I have read, heard, and seen countless pieces of advice and secrets of success shared by experts and leaders in 35 years immersed in the business world. While much of the information is repetitive to a degree, sometimes I came across a gem that is fresh. Such is an observation that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates shared about his rival and sometimes collaborator, Steve Jobs. In a recent interview, Gates said the following about Steve Jobs and what made him special:

“I was like a minor wizard because he would be casting spells, and I would see people mesmerized, but because I’m a minor wizard, the spells don’t work on me.“

All this time, I viewed Steve Jobs as a master of innovation and product design. I had no idea that wizardry played a role in his accomplishments. He wasn’t really a wizard, was he?

Spellbound Leadership

No, Steve Jobs was not a wizard. He did not really cast spells on anyone (not even Bill Gates or Microsoft). The magic to which Bill Gates referred was Jobs’ ability to motivate people, making them believe they were involved with something special. Apple was a company in deep trouble when Steve Jobs returned in 1997. He was able to convince employees and consumers alike that Apple products were truly different. The results speak for themselves. The iMac rejuvenated Apple, and the iPhone transformed it into a digital powerhouse.

Apple’s resurgence is one example of a lesser brand being energized and enjoying success. The “spells” that Steve Jobs cast were not manipulative or insidious. Although Jobs had a reputation for pushing, even intimidating people, the drive behind his push was a belief that they could do more. Steve Jobs inspired people to push boundaries and move beyond comfort zones. At the core of the push was instilling belief that there was purpose behind the products.

Beyond Thought Leadership

The belief you are doing something truly different should be a spell you want cast upon your professional identity. In the realm of personal branding, people often use the term “thought leader” to describe their value proposition. Thought leaders are a dime a dozen today. Want proof? A LinkedIn search for thought leader returns 107,000 results… a lot of leaders (granted the vast majority of them are self-appointed thought leaders).

Thought leadership is a status or point of difference based on expertise. If taken literally, a thought leader is someone who is out in front of the rest of us in their understanding of relationships and trends that are shaping a particular domain. The missing ingredient in a thought leader’s secret sauce is inspiration, specifically inspiring others to take action. Reflecting on the legacy of Steve Jobs, he was more than a thought leader; he was a movement leader.

Whether you have already attained thought leader status, aspire to be a thought leader, or are in the early stages of your journey, ask yourself whether the spark (spell) of feeling you are doing something truly different is present. Do you feel inspired to make a difference? Can you move others to see themselves as making a difference? If yes, it is time to consider how you can be a movement leader.

Who would not want to be successful in their life? I cannot ever recall hearing someone say “mediocrity is for me—that is my goal.” Yet, there is an abundance of unfulfilled potential among us. Many reasons can be cited for not attaining the performance level for which we are capable. I am convinced one of the greatest obstacles is self-doubt. We cannot envision changing from our current state to one in which we could find greater abundance and joy.

If you are blocked by feelings of discouragement that you are incapable of realizing success, the words of the late Zig Ziglar invite an attitude change. Ziglar was one of the best known positive thinkers of his time. His thoughts about greatness can thwart the temptation to wallow in self-doubt that we cannot achieve greatness because we are not already there.

My desire is to build a great personal brand. The good news is my brand does not have to start great. However, I must commit to starting down the path to greatness.

What Holds Us Back?

Building a personal brand is challenging because it can be confusing to understand exactly what personal branding is… and is not. In the book Me: How to Sell Who You Are, What You Do, & Why You Matter to the World, Colby Jubenville and I address personal branding myths before we get into how-to aspects of building a personal brand. These myths are harmful because they hold us back from shaping the personal brand we desire.

