Working with an executive coach that specializes in personal branding gives you the advantage of having a qualified professional lead you through a process that challenges you to develop the best version of yourself.
If you aren’t getting that expert guidance from a coach, how do you know if the personal brand you are developing really connects with the best version of you along with thinking about how you ultimately want to be known?
Once you establish the fundamental elements that give you a direction, how do you stay on track and see what you can’t do on your own?
Here are four strategies you can apply immediately to eliminate the blind spots and allow you to self-coach:
#1 PERFORM A GUT CHECK
To start, it is important to define how you want to be known as a person who is a leader. Begin by writing a list of descriptive words you would love to hear other people use to describe you. Next, narrow your list to the top four or six words in how you want to be known. These are the words you want to own in the minds of your audience, whether it is one person or many.
When drafting your initial list of words, write as many words as you can think of. Make sure you write words that raise the bar for you and hold you in an elevated state of being. It could be confident or dynamic instead of professional or interesting.
Words carry meaning. They can influence your attitude, how you see yourself, and how you showcase your value.
Review your list and notice your inner dialogue to know if you’ve landed on your top brand words. Are you saying, “That’s good,” or is your internal voice shouting, “THAT IS TOTALLY THE WAY I WANT OTHERS TO SEE ME!”
If your gut check reveals, “That’s good,” keep working until you get the second response. If you have the second response to your top words, put them into practice next and start making them your reality!
#2 PAY ATTENTION
To know if you are on track in living your brand, pay attention to how people respond to you and what you are saying. It will provide you with clues.
If you are leading a presentation or meeting, are you getting the desired response? Are participants actively engaged, or do they appear disinterested? When you share your point of view, do others shake their head in agreement or become defensive?
If the response isn’t what you are going for, this is the perfect opportunity to consider making a few minor adjustments. Are you providing too much detail and overwhelming your audience? Are you speaking in an aggressive tone or a condescending manner?
This can happen without you even realizing it, so how do you change people rolling their eyes to nodding their heads in agreement? Think of someone who is easily able to engage their audience and model his or her communication style.
Caution: Model ~ don’t copy! This is not about you being someone else; it is about you learning from someone you feel has already mastered a quality you want to own.
#3 ASK PEOPLE YOU RESPECT
Another way to find out if you are aligned with your personal brand is to be proactive in approaching people whose opinions you value and ask them, “What five words would you use to describe me?”
Give them time to think without interruption. Also, be prepared to share why you’re asking for their input, as some may be curious.
Your response to their curiosity could be as simple as I want to be more aware of the impression I make and feel the best way to find out is to ask people I respect.
Regardless, if you are delighted or disappointed with the five words they share, thank them for sharing and for their honesty.
Remember you are asking someone you respect and whose opinion you value. If the feedback isn’t aligned with the personal brand you want to create, see the input as an opportunity to recalibrate and grow.
#4 GET CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK
Many leaders share they are often disappointed that the feedback they get isn’t constructive. You can’t do anything with “You are doing fine” or “Nothing stands out.” The responsibility in getting constructive feedback lies in asking specifically what you want feedback on.
You will get a general response if you ask a general question about how you are doing. However, if you request feedback on specifics of your personal brand, it is easier for someone to give you useful information.
To make this process easy, share your personal brand words (the image you want to project) with several colleagues you trust. Ask them for feedback after you get off calls or when leaving a meeting.
If it is more confidence, you are going for, ask if you come across as confident. If you are looking to eliminate being defensive and working on being open-minded, ask if you came across as being open-minded.
To improve the quality of feedback you get, ask before the call or meeting. This gives them the opportunity to observe your behaviours and provide you with specifics.
What if their feedback isn’t positive? Maybe one of their observations was that you interrupted several times. Don’t go into making an excuse about why you interrupt (this is being defensive and lacking confidence). Thank your colleagues for sharing, and let them know how much you appreciate their support.
To take your appreciation one step further, take action on the feedback to be more aligned with your personal brand. This is the greatest compliment you can give to the people you respect and who provided support.
Keep in mind you are doing this as a self-coaching exercise to build a remarkable brand and be fully aligned with how you want to be known. This is your work, with or without a coach!
YOUR MOVE
Take action on one of the strategies above that will help you remove any blind spots and have you living by your personal brand standards.
Align yourself with what matters most to you. Live your brand fully expressed with intention and purpose to play bigger!
Are you interested in having a conversation to explore how you can define your personal brand and accelerate your growth as a leader, individually or as a team? Send an e-mail to book a complimentary 30-minute consultation.
