Here’s why you should clarify and declare your executive personal brand, plus three questions to get you started.
By Mary E. Maloney
The dictionary definition of the verb manifest is “to display or show (a quality or feeling) by one’s acts or appearance.” This idea applies perfectly to corporate and executive personal brands.
To be sure, companies and leaders manifest their brands every day—some without realizing what they’re doing—with the way they do business, the decisions they make, the people they choose to hire and sell to, even the design aspects of their business materials, office spaces, and wardrobe.
What the corporations and individuals with the strongest brands know is that by taking control of your brand, clarifying it, and declaring your commitment to it, you can dig into the incredible power of branding on purpose.
Think about the words coined by Debbie Millman, designer and host of the Design Matters podcast:
“Brand is more than a tool of capitalism. Brand is the profound manifestation of the human spirit.”
In other words, brand is not just a tool for selling goods and services. It is also an expression of the deeper purpose of a company or person. A brand with clarity is powerful. A brand with clarity and purpose is world-changing.
This article will explore the element of human spirit embodied by successful corporate and executive personal brands. Then it will consider your executive personal brand and how clarifying it through a Brand Declaration will benefit you, your network and, ultimately, the world.
Learn From Iconic Corporate Brands
Really successful corporate brands manifest themselves by having full clarity about what they stand for and what they do best in the world—and then acting on it.
Let’s illustrate this idea with automotive brands you’ll know. Compare Volvo and BMW, for example.
“‘Leadership in safety’ is one of Volvo’s three core values,” writes Peter Horvath in this article on Medium. “So it makes sense that in the late 50s, they developed the three-point safety belt—the kind you use in your car today.
“What makes their brand value really manifest though,” Horvath adds, “is that they made the design freely available, to save lives not only in Volvo cars.”
BMW’s brand is “the ultimate driving machine.” While this company has adopted three-point safety belts, their commitment to the people who buy their cars is that they will have an incredible experience out on the road.
Volvo and BMW know what they stand for, and they have publicly declared it and acted on it. They manifest the human spirit, making the world a better place with their efforts.
Learn From Iconic Personal Brands
Similarly, leaders with full clarity about their executive personal brands are poised to not only achieve their individual goals but also to make expansive changes to the world around them.
Think of Steve Jobs, the late co-founder and former CEO of Apple. His signature brand piece was wearing a simple turtleneck, which clearly reflected the sleek and highly functional design of Apple products he led his team to produce.
Or Ariana Huffington. In her On My Mind newsletter on LinkedIn, Huffington offers her large audience “actionable advice on how to improve health, productivity, and resilience—plus some fun and inspiring extras.” One thing that Huffington has worked hard on is the endemic lack of sleep in our country.
Huffington clearly epitomizes the larger impact of brand in keeping with another idea from Millman:
Brand ”is our responsibility to design a culture that reflects and honors the kind of world we want to live in.”
Branding Yourself—on Purpose
Here’s a potentially concerning thought: You already have a brand. A way about you. When people go to your LinkedIn profile or hear you leading a meeting or watch you make decisions, they are seeing your brand in action.
Are you presenting the brand you want? The one that truly represents you? The one that has the power of purpose behind it, pushing forward the unique transformation that only you can make?
There is so much power, so much value in clarifying your brand rather than letting it be haphazard.
“A strong, well-managed personal brand benefits you in several ways,” according to Jill Avery and Rachel Greenwald in this article in HBR. “It enhances your visibility, particularly among those who matter to you and to the things you hope to accomplish. It can also help you expand your network and attract new opportunities.”
Avery and Greenwald go on to say, emphasis mine:
“And on a deeper level, the process of building one can help you uncover, celebrate, and share the unique abilities you bring to the world.”
In other words, a strong, well-managed personal brand helps you manifest your spirit.
Let’s talk about how to clarify and declare your brand.
The Brand Declaration and Why It Matters
In this piece, I’ve referenced “declaring” a brand several times. What do I mean by that?
A Brand Declaration is a one-page statement of your purpose, your why, and your hows:
- Your purpose is why you exist to serve.
- Your why is at what, you are the best in the world and the transformation you facilitate when tapped into your zone of genius/your strengths.
- Your hows are your non-negotiables. In the absence of them, you cannot create an impact. Up to nine is the best practice.
Having this on one page that you can keep nearby and reference daily is a fantastic outcome of the executive personal branding process. With it, you’ll be able to deliver on your brand purposefully. You’ll be able to choose your next step with more clarity. You’ll more effectively bring to the world the positive transformation that only you can.
Creating Your Brand Declaration
A great way to arrive at your powerful Brand Declaration is through our time-proven Excavate-Tell-Affirm™ executive personal branding process.
First, you’ll excavate, or clarify, your brand. Next, you’ll learn how to tell your brand to others in a variety of settings and ways so your message is heard, trusted and understood. Finally, you’ll affirm your brand until you can talk about it with conviction. No doubt about it!
Here are three questions to get you started. If you answer them and want more, please check out our signature Brand Declaration offering; join supportive, like-minded leaders also on their personal branding journeys in our weekly Mastermind Sphere of Influence; and sign up for our Excavate Your Brand Genius online course.
Assuming the definition of brand is “the manifestation of the human spirit,” answer the following from a personal brand perspective:
- Thinking big picture, what is the one challenge you must overcome with personal branding, that if resolved, will literally quantum leap you from success to significance?
- What is the one thing that is holding you back from walking through any doorway (literally and figuratively) and sharing your point of view with clarity, confidence, and conviction?
- If you could deliver just one TED Talk that goes viral, a swan song, what would the title be?
Brand is our essence and it comes from within, whether it’s a company or an individual. It’s our divine duty to discern our unique competencies—and when we do, our brand comes alive. This sense of agency positions us to use our genius for the greater good and extend our impact on the world seven generations into the future.
