Blair for Iraq and more; Abu Dhabi has bailed out Sheikh Mohammed and Dubai to the tune of £6.13bn; Accenture have withdrawn their sponsorship of Tiger Woods, and man behind the Xfactor, Simon Cowell, the most powerful man in television has boosted ITV’s coffers to the tune of an estimated £100m.  And from what we understand, Cowell is planning to dabble in the political arena pre UK elections with ‘referendum polling’ TV.  Ka-ching.

2009 will surely go down in the history books as the year our understanding of personal branding finally hit home.  The philosophies, values and actions of individuals have not only affected the rise and fall of personal fortunes, but have contributed to expensive wars and bringing down our financial institutions.  And as we have seen with Tigergate, brands built on illusions are deeply vulnerable and a lesson to us all.  No amount of smart labeling and advertising will hide the truth – well not in the long run anyway.  Certainly not where there is something to be gained through ‘kiss and tell’.  Interesting to compare Woods’ brand with that of Sir Richard Branson, who very cleverly has never set himself up for such a fall.

Simple stuff really – its all about cause and effect and thankfully, most of us are not open to the relentless scrutiny of the media.  We are, however, open to the scrutiny of our business partners, investors, clients and colleagues and in times like these, the realisation that we have little control over anything other than ourselves has hit home hard.

So a little something to ponder over the festive season and to get you ready for 2010:

Top personal branding tips for the coming year:

The relentless rise of social and digital media means that we are all found online.  Your digital footprint is being created as we speak and its up to you to ensure that it works for you.  But personal branding is not only about managing how you are perceived online, it’s also about what you do and the impact you create in person and offline.

Potential business partners and employers will google you – ensure what they find online is a true reflection of who you are in a business context.  Un-tag yourself from those silly, party pictures on Facebook and ask your friends not to post any photos or videos of you.  There are far better, less potentially damaging ways of sharing fun times.

Analyse your markets or audience and ask yourself what each person or group is looking for in someone like you.  So if you are an entrepreneur, your markets/audience might be your customers, your investors, your employees, your business partners, the media, industry related bodies and your suppliers.  Put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself if there is anything you could be doing better?

Go to market and find out how you are perceived.  The only way to do this is to ask.  Pick three or four people from each of your markets/audience and ask them how they perceive you in a business context.  What you learn will be invaluable.

Find out what it is about you that makes you compelling to others – most successful people get it right most of the time, but they are not always sure why.  This little nugget will give you the self-knowledge to keep delivering the essence of what makes you successful, which in turn delivers a sense of control over your career.  It’s all about understanding cause and effect – you are the cause and you can measure the effects.

Specialise – we can’t be all things to all people so pick an area of expertise that you have, make sure that its desirable to your markets/audience and then make it well-known.  You can do this online (write a blog, comment on others articles in online publications), offline (write a letter to the editor, write an article for your trade press), and in person (host a meeting, invite an expert to talk – you will raise your profile by association).

Consistency is key – consistency builds trust so keep delivering what others find compelling about you consistently.  Think about your career as you might think about Heinz baked beans – no amount of smart labelling or advertising will compensate for the consistency of the product.  When you open the can, it needs to be the same.  Every single time.

Get smart and get online.  Write a blog, record video (its bigger than blogging or social networking), tweet and get your profile updated on Linkedin.  You control the content, you control the message, you control your brand.  There is a proviso here – we really don’t want or need to know what you had for lunch unless you are a food critic.  It’s all about adding value.

Take the time and put energy into developing your talents and your self-knowledge.  Oh, and take regular breaks too.  At the risk of sounding clichéd, you need to invest in yourself and that includes having some down time, some ‘me’ time.  You will come back refreshed and it will add a fresh perspective to your work.

And on that note, I am taking my own advice and am heading off for a dose of sun.  I hope you have a fabulous festive break and look forward to seeing you in 2010.

Filed under Authenticity, Current Affairs, Insight, Leadership Brand, Media, Perception, Personal Brand, Perspective, Public Eye Brands, Top Tips Tagged with , , , , , , , ,

Gordon Brown survives another day

09/06/2009 Leave a Comment

Gordon Brown

Gordon Brown

Yesterday, in a Parliamentary Labour Party meeting, 50 signatures were needed in a letter to force Gordon Brown to quit. Only 20 were collected. And with the banging of desks reverberating behind closed doors in Whitehall, Mr Brown survived another day.

And the PM promised, “to play to my strengths and address my weaknesses”. So, policy aside for one moment, all of this boils down to leadership style and the resulting culture? We all know that leaders determine, or should I say, dictate the culture of an organisation. And we know too that leaders choose to appoint people who reflect their own style. In today’s terms, we call this ‘leadership brand’. So with a promised shift in Mr Brown’s style, do we expect to see the entire party shifting too?

