Are you slightly misguided about personal branding?
Personal branding has been around since the beginning of time, yet people often get confused about what it actually is and have even believed hear say from others.
“It's much more than moving up the ladder.”
Here are some myths I'd like to demystify with you -
Myth: It's only for famous personalities and influential people - Personal branding is not about being famous; it’s about being selectively famous. It means you need to understand the people you seek to influence - and you need to be ever-present to those people.
Myth: You need to build a whole identity from scratch - well no you don't! In fact you don't need to manufacture or create fake image to appeal to the world. It's about your personal identity and discovering who you truly are and authentically communicating that.
Myth: Diva syndrome - If you portray yourself as overly confident and talk down to people on the way up then you'll stand out as the authority and people will listen to you... NO! NO! NO! This will damage your reputation and personal brand forever and believe me...when you take that fall, no-one will be there to catch you. Treat others how you like to be treated.
Myth: Working hard and overworking will help build great reputation - In reality, this method doesn't help in anyway to carve out your personal brand or identity. You need to be yourself, build your brand another way and not to prove to others that ...you just work hard!
Myth: "My boss will market my brand" - leaving your branding to others is losing control over your brand. You need to be your own brand manager. Don't piggy back off someone else's brand because they won't carry you all the way.
Myth: It's all about self promotion - is deemed boastful and for self centred individuals, BUT if you find a balance to develop and build a positive personal brand the people around you also benefit. Give out more than you are willing to receive.
Myth: Personal branding is for job seekers - It's much more than moving up the ladder. It's about establishing your career, connecting your passion with your expertise, and creating your own platform on top of that