The Excavate–Tell–Affirm™ process from Revealing Genius points to ways to overcome this challenge that even pop music prodigy Billie Eilish experiences.
If someone as accomplished as Billie Eilish experiences imposter syndrome, it’s no surprise that many of us do, too. Fortunately, the Excavate–Tell–Affirm™ process from Revealing Genius can help leaders overcome this very real challenge.
During the fourth season of his “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” Netflix series, David Letterman interviewed Eilish, an American singer-songwriter who has received many awards and nominations. I’ll call out just a couple of them:
In 2019, Eilish’s “don’t smile at me” crossed the mind-boggling 1 billion Spotify downloads mark. Putting that figure into context, Letterman pointed out during the Netflix interview that there were only about 7 billion people on the planet when the episode was taped in 2022. (Today that figure is closer to 8 billion).
In 2020, at age 18, Eilish became the youngest person to win a Grammy for album of the year.
And yet, despite these and many other amazing accomplishments, Elish told Letterman she sometimes felt like an imposter.
“I feel like I somehow managed to pretend that I was a celebrity for so long that I became one,” she said.
While “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” didn’t get into what Eilish does to overcome her doubts, the time-proven Excavate–Tell–Affirm™ executive personal branding process from Revealing Genius connects leaders to many potential ways to get past this obstacle. In this blog, I’ll focus on three:
- Create a one-page brand manifesto. A brand manifesto succinctly summarizes your two-word purpose statement, your why and your (up to nine) hows. (Get our related white paper: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome.)
- Prepare a “capsule messaging collection,” a phrase coined by my colleague and collaborator @ColleenScollans, from Clarke & Esposito. This will help you answer with confidence and conviction—in any situation—the age-old question, “So, what do you do?” (Get our related white paper: Personal Introductions Can Make or Break a Brand.)
- Sponsor other leaders. Once you get established in your career, people watch you closely and ask, “What does this leader do with their brand?” One of the best things you can do to polish your brand is “send the elevator back down” to help someone else rise—that is, sponsor a protégé. (Get our related white paper: The Key to Elevating Your Executive Personal Brand? Sponsor Someone Else’s.)
Let’s talk a bit more about each of these.
Brand Manifesto
A brand manifesto describes your purpose in two impactful words, your why and your hows (up to nine of them). In other words, developing your brand manifesto excavates and articulates the unifying and deeply-held forces that define your convictions and, therefore, your personal brand.
The end product is a single page of clarity about why people should care about your unique genius.
Importantly, you can create a brand manifesto for yourself and, CEOs and boards, for your organization; there is incredible power when these align. (Read this blog for more on this idea!)
Our white paper, Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, not only describes the process of declaring your brand as a way to deliver on your authentic genius, but also tells the success stories of Revealing Genius clients who have used their brands to help them overcome feeling like an imposter.
Capsule Messaging Collection
How many times in your career have you been called upon to introduce yourself to another person or a group? Probably many times.
Some people feel like such imposters that it’s difficult for them to answer at all.
Others answer with their title or a one-size-fits-all elevator pitch—or by pausing to think about their audience before speaking.
Our experience at Revealing Genius is that you can answer better if you have developed a capsule messaging collection. It’s a grid that helps you think about all your potential audiences—both personal and professional— and customize your brand messaging for each.
Get more details and thought starters to get you rolling from our short but impactful white paper about personal introductions. Then the next time someone asks you about what you do, you needn’t feel like an imposter. Instead, you can answer with conviction!
Sponsorship
Do you believe in your brand enough to stand up to help someone else build theirs? If so, it’s important to note the key differences between coaching, mentoring and sponsoring.
A coach helps to augment existing skills.
A mentor advises and offers guidance.
A sponsor advocates.
Beyond sponsorship’s inherent benefits and the personal satisfaction we fervently believe it offers, sponsoring a protege will likely help you rise above the noise and elevate your personal brand. People will believe in your brand because you use it to take positive action for others. Sponsoring a protege also can help you build a personal brand legacy.
Our whitepaper, The Key to Elevating Your Executive Personal Brand? Sponsor Someone Else’s, takes these ideas even further.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Are you ready to take the next step to deliver authentically on your brand?
Be sure to download the free white papers mentioned in this blog; they are our gifts to you. You can also learn more by accessing our free 10-minute webinar, attending our 7-day Brand Leadership Summit or enrolling in our online course. We’re honored to work with boards and leadership teams as well as individual leaders on their transformation statement and brand manifesto.