Aren’t we forgetting the four core principles of a powerful leadership brand? At the heart of any brand there needs to be something that makes people compelling to others, in other words, we need to want more, much more. This needs to be authentic or it will not be credible. And it needs to be delivered consistently or we do not trust – and trust is everything. Last but not least, it needs to be well-known.

The way I see this is that there are two issues here. The first is how to change culture, which takes time and probably more realistically, a leadership personality transplant. The second is timing. As in, when should a leader step down? Over a year ago, I joined a panel on Radio 5 live to discuss this very topic and remember writing about it: Job Cuts

In my view, leaders should step down either when an unanticipated disaster has occurred as in the case of MP’s expenses, or when we want to pre-empt a possible disaster, as in the case of Mr Brown. And yet, more often than not, as we saw yesterday, it is worth seeing potential disaster through to completion for the greater good of the organisation as a whole.

Filed under Authenticity, Compelling, Consistency, Culture, Current Affairs, Insight, Leadership, Leadership Brand, Personal Brand, Political Brand, Public Eye Brands Tagged with , , , , , , ,

Seven personal branding essentials for 09

13/01/2009 Leave a Comment

Whilst many are focused on a dry January, nil-per-mouth and a gym membership to shift the holiday pounds, I thought I’d add to the mix with seven personal branding essentials for what promises to be an interesting year…

  1. Perception is reality – spend some time discovering how you are actually perceived by your audience or markets – what you learn will give you invaluable clues as to anything that might be creating obstacles for you.
  2. Really focus on what is distinct, different, memorable, unique, and ultimately compelling about who you are and what you do and find ways to demonstrate this to those who can influence your success.
  3. Turn the tables and examine each market or audience that has an influence on your success from their perspective, and ask yourself what they want from someone like you – adapt how you deal with them accordingly.
  4. Ensure that all of this is authentic and consistent – anything less will be perceived as untrustworthy and unreliable.
  5. Take the lead in a variety of ways appropriate to your role and markets to demonstrate your brand – from initiatives to focus groups to keynote speaking or new endeavours – you will be associated with the topic and perceived as the person to go to in that field.
  6. Relationships are key… ultimately we tend to go with those that we feel that we have some sort of emotional connection with – let your personality shine through in order to give others something to buy into.
  7. Make sure that your image is not standing in your way… first and foremost it needs to be appropriate, which will communicate how you value yourself, leading others to value you in the same way.

Above all, don’t attempt to be anything other than yourself – just do it better.

Filed under Authenticity, Compelling, Consistency, Image, Impact, Insight, Inspiration, Perception, Personal Brand, Perspective, Top Tips Tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

Online presence…

29/07/2008 1 Comment

Anonymous User

Anonymous User

What is the point in being on a social or business networking site if you don’t put a photograph of yourself on your page? We certainly remember the names of our close friends and those we do business with, however, most of us have hundreds if not thousands of ‘contacts’ that we have interacted with over the years and the chances of remembering everyone without a visual reminder is slim.

Furthermore, why do these faceless people feel that its ok to connect without any explanation of how you might know each other or why they would like to know you?

The most common explanation that I’ve heard is that people want to maintain some sort of anonymity or exclusivity and only connect to those who know them really well. A comedy of contradictions – if you only want those who you know to connect then why have an online presence?

And the most fascinating aspect of this is the negative first impression that we have of this faceless brigade. I am sure that I am not alone when I say that I am deeply suspicious of those who attempt to connect as friends or business contacts without a photograph to jog the memory or explanation – what’s the point?

An online presence, which is what this boils down to, is a vital aspect of a personal brand. We live in a world where ‘googling’ others is considered normal – even potential employers check out their applicants online. Very simply, we need to ensure that every experience that others have of our brand is one that represents us effectively. Masked ball’s aside, we wouldn’t appear at a party or business event hiding our faces – why do this online unless you want to make others suspicious of your intentions?

Filed under Authenticity, Digital Media, Personal Brand, Social Media Tagged with , , , ,

What do people say about you?

15/06/2008 1 Comment

Adonis

Adonis

So what do people say about you when you are not there? When we are actually present, we have the opportunity to influence people – perhaps to convince others that we are the right person for the opportunity, the role, the project, the deal. However, more often than not, most of the important decisions are made when we are not present – and this is where our personal brands need to stand up for us.

One way of becoming aware of how you are perceived is to observe how others introduce you. There are usually three elements to an introduction – your name, what you do, and then the interesting bit – some sort of comment about what you do or how you go about doing what you do – which demonstrates how you are perceived by the person introducing you.

