Whether you like it or not, you’re building a personal brand. Your personal brand is the combination of your skills, the values you present, and the impression you leave on others. While actively building your personal brand may seem like a selfish endeavor, it’s far from it. It’s an empowering choice. Doing so can give you control over your professional development, network, career, and overall well-being. It can even make you more visible — and therefore, more satisfied — in your current job. Like with anything in your career, however, building your brand isn’t a one-time thing. It will take time and effort, and it requires consistent upkeep. Thankfully, there are actions you can take daily to help you define, develop, and communicate your personal brand. Define Your Brand It’s impossible to have a strong personal brand if you don’t have a good grasp on who you are, what you enjoy, and what you’re good at. It’s likely that these things will change over time, which is why defining your brand is something you can, and should, do often. Here’s how: 1) Tune into your emotions. Emotions are powerful, and they can tell you a lot about yourself and your interests. At the end of each day, or after peak moments where your feelings are heightened, take a minute to be mindful. Choose a word or two that best matches how you feel and write it down. The goal is to tune into how you relate to your different work tasks, activities, or even colleagues. This practice can also help you gain more confidence in the tasks you’re good at, understand and express your desires, and better prepare for interactions that don’t align with your values. For example, let’s say you’ve just left a meeting that could’ve been completed in 15 minutes instead of 30 — you note that this made you feel frustrated. That’s a signal that you value efficiency. Being a problem solver who maximizes time and effort could become part of your personal brand. Next time you’re leading a meeting, you might spend some time writing out an agenda and the end goal and then sharing it with attendees beforehand so that things stay on track. During the meeting itself, prioritize moving things along when the group gets stuck or the focus wanders. 2) Find your stakeholders. We aren’t always the best judge of ourselves — that’s why we need stakeholders. Think of your stakeholders as the people inside your company who have an interest in your success and how well you do your job. They’re the people you can always go to for an objective opinion or a supportive pep talk — your manager, mentor, sponsor, or even just a close colleague. When you meet with them, ask for feedback. You could say something like: “I really value our relationship. In what ways do I bring value to you?” Or, “How would you describe me?” Their answers may give you a better understanding of how others see you and the personal brand you’re currently portraying. You can make adjustments if their view doesn’t match the brand you’re aiming for. If you feel like you’re not getting the feedback you need, you can also bring new stakeholders in and phase others out. This can help you gain further visibility and make sure you’re respectful of each person’s time. Ask yourself: “Who is providing me with helpful insights, and where can I redirect my energy so both parties mutually benefit from our relationship?” 3) Understand your skills. It’s important to regularly reflect on your current skillset and how you’re using it to make an impact. After all, your skills are core to who you are and your personal brand. On a weekly basis, or after completing a project of interest, consider the skills that made your work possible. Ask yourself: What skills do I use daily to achieve results? What skill am I most known for? How might those skills evolve in the future? Which of my skills helped me achieve success on this project? This is also another great place to deploy your stakeholders. If you’re not getting regular feedback, you won’t have an accurate, contextual measure of your skills and how to develop them. To get the conversation going, you can say something like, “What did I do well [during this project,] and where could I have done better?” Develop Your Brand Defining and continuing to redefine your personal brand is only the first step. Your personal brand is most impactful when others can see it in action. The best place to start showcasing your brand, and developing it further, is through your daily actions at work. 1) Keep outcomes in mind. When you’re doing a task, always think about the outcome that will best boost your personal brand. Let that outcome guide how you complete the work. For example, say part of your personal brand is being seen as a leader. An outcome that would help you boost that part of your brand is to be put in charge of a cross-functional project. Your approach to your daily work should be in service of that outcome. Show others your propensity for leadership by stepping up on your current team. Ask smart questions and speak up when you see a better approach. You can also help break down silos across business units by regularly meeting with peers or leaders from other departments to understand how your work overlaps and create shared goals. These actions will help ensure you’re embodying your personal brand on a daily basis, and will help others see it too. 2) Improve the organization. Look for things that need improving in your organization that align with your brand, and take action. For example, perhaps others have described you as a social butterfly, and you’ve begun to see this as part of your brand. The positive relationships you’ve formed give you influence, and you can use it to make change happen inside your organization. Maybe your company’s executives are passionate about corporate sustainability, but employee participation is down on a related company initiative. To further develop your brand as an influencer and leader, take a moment to drive awareness and encourage your peers to participate. This will further bolster your personal brand, while driving valuable change internally. 