Our personal brand is all about how we are perceived by others.
What do they say when we aren’t around?
How do our skills, actions, and attitudes align?
What message do we communicate.
Sometimes we can tie ourselves in knots trying to figure out how to express our “brand”.
This could be a bio, a resume, our LinkedIn profile, and much, much more.
I came across a quote yesterday that got me thinking:
“I am not who you think I am;
I am not who I think I am;
I am who I think you think I am.”
– Charles Cooley
My Perspective
This quote sums up a lot.
We can get stuck in our heads.
We question our essence, our purpose, our strengths – the list goes on.
We worry about every word we write and how it will land with others who see it.
We stress over all the details of a presentation or report.
In the end, the thoughts in our head are all about “I am who I think you think I am”.
We are imagining what others will think or feel because of our actions.
Yet, we can’t know or control what that reaction will be.
We need to flip the script – be authentic and let who we are shine.
“Brand is just a perception, and perception will match reality over time.”
– Elon Musk
Start building the vision of the brand we want to be by demonstrating the skills, actions, and attitudes that create that vision.
Your Turn
Do you spend too much time thinking about what others will think?
Are you more concerned about your purpose or your perception?
How can you consider you skills, actions, and attitude over thinking about what others think?