Every executive should know the answer to the question “Who am I?” and the follow-on question “What drives me every day to lead, manage and do?” Answers to these questions are developed in the personal brand identification process. If you’re afraid that it will take an inordinate amount of time to identify and communicate your brand then I’d advise you to let go of that assumption.
If you work with me as a coach then the discovery phase of the process is shortened considerably. If you’re a DIY executive (I have rarely, if ever, met this type) then I suggest you do the following:
Collect Conversations: Assemble a variety of communications over a period of 2-3 months. Many will be in the form of meeting notes, emails, texts, proposals, company-wide memos, press statements.
Review and Take Notes: Look for language that you repeatedly use. This is both a positive and a negative. Do you notice a pattern? Most people have a set of words and phrases that they fall back on that offer a sense of comfort and reliability. Do you like the language apart from the repetition? Did you appropriate these words from the common language of business and culture? Could you edit what you see and hear to break away from what can devolve into monotony and dissolve into jargon?
Here’s an example of what I mean. And while it isn’t the Oxford ‘Word of the Year’ it is still one of the biggest culprits that make your executive brand invisible. The word is:
Re-imagine. This is jargon 101. It didn’t take long for political consultants to pop this word into candidate websites. It was supposed to flash a sense of fresh thinking on policy issues. Instead, an overwhelming number of folks embraced this word until everyone sounded the same. Then, it moved like a fast-spreading wildfire to corporate America. You don’t have to go far to see and hear the biggest brands out there use this word. A new mission or company direction? Re-imagine. Product turnaround? Re-imagine. New executive leadership? Re-imagined. You get the idea. The result for anyone who appropriates jargon is invisibility. No competitive differentiation.
In graduate school, the Chair of my department consistently emphasized that language elevates the level of literature, in ways both mundane and profound. The upshot is if you begin to notice that your language is the same or similar to other executives competing in your space, then you may be at a considerable disadvantage. A strong voice equals a strong, visible and rich personal brand.