We ask each Woman to Watch to write about what's on her mind. Here's what Kelli had to say ...
What You See Is What You Get – Living Your Personal Brand
In business as in life, you have to know who you are and what you stand for. Once you understand the facets of your personality that are most important to you as well as what truly “makes you tick,” you should create your personal brand. This personal brand must be genuine and authentic, not something you simply use to get ahead in your career. It should be something that encapsulates who you are, exposes your personality, and helps others easily know what to expect when working or interacting with you. Simply put, it’s your value proposition.
I began developing my personal brand many years ago when I wrote down my personal mission statement. As I stated in the Q&A, this mission statement is that I want to be a respected leader who establishes clear focus and direction, actively supports my staff and their development, has expertise and skills across both technology and business functions, and is a role model for my team. I also want others to view me as an open, positive and approachable leader who is accessible regardless of a person’s level in the organization.
By writing these words down, I was able to understand who I wanted to be and how I wanted others to see me. This introspection continues today and I regularly examine if I’m still behaving according to my mission statement as well as if others still perceive me the way I intend them to. The establishment of this brand also helps me make decisions more effectively because when I’m faced with difficult or complex situations, I look back at these words and can determine if the choices I’m making align with my personal brand.
So, how do you develop and live your personal brand? Self-awareness is critical component. You need to know what others think of you. It not only helps you understand what about your personality and skill makes a difference to others, it also helps you keep things in perspective. The development of your brand also relies on creating and maintaining a support group of people who can help you gain the insight and experiences you need. This sometimes requires that you look outside of your own company for mentors and role models.
You also have to make lateral moves to get both the breadth and depth of experience you need to get to the next level or find ways to increase your value to your colleagues. For me, this has meant taking jobs outside my normal career path and moving to new places to take opportunities that presented themselves at the right time and place. These so-called lateral moves have made the difference in getting me to where I am today because they gave me broad range of skills and a contextual understanding of the business that I would not have gotten simply working my way up in my organization.
This is not to say that creating a personal brand is all about career planning. I’m actually not a person who does much career planning (although I wouldn’t advise this approach to others). It’s about deciding the type of person you want to be and living that to the fullest – regardless of if you’re at work or at home.
Finally, you must know who you are and then live that brand out loud. For me, this means that I dress for my personality. You’ll rarely see me in black because my personality is bold and colorful. My personality is also casual and fun, and that is reflected in my personal style – it’s the visible part of my brand.
Creating and then living your personal brand is what defines you to yourself and to others. It’s what makes you stand out in a crowd.