Among the most damaging myths are:

• Personal branding is bragging. When we read about or watch others talk about themselves and accomplishments, it is easy to have feelings like “I can never do what he has done” or “She is so together, but I am a mess.” Keep in mind that some people get personal branding wrong in that they put the focus on themselves, not how they benefit others. When you focus on how you bring value to other people, your actions will reflect a brand that has meaning, not a shallow brand that is all about self-promotion.
• Personal branding requires you to act differently. Building a great brand is sometimes perceived as synonymous with building a perfect brand. In reality, there is no such thing as a perfect brand. You do not have to strive for perfection, nor do you have to act differently than the person you are. Authenticity is a trait that is highly valued. Be yourself!
• Personal branding is all about appearances. One of the greatest misconceptions about personal branding is its scope is limited to tangible characteristics: your personal appearance, how your website and other digital real estate looks, and information found about you online. While these elements are part of your brand, many more elements influence how you are perceived. In Me, we advocate the 3Ms of personal branding—meaning, makeup, and message—as a framework that goes beyond the esoteric aspects of personal branding to include those elements that create value.

How to Start to be Great

The keyword in this week’s message is easy to detect: start. Zig Ziglar suggests we need not beat up ourselves if we are not great. The permission to not be great now is contingent on being willing to start the journey toward greatness. You may be at point A but long to be at point Z. Rather than getting down about our brand not being at the desired state, we should channel our energy to start moving toward who we want to be.

The comprehensive view of a personal brand shared in the Me book includes several elements falling under meaning, makeup, or message. Three critical elements related to personal brand development include:

• Knowing your value. We encourage people to write a purpose statement. The template can be as simple as:

name > job role or profession > value offered > benefit

When you articulate value offered, you gain clarity on who to serve, what tools you need, and how to communicate your value.

• Setting goals. Make statements about how you want to be great. We advocate setting goals in a variety of life parts or roles including career, relationships, wellness, spirituality, finances, and “bucket list” goals. When purpose and goals are known and aligned, you set the stage to produce results that benefit others and bring you fulfillment.
• Identifying the requirements. Clear vision on your purpose and what you want to accomplish are important, but they are not sufficient to spur personal growth. Take inventory of the mindset and skill set needed to reach goals. Resolve to fill in any gaps or deficiencies to strengthen brand makeup.

One More Thing

Do the work. Plans to enhance the elements discussed above is meaningless without doing the work needed to make things happen. Many people do not realize their brand aspirations because they are clueless about the work required to effect change. Awareness of the actions required is an all-important first step, but managing your brand so that it is solid in the three dimensions of meaning, makeup, and message is a must.

You have the potential to be great… what are you waiting for?

The new year is more than turning the calendar forward to start a new 12-month cycle. It is an ideal time for a reset, to adopt new beliefs and practices. The result of this reset could be better job performance, a healthier body, greater feeling of peace, or increased income. We start the new year with good intentions to effect change in our lives. Unfortunately, setbacks and discouraging moments often knock us off the rails of self-improvement.

The words of the late tennis legend Arthur Ashe are reassuring as I think about what it will take to achieve personal growth this year. His advice is simple, yet we often fall short in meeting one or more of these directives. Failing to embrace this advice thwarts even the best intentions for personal growth.

Start Where You Are

It is logical to start where we are, yet our starting place could be one that we dislike or are embarrassed to claim. Starting where we are requires acknowledging the good and bad. In other words, we must candidly assess strengths and weaknesses. In our book Me: How to Sell Who You Are, What You Do, & Why You Matter to the World, Colby Jubenville and I encourage taking a snapshot (i.e., conduct a situation analysis) of where you are. It serves as a starting point for setting personal brand goals.

Use What You Have

Chances are where you are now is not where you want to be… and that is OK. Dwelling on weaknesses could cause us to overlook strengths we have (i.e., personal brand assets) that can support personal growth. Arthur Ashe’s words “use what you have” is a reminder that our personal brand makeup abilities, skills, knowledge, and experience can be used to create value for others.

In order to realize growth and change, now may be the time to add to what you have. Do you have a self-learning program in place? Are you investing in yourself? Career expert Dan Miller says success is guaranteed if you invest 3% of your income back into yourself.  Use what you have while at the same time be disciplined to add to what you have.

Do What You Can

Plans without follow-through are little more than dreams. “Change” and “grow” are verbs, actions that arise from actions. The bottom line is we must do (i.e., leverage where we are and what we have) in order to affect change and growth. We cannot merely think about personal growth; we have to be the driver of change and growth.