3) Become a stakeholder. Having your own personal stakeholders is important, but so is being one for others. Look for opportunities to share your knowledge and develop others. Doing so helps you strengthen your network, gain visibility, learn more about yourself, and further develop your brand. For example, maybe you’re eager to share tips around how to work smarter and save time on tedious tasks. You may discover that part of the brand you’re building is being seen as someone who is productive and always delivers quick results. Sharing your advice with others is also simply a kind thing to do — and it’s never bad to have kindness be part of your brand. Extending kindness has scientific well-being and happiness benefits that can positively affect your mental health. Communicate Your Brand You’ve defined your brand, you’ve developed it further within your organization — now it’s time to make sure everyone knows who you are and what you stand for. Here’s how to regularly make sure your personal brand doesn’t go unnoticed: 1) Share your story. Communicating your personal brand through social media, especially on platforms like LinkedIn, can help you gain visibility among your colleagues, company’s executives, and recruiters. One great way to use this platform is to share stories about the skills and talents core to your personal brand that may not be so obvious on your resume or in your day-to-day work. PwC’s 2023 Global Hopes and Fears study found that 35% of people believe they have skills that aren’t clear from their qualifications, job history, or job titles. Further, 46% agreed that employers focus too much on job history and not enough on skills when hiring. To make your skills shine, don’t be afraid to get personal by sharing talents you’ve built outside of work. For example, say you’re a litigator with a side passion as an Etsy vendor. You can share the story of how you’ve built persuasive writing skills through advertising, creativity that helps you think quickly on your feet, and a growth mindset that allows you to see the big picture. Your interests can and should be part of your personal brand too. The things you do outside of work typically make you a more well-rounded person, and that in turn makes you more competitive. If you’re trying to reach a wider audience beyond your personal network, ask your HR department if they’re looking for any employee experience stories to help with talent acquisition or employer branding. You can use this opportunity to share a success story that puts your personal brand in action. Not only will sharing your story help you communicate your brand to a larger network — it will also help increase your visibility internally, improve your storytelling skills, and give you the chance to collaborate with others outside of your function. 2) Skip the empty small talk. To make yourself and your personal brand more visible, you need to network. But that doesn’t mean you should lean into boring small talk. For example, when someone asks, “How are you?” fight the urge to reply with the typical “Good, and you?” Use the opportunity to talk about your work and highlight your personal brand. Say something like: “I’m well, thanks, and looking forward to the week ahead! I’m working on [a new project] and I’m really excited about [the impact it will have] and [the skills I’m building]. I’d love to talk to you about it more if you’re interested. But first, how are things with you?” Before any planned encounters, try to write down two or three projects, life updates, or personal wins that you’re eager to share. This can help you stay focused on communicating your brand and go beyond the small talk. 3) Celebrate others. Great brands aren’t one-sided — yours shouldn’t be either. It’s important to recognize and celebrate others for their achievements as much as you celebrate your own. When a coworker or connection reaches a new work milestone, show your support with a social media shoutout, a personal email, or even a card. Beyond being a nice thing to do, it can have many benefits for you and your personal brand. It’s a great way to stay connected to your colleagues and ensure you stay top of mind for them. Just like when you share your knowledge and skills, celebrating others will encourage them to celebrate you when you’ve achieved something, further boosting your brand. You also don’t have to limit these interactions to celebratory moments. If you find things that resonate with you in someone else’s posts, reshare their update, comment, or reach out with resources you’ve found helpful. When it comes to building a personal brand, compassion will always be a good addition. . . . Building your brand is an ongoing process, and it’s important to always be on the lookout for things that may stand in your way — burnout, perfectionism, and perhaps more. But remember: You don’t have to do and be everything. Be true to you. That’s the highest form of self-care and the most sustainable way to build your personal brand.
