Bozoma Saint John reframes the concept of a 'personal brand' as the modern term for 'reputation.' It’s not something you strategically build by mimicking successful people, but rather something that emerges authentically from being consistently yourself. This authenticity builds trust and is ultimately more sustainable.
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Effective reputation-building isn't about personal popularity. It starts with defining an ambitious mission (e.g., "build super intelligence"). Then, ask: "As a means to that end, what do people need to know about me?" This mission-first approach guides all communication tactics.
Many salespeople act one way in their personal life and another at work. To be truly authentic and build trust, you cannot be a 'different person' after 5 PM. Your professional persona must be an extension of who you genuinely are, otherwise prospects will sense you're playing a role.
The term "personal brand" is modern slang for the timeless concept of reputation. Social media's power is that it acts as a lever, scaling that reputation to a much wider audience than ever before. A larger, more positive reputation directly translates to a higher volume of inbound personal and professional opportunities.
Competence is the most overlooked element of personal branding. It isn't charisma or visibility, but the 'quiet power' of consistently demonstrating your expertise and the 'why' behind it. This is the substance of your brand that builds trust over time.
Reposition your branding efforts away from self-glorification ("personal branding") and toward elevating your entire market ("market eminence"). This focus on industry-wide improvement attracts a wider range of stakeholders, including partners, investors, and acquirers, who are drawn to a mission larger than just you.
Personal branding is not a short-term project; it's the long-term result of consistent actions. However, this hard-earned reputation is fragile and can be instantly destroyed by a single poor decision or inconsistent action. You must consciously play the long game to protect your brand equity.
The foundation of a strong personal brand is not self-promotion but demonstrated value. The process is twofold: first, achieve something notable or put in extraordinary effort to gain unique insights. Second, share what you've done and learned. This provides genuine value to others, which is the core of brand building.
A successful entrepreneur who built her business on her personal brand now cautions against it being the only viable strategy. She admits she was wrong and now advocates for building businesses not tied to one's name and likeness, stressing the need to separate the human from the brand.
The Tim Hortons CMO views her personal brand not as a passive trait but as a conscious leadership choice, focusing on being empathetic while projecting confidence. She maintains this through dedicated self-reflection during activities like exercise and playing piano, ensuring her actions consistently align with her stated values.
To build an authentic brand, move beyond product features and engage in an introspective process. By answering these three core questions, a company can establish its foundational ethos. This 'universal truth' then serves as a guiding principle for all external communication and strategic decisions.