Efforts to advance your personal brand should come with a commitment to measure performance and progress. Evaluate progress toward goals regularly (e.g., weekly or monthly). Doing so sheds light on where you stand and allows you to adjust as needed. Otherwise, one year from now the only change could be that you are one year older.

Your Best Year Ever

I get excited when I think about having my best year ever. It is such a lofty place that it is almost intimidating to think about it. What exactly would my best year ever look like professionally? What would it look like personally? How the heck do I get there? How far will it push me out of my comfort zone to have my best year ever?

These questions are enough to consider dialing down what we want. A really good year or one of my best years ever will suffice. The enormity of pursuing my best year ever can be calmed by following the guidance of Arthur Ashe.

 

One of the hardest lessons for me to accept as a young marketer was that my company’s offerings were not for everyone. On top of that, there were some non-customers that simply disliked us. Maybe they had a bad experience with our company years ago. Or, a competitor made disparaging remarks about our company. In some instances, it was that people disliked our product, perceiving it to be inferior relative to competition. Whatever the source of negative beliefs, our products were not going to wind up in their shopping carts. Safe to say people in this camp were not fans… nor were they going to be.

The sooner you accept the fact that you will have detractors, the sooner you will be freed up to create value for those people who believe in you. I suppose it is human nature to want to be accepted and liked. The reality is universal acclaim and support is not going to happen. Do not compromise your beliefs or integrity in an attempt to win over naysayers.

The late Kurt Cobain succinctly states the importance of being your authentic self. When you “play it down the middle” to not turn off anyone, it is very likely that you will also fail to turn on people.

Aim to Please

Attempting to create broad appeal seems to be a logical strategy. Product acceptance odds increase the larger the target market. Factors influencing our attempts to aim to please include:

• Desire to be liked. Receiving positive feedback validates our work and strokes our ego.
• Potential to grow. The wider net we cast, the greater the possibility of our brand and message being spread via word-of-mouth.
• Fear. We may be concerned what detractors might do and thus attempt to minimize interactions with them. Will they have silent indifference, or will they be bent on communicating their dissatisfaction to anyone who will listen?

We can fool ourselves into seeing positive benefits and take precautions against stirring the pot of negativity. Unfortunately, the end result could be a personal brand without distinction.

Take a Stand

The alternative course of action to playing it safe is to take a stand. We need to look no further than the world of product brands to realize staking a position is a necessity. Product marketers segment audiences to appeal to those customers who they can best serve. We must take the same approach. The goal need not be create a large audience but rather a committed audience. Kevin Kelly, founding editor of Wired magazine, espouses a belief that the goal of a business serving individual markets should be to build an audience of 1,000 die-hard fans. This core customer group will buy, advocate, and refer on your behalf. The headcount may not be gaudy, but it represents a high quality group of believers.

If you think 1,000 committed fans is too small a number, we can find examples of popular brands also being polarizing brands. Look to the NFL for an example. The Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots are two of the most disliked teams in the league based on fan surveys. These same two franchises are also among the most popular. The top four players in jersey sales for 2016 were from these teams (three Cowboys, one Patriot). These teams evoke love-hate reactions from many fans.

Decide to Divide

If you have been clinging to the notion that you can attract more followers to your brand, it is OK to hang on to that thought. It is also OK to entertain a goal of creating detractors. Do not go out of your way to inflame people and encourage haters. At the same time, avoid being conservative so that you do not offend or alienate others. Follow the words of Kurt Cobain and embrace your authentic brand. Some will be attracted to it; others will be driven away. Both outcomes are acceptable as long as you consistently live your brand.

Image credit: Flickr/Adam McGhee via Creative Commons license

I am an avid consumer of statistics. They are small bites of information that can drive home deep messages. Most stats I come across may cause me take pause for a moment, then I move on. Unfortunately, I cannot recite most of the stats I read or hear, but one has stuck with me since the day I read it. The stat came from a 2013 Adobe survey of 1,000 marketers. The finding that stopped me in my tracks?

