Each of us has a Personal Brand. My version of Personal Branding encompasses our Inner Brand: values, personal integrity, self esteem, and our Outer Brand: appearance, attitude, behaviour. Is there anything you'd like to change, improve or perhaps delete from your Inner and Outer Brands?
Perhaps you'd like to improve the first impression you make. Maybe you'd like to enhance your influencing skills, or improve your ability to engage and build rapport. It's only when we can admit something might be amiss, or would benefit from improvement, that we're able to make any positive changes. Often, when our ego gets in the way we find it difficult to own up. We are reluctant to admit anything could be improved. I liken the ego to the school bully: insecure, fearful, arrogant and single-minded. Once we confront our ego, much like the school bully, it tends to lose its power over us.
Ask yourself these three questions: Am I being the Best Version of me? Is there anything I can do to improve who I am?What am I willing/able to do to improve my Personal Brand? If you answered I don't know to these three questions, we're getting somewhere. It's not knowing that enables us to be more receptive, curious, and have a desire to learn. It also signals that it's time for something to change in our lives. Perhaps you need to spruce up your appearance, improve your body language, or perhaps increase your EQ (Emotional Intelligence).
Almost as soon as we realise we can be a better version of who we are, we set the wheels of improvement in motion. Consider you assets and what you do well. Then, consider what you'd like to improve, or further enhance and change for the better. You might find it beneficial to ponder the following thoughts and answer the questions below. Taking action will help you to improve your Personal Brand:
- Ask yourself what one small thing you can do to improve about your Personal Brand.
- Ask your partner/significant other what he or she would like you to improve.
- What aspects of yourself would you like to further enhance?
- Ask yourself what are you proud of, and what you'd like to be prouder of?
- What actions, if any, are you prepared to take, to improve your Personal Brand?
-What kind of impression do you think you make in the first 10-seconds of meeting someone?
- What qualities do you most admire in others?
- Monitor the impact your behaviours, actions and words have upon others.
- Do you have a role model? If so, who and why is he/she a role model?
- Our IQ will get us the interview, but our EQ (Emotional Intelligence) will get us the job.