“I need to increase my self-esteem” is a statement I hear often from my students. Their belief is that once their self-esteem is higher, they’ll be able to achieve more and become greater successes.

Have you ever stopped to think about your communication style and the impact it has on you and your personal brand?

Do you often run on autopilot just falling into conversational habits? Many times not even tuned into the words you are using and how your message is being received. You are more focused on getting your message out and being heard than really making a connection and creating an experience for the other person.

Your brand is an extension of you and an expression of what you stand for. You continually show others who you are through the actions you take and the words you use. Both contribute to the story of your brand and what others believe to be true about you.

You do have a choice and can absolutely get what you want. The biggest part lies in the knowing. Here is where most leaders get stuck…they don’t know what they want.

Think of a time in your life when you wanted something really badly. You wanted it so badly that you were willing to invest the extra effort and let nothing get in your way.

The fact is, you have a brand. Your brand has been with you for your whole life. It is present whether you consciously work on it or not. It doesn’t go away or take a back seat when you’re busy.

Your brand represents you by all you have done or not done. It is both the tangible and intangible parts of you that influence your brand. It is revealed through the experiences people have of you based on your image, presence, attitude, values, skills, passions, key strengths and natural talents.

Last December, when I began to think about the upcoming year, I decided to go beyond the “to do” list of accomplishments. I wanted to actually have experiences that allowed me to reconnect with myself and rediscover what was truly important.

Your friends are an extension of who you are. When other people in your life meet your friends they will connect them to your character, your attitude and what you hold important.

With that in mind, consider: how do you describe your friends? How do they treat other people in their lives? How do they see the world? Are they positive, happy, open-minded, adventurous and goal-oriented? Are you?

Your personal brand is defined by what others say about you. Knowing that, it makes sense to create a leadership brand experience that is reflective of your personal brand standards and how you want to stand out.

Doing what is expected positions you to blend in. To stand out and create an experience that screams ‘high standards’ you need to be willing to do the unexpected.