76% of marketers believed marketing had changed more in the past two years than the previous 50.

Change is rapid and affecting most of us in marketing (and pretty much any other field you name). What is the antidote to change? Learning.

When it comes to education, do you view it as an expense or investment? Renowned personal development expert Jim Rohn implores us to view education as an investment in our personal brand. While buyer’s remorse will inevitably occur for some of the purchase decisions we make, the following quote by Rohn suggests education should be an exception.

Recognize the Excuses

You may be convinced that rapid change is happening, and you need to add to your skill set. That realization is the easy part; acting on that decision can be difficult and downright paralyzing. Given your life situation, enrolling in a formal education program may not be an option. This acknowledgement is enough to shut down some people. They rationalize not taking the plunge.

• The kids need my attention.
• I would take this online course, but I have two car payments.
• Attending this seminar on Saturday would be awesome, but I usually play golf with my buddies that day.

It is tempting to see just how long of a list of excuses could be created here. I will stop because the point is made: Life can get in the way if you allow it. You can come up with any number of valid excuses, but the end result is the same—you talk yourself out of more education.

Know Your Options

The good news is you have options beyond formal education to build your skill set. In Me: How to Sell Who You Are, What You Do, and Why You Matter to the World, Colby Jubenville and I devote a chapter to managing and growing skill set. When it comes to tangible, or hard skills, you have three paths you can take once you identify skills to enhance:

• Formal education. Colleges and universities not only offer traditional degree programs, but you will find more focused certificate programs, too. If you do not have time or money to pursue a degree, a certificate program could be a viable alternative.
• Skill-specific courses. You may be seeking to add or sharpen a specific skill, say a computer programming language. Many online courses exist that fill the gap created by the expense or inconvenience of traditional degree programs. If you wonder about the availability of online learning options, do not worry. E-learning was estimated to be a $107 billion industry in 2015. Online education will only continue to grow as a channel for self-directed learners.
• Articles, blogs, and videos. Perhaps the first place to begin exploring options for adding to your skill set is to seek out free resources and tools. Authorities in many fields share their expertise freely (literally) on blogs, social media, and videos. Free resources may not offer everything you need for skill enhancement, but they are an ideal starting point.

Invest in Yourself

You must make a decision whether to invest in adding to the makeup of your personal brand. Is education worth it to you? Sales expert and author Brian Tracy offers a formula to address this question. He says we should invest three percent of our income in ourselves. If you make $40,000 a year, set aside $1,200 for personal development—buying books, taking an online course, attending a conference. This formula is interesting because on one hand, budgeting $1,200 for education might seem unrealistic given other budget obligations. On the other hand, the question that rises is how could you not value your own development to the point you would set aside three percent of your income for personal growth?

We must be the most enthusiastic investor for our own brand. If we are not willing to take a chance on ourselves, why should we expect anyone else to invest in us?

 

 The pursuit of excellence sounds like a lofty ideal that one may or may not be able to achieve. Why does it sound so far out? It sounds that way because we do not know what excellence looks like. How can we recognize something if we are unfamiliar with it? If we have never done it (achieved excellence) before, will we be able to do whatever it takes to get there?

What if excellence was not some nebulous behavior in which you engage but rather action based on habits? That is exactly how to reach excellence according to author and philosopher Will Durant. He states that excellence is an outcome of what we repeatedly do. Durant’s statement also suggests excellence is a choice. Excellence is a habit, but so is laziness. The good news is you get to decide which outcomes you wish to chase.

The Habit Outcome

I reflected on Will Durant’s thoughts on excellence and concluded it was not a platitude. Many results in my life—good and bad—have been fueled by habit. Earning a Ph.D. degree, gaining weight, losing weight, running a half-marathon, writing three books, improving relationships, and damaging relationships all resulted from habits. We are indeed creatures of habit. People like me who love routine and consistency can easily find themselves in a groove (or rut) as a result of habits.