The alarm bells should be ringing if you find that you are regularly introduced in a way that doesn’t represent who you are and what you do. Worse, they should be clanging loudly if you find that the people introducing you are at a total loss as to what you do – filling in the gaps with inane comments like “he’s a good egg”. So… if you are a personal trainer trying to build your client base, something useful like “meet Michael, he’s a personal trainer who’ll get you looking like Adonis in no time” could be reduced to “meet Michael, he’s wearing the coolest trainers here”.

Powerful personal brands need to be four things – the first is compelling – or in other words – interesting, unique, memorable, different. The second is authentic – we need to be able to ‘show’ not ‘tell’ if we are to be believable. The third is consistent – without a consistency, we will not be trusted. And lastly, we need to be well-known to our market or audience. There is little point in being incredibly good at what you do if no one knows about you.

Filed under Authenticity, Compelling, Consistency, Insight, Leadership Brand, Personal Brand, Perspective Tagged with , , , , ,

Boris Johnson

05/04/2008 Leave a Comment

Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson seems to have positioned himself as the “love me or loathe me” candidate in his bid to win the London mayoral race. And while this is inspired marketing for a distinct consumer brand like marmite, it is inappropriate for someone who aspires to taking on the biggest directly elected job in British politics. There seems to be a key factor missing in what we are now referring to as ‘brand Borris’ – that of a statesmanlike quality.

It is clear that a change is needed, however, I believe that Boris is heading in the wrong direction. We learned earlier this week that his team’s strategy appears to be focused on keeping him on a very short leash to avoid blunders and controversy. However, the cornerstone of any personal brand is authenticity. By becoming bland and appearing to conform behind a well-managed mask, he leaves us very little to buy into and we are suspicious of this new Boris. He needs to work his brand to his advantage, not stem its very lifeblood. He won’t win on protest votes alone.

According to a Guardian / ICM poll, trust is going to be the determining factor in who wins this race. The poll reflects that 42% of those questioned believe that Boris is honest, versus 28% for Ken Livingston. So the issue is one of character, which is remarkably unsurprising. No one buys vanilla – people buy people and we like traits and quirks and beliefs – they demonstrate what people stand for and give us something to relate to.

I suggest that Boris considers what his target audience will be interested in ‘buying’ from someone in the role of Mayor of London. He needs to analyse each potential audience that will influence his success and list everything that will be deeply compelling to each. The result will be qualities, expertise and experience that he should then compare to his own. Anything that appears to be weak, missing, or overlooked should be explored and where possible, developed and incorporated into his brand.

The next stage is to communicate and demonstrate all of this through action in a way that will appeal to his target audience. And no, he cannot simply send the spin machine into overdrive or get another haircut… authenticity is vital if he is to be believed.

Filed under Authenticity, Compelling, Image, Impact, Insight, Leadership Brand, Media, Perception, Personal Brand, Political Brand, Public Eye Brands, Risk / Reward Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

New Yorkers…

21/11/2007 Leave a Comment

I love New York

I love New York

New Yorkers have a rather pragmatic view when it comes to personal & leadership branding. They know the power of reputation and perception in a conscious, upfront way. As opposed to our European counterparts, who are aware of it in a vaguely unconscious, albeit rather endearing way.

Last week was refreshingly New York, in more ways than one. Most of my clients are rather successful to say the least. The concept of investing in oneself is almost inborn, inbred. At the top of the tree are those rather fascinating animals who work hard and smart at the three rules of creating a strong Personal Brand. Compelling? Absolutely. Authentic? You got it. Consistent? Oh yeah!

Almost all know the vital key to it all. That of being oneself. Better.

To quote Rob Goffee, Professor of Organisational Behaviour, London Business School… “Don’t try to be someone else. Be yourself. More. With skill.”

Filed under Authenticity, Business, Compelling, Leadership Brand, Perception, Personal Brand, Reputation Tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

No one buys vanilla…

06/09/2007 Leave a Comment

Vanilla anyone?

Well, not when it comes to your personal brand. There is something hugely compelling about people with personality – with quirks and beliefs and traits. And these people stand out from the crowd, we know who they are, what they do, what they stand for… what makes them unique, memorable and compelling.

I was coaching a client yesterday and we were working through specialisation… it is far more effective to be known as an expert in one area than to be seen as a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’. The art of building a personal brand is as much about attracting the type of interest, business, deals, roles that suit us – as it is in deflecting attention that we don’t want.

I like to think of a personal brand as the cornerstone of attraction… we don’t need to appeal to everyone, to all things. We need to appeal to our target market and eliminate time-consuming and often costly distractions.

A word of warning… as with all brands, we need to be authentic, to deliver every time, to be consistent. So what is it that makes us unique? What is it that will act as a magnet to attract what we want, and elegantly repel the rest?

Filed under Authenticity, Compelling, Consistency, Insight, LEGAL, Personal Brand Tagged with , , , , ,

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