In the early days of my career, I thought my personal brand was solid. I progressed swiftly to management at a youthful age in the corporate world. My self-confidence was high, I was on a top talent leadership programme and received ongoing amazing feedback for the work I had produced. But was my perception reality? Was my personal brand as solid as I imagined and did it really matter?
I thought I knew the answer to these questions. I had never actively worked on my personal brand. I believed the best way to advance my career was through demonstrating hard work, commitment and dedication and nothing else really mattered. Then I noticed something. It was not a specific moment but rather a feeling. A knot in my stomach brought on by ad hoc comments and feedback.
Looking back on the situation today I realise I was young, inexperienced and naïve. I was under the impression that everyone I interacted with held at their core the same personal beliefs and values as me. How wrong I was.
The realisation that I had received the same feedback from a number of different senior leaders over a one-year period was earth shattering. The reality was I was comfortably hidden in my Line Managers shadow. I did an amazing job, my line manager, my team and my peers knew this but my efforts were hidden from leadership. The people who could seriously impact the progress of my career knew little about me.
Caught in conundrum over how to overcome this barrier to my success I decided to take a sideways move. I was determined to make a fresh start with a new line manager and a new attitude. I was desperate to receive the recognition I deserved. A few weeks into the role I had a harsh reality check that solidified my decision.
My new line manager was keen to help me grow and develop. He wanted me to take over some of his responsibilities and elevate my profile. Sitting down to start his handover he began telling me about a comprehensive automated spreadsheet, filled with useful data and insights. A tool introduced by his colleague that had been so impactful it had been rolled out across the whole organisation. His colleague had been recognised for its positive contribution by being awarded top performer status and an all-expenses paid weeklong trip to Monaco for him and his wife. I was full of anticipation; I could not wait to see this amazing tool. Then he opened his laptop and my heart sank.
The amazing tool was exactly as I had left it last time I had opened and updated it. It contained the same data and was spilling out the same recommendations I had written the previous week for my previous line manager. This incredible tool was the same one I had spent weeks developing. The tool I had spent hours testing, making sure all the macros worked. The tool I had taken home and spent hours developing and enhancing in my own time, when my young children had gone to bed.
That was the moment. The moment that hit me like a brick wall. The moment I remember as if it was yesterday. Everything changed. A profound realisation, I had to change my approach and attitude. Reflecting on this today I am reminded of a quote from Elon Musk:
“Brand is just a perception and perception will match reality over time.”
My reality was that I was responsible. I had sat comfortably in my line managers shadow, let him take the credit for my work and never considered the potential personal cost. Since this pivotal moment I have always actively worked on my personal brand. The enhanced level of self-awareness and natural self-promotion I have today is no longer a conscious decision and simply part of who I am. I will expand on how I made this transition in a future blog. In the meantime, I would love to hear about any significant moments you may have had recognising you need to work on your personal brand. Please join in the conversation and comment below:
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