If habits define us, it is imperative that we define our habits. You can choose which habits to practice. Some choices are proactively made because of anticipated benefits. If you wake up one hour early each morning to write 500 words of a novel, you see a payoff from consistently engaging in that behavior. You are more likely to have a finished novel one day if you embrace a regular practice of writing. We become what we repeatedly do; choose to spend time on activities that will take you closer to who you want to be.

The Destructive Habits

To this point, I have focused on positive habits that will lead to desired results. Habits cut both ways, however. Bad habits can move you further away from the outcomes you want to achieve. It is not that you plan self-sabotage, but repeated “bad” acts can have a cumulative effect of hindering personal growth.

So, what destructive habits are impeding your progress? Some of the usual culprits include:

• TV. American adults watch more than five hours of TV daily on average. Although some of that time includes multitasking (often on other media consumption like Facebook), the takeaway is we spend a lot of time in front a screen. Is that use of time moving you closer to or further from your goals? No need to respond—we know the answer.
• Social media. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social networks have become media staples for many Americans. Pew Research Center estimates that 69% of American adults are social media users, and many are frequent users. An estimated 76% of Facebook users are on the site daily. Daily usage numbers are also sizable for Instagram (51%) and Twitter (42%). Could you be using social media to work toward goals? Sure. Is that how you are using it, or could you envision time spent on social media being used more effectively?
• Wellness. Using the best time management techniques could be derailed if you are a physical mess. Some combination of too many calories, too little exercise, and too little sleep hinders our physical effectiveness. We have less energy and endurance to partake in constructive activities, missing out on growth opportunities.

Wash, Rinse, and Repeat

This week, reflect on the habits in your life. Which ones are working in your favor, moving you toward the person you wish to become? Are there habits that you would be better off not having your life? Recognize them, understand how they are hurting you, and set out to replace them with other habits (i.e., behavior patterns) that will move you closer to excellence.

Note: This quote is often attributed to Aristotle, but it was made by Will Durant in a critique of Aristotle’s work.

 

In branding, sameness is considered a weakness. You may have heard the term “Commodity Hell” used to describe brand parity or sameness. Notice the term is not “Commodity Heaven” or “Commodity Bliss.” The quest to avoid sameness in branding can be traced back to the purpose of brands. They identify the source of a product (i.e., the responsible party) and differentiate from other products. A brand that does not set apart a product as distinctive could be doomed to become lost in a sea of similar offerings.

The importance of separation through branding applies to personal brands, too. We like to think that the quality of our work is enough to signal our value. It can happen, but do not count on your hard work being the difference. Chances are many employees in your organization work hard, so work alone will not make you stand out. Instead of focusing on working hard, maybe it is time to make being different a priority.

This week’s One to Grow On quote comes from fashion designer Coco Chanel. She suggests that the ultimate in branding, becoming irreplaceable, is driven by being different. Let’s unpack what it means to be different.

Three Degrees of Different

Coco Chanel’s advice to be different sounds simple enough. Different is the opposite of same, right? Well, yes it is, but we must be strategic in how we set out to be different. You can realize three degrees of differentiation through personal branding. Each one has potential to work (i.e., set your brand apart from others). The question to ask about each degree of different is whether it would be effective for your brand.

Different for the sake of being different. We can be different simply by adopting a distinguishing branding element. For example, a man could make polka-dot handkerchiefs a signature look in his professional attire. Similarly, a woman could always wear a scarf (even have every scarf be the same color). These memorable attributes become associated with that person. They become “the polka dot guy” or “the scarf lady.” This degree of different allows us to check the box that we are somehow different, but we may not possess a point of difference that actually helps other people.

Different but not unique. Most personal brand differentiation is described as different from others but not one-of-a-kind different. College students earning graduate degrees join a small minority of the population with an advanced degree (only 12% of Americans have grad degrees). Select group? Yes. Different from the rest of the world? No. You may set yourself apart from many others in your organization or field in some way that benefits others. That outcome is good; it is the overarching aim of branding. The downside is that there is still room for others to eclipse your point of difference and render you less competitive.

