Sync

What’s your personal brand?

This article develops the idea of ‘identity’ - in a coaching sense - into ‘personal brand’ in a leadership context. What does that mean, then?

I suppose for me, ‘personal brand’ is about pushing our identities out there into the work we have and the relationships we develop with others. How do we put our own unique stamp on what we do? How do we twist the assumptions that people might make about us? And how do we set our own ‘quality control’ and live up to our own brand?

Personal brand

But what’s ‘personal brand’? How is that different to brands of big organisations? Mark Wright puts it like this:

If we acknowledge that we are giving out messages all the time (whether we like it or not) … they either add value to how we are perceived or detract.

So the way that we are seen, the words we use, the way we sign off our email, our manner on the phone, the work we do – all of it gives out messages to people. If we realise this, we can start to control it and build our ‘brand’. This doesn’t mean change who we are, it just means we start paying attention to it. Then we can consciously look for ways to make a positive and consistent impact on people in line with our values.

And how does this fit into leadership? Well, Mark says:

...as leaders, we need to be more aware than anybody that from first impressions onwards, everything we say or do is noticed and logged. To make our Personal Brand work for us we need to think like a Brand Manager.

As my own 'Brand Manager', I start attending to all the different communications I have with people. It makes me much better at saying thanks, at putting myself out for others, considering what pictures I put up at Facebook, and taking care with emails I’m sending when I am tired. As your brand manager, what does your brand say about you?

Think about your brand

What brands do you know and recognise? Which do you like and which despise? Sainsbury’s? Starbucks? The Guardian? The brand is the thing you buy into; the whole experience and not just an individual item or event. Take Apple Macintosh. It’s just a firm that make computers, phones and other gadgets. But the brand makes it so much more that that. When Apple brings out something new, I (and thousands like me) immediately desire it.

Apple sells me a vision of a sleek, futuristic, beautiful, functional technological life – and yes, I buy into that. Using Apple products makes me feel part of a community, a group. I identify with the brand so I have a huge amount of trust and interest in anything that comes from, or mentions, Apple.

Disability and brand

For some of us, as disabled people, we have even more need to manage our personal brand. It may be that other people will bring their own assumptions into play. We can take control of these impressions and make them into positives. Mark describes it as recognising:

...that we are our own asset, made up of a unique blend of knowledge, experiences, skills and possibilities that proudly defy stereotypes.

Sync was recently featured in Disability Now. This is what Michael Lynch, Chief Executive of South Bank and Sync ‘seed’ says the most powerful thing he can do to promote inclusiveness is to be open about his impairment.

I noticed as soon as I started using the cane that people did react and respond differently to me but if I’m recognising myself as a disabled person, I think that has an important impact on the people I work with. There’s been an unnatural interest from photographers in taking photos of me with my cane. But it’s probably important for people to see that. You can influence others by being open about yourself.

There is a great video of Michael Lynch and Cathy Woolley talking about their different experiences of leadership and disability which is on the Sync site too if you want to find out more about Michael's (or Cathy's) take.

To read the whole article from Disability Now

And finally...

Sometimes when a disabled person is placed in a position of power, it can get very tangled. Are they there in their own right? Are they just there ‘ticking a box’? Are they a role model, to be looked up to and emulated by other disabled people? Will they be scrutinized three times over, just because they are a disabled person? In someways, taking control of your personal brand can help you maintain focus at times like this. You can clarify why you are there, and how you work.

Lots to chew over here - do comment below.

Jo Verrent

Sync project manager