Different and unique. The ultimate in personal brand differentiation is to set yourself apart from others in a way that no one else can replicate. That point of difference is likely small and could be a combination of traits such as skills, personality, and experience. This degree of different is realistically achieved over time. You will not start out world class at anything. Different and unique should be an aspiration, not a starting point for personal brand differentiation.

The Courage of Different

Brand differentiation comes at a price: risk. Sameness offers comfort and certainty. We are less likely to fail or stand out for the wrong reasons if we do not go looking for a way to be different.

Coco Chanel’s quote intrigued me. I wondered how she had been different. Chanel is credited with breaking ground in fashion and women’s fragrances. She challenged status quo in attitudes toward the traditional black dress. Chanel transformed it to clothing worn for mourning to a fashion staple. Equating becoming irreplaceable with being different was not merely a pithy quote uttered by Coco Chanel. Her contributions as a designer and entrepreneur were due to her willingness to take risks.

What degree of different are you at today, or are you mired in sameness? If the latter describes you, it is imperative to select how you will break out of those chains. You probably know people that are irreplaceable at what they do. What makes them different from others who are vulnerable to being replaced? What do you need to do to move to the irreplaceable list? Differentiation is not about novelty; it is about necessity.

The month of May is an exciting time in higher education. The conclusion of the spring term brings with it commencement ceremonies. This rite of passage marks both an ending and beginning. Graduates have completed requirements to earn a college degree. It is a time of celebration, but it is also an uncertain time as they open the next chapter of their lives.

I don’t mean to sound too dramatic when saying that graduates’ future is on the line as they transition from college to career. Given the stakes involved, you would not want to aimlessly wander off a college campus and see what comes your way next. A plan is needed for a first career step. It does not have to be a quest to find the job or company to which you will commit your entire career. You are looking for a starting point as you build something unique and valuable: your personal brand.

This week’s One to Grow On quote speaks to college graduates embarking on their professional journey. But, it also speaks to all of us regardless of where we are on life’s path. Are you actively creating what you want to be, do, or have? Or, are you hoping it will cross your path, and you will know it’s what you want when you see it?

Creating Work Life

Transitioning from full-time student to full-time employee is one of the greatest challenges for college graduates. Their experience and understanding of business can be limited. Even if you study business in college you quickly find there are many differences between business as examined in the classroom and the inner workings of a business to which you contribute. In other words, college can help prepare you to be an accountant or salesperson, but it is not equipped as well to train students to be employees.

You can choose to find yourself or create yourself when it comes to your career. One way creating yourself is manifested among workers today is the trend toward a higher number of jobs held in one’s career. Research from the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that workers born between 1957-1964 held about 12 different jobs on average between the ages of 18 and 48 . Holding different jobs has become a part of the early career stages. A LinkedIn study found that workers have an average of four different jobs by age 32. This trend among Millennial workers is markedly different from Generation Xers at the same age who changed jobs an average of twice during their first ten years after college.

The frequency of job change might raise some eyebrows, but it can viewed as a positive behavior… if the change is done in the name of creating yourself. Workers stuck in jobs in which they are not challenged or find their work meaningful are prime “create yourself” candidates.

Lost and Found

The choice to create yourself is so much more appealing than hoping to find yourself. Choosing the latter suggests that you must be lost. Many people are lost when it comes to their jobs. Surveys of workplace satisfaction have found that about 70 percent of American workers are unhappy about their job. The degree of unhappiness might vary, but it is a sobering thought that most workers have negative feelings about their work situation.

Statistics on worker dissatisfaction suggests most of us will become lost when it comes to work at some point in our careers. If you are unhappy, you can take comfort in knowing you are in the majority. Now, it is up to you to be rescued. You can drift and hope for a rescue, or you can take actions to get rescued (create a desired outcome).

What to Create

The find yourself-create yourself quandary has no quick fixes. However, the choice to create the life you want is connected to creating the personal brand you want. Your brand is a representation of who you are (meaning), how you are trained to create value (makeup), and your interactions with others (message).

Creating the life you want is impossible without first creating the person you must be to live out the life you want. The 3Ms of your personal brand are the ingredients needed to make that happen.