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You don’t need to be self-obsessed to build up your personal brand.
One of the biggest hurdles to strategic personal brand development that I have experienced in work with my clients and students is the near-allergic reaction to the idea of taking personal branding seriously.
Many people believe that thinking about themselves, and even more shocking, talking about themselves (gasp!), is counter to their desire to appear humble and demure.
After all, personal branding is just a self-promoting, ego-enhancing exercise that is only necessary if we aren’t competent or if we’re self-obsessed, right? We can all think of the person in our lives whose lack of humility has been off-putting. Who wants to be that jerk?
The good news is that effective personal branding and boastful self-absorption aren’t even compatible. Boasting and all its related behaviors negatively impacts personal brand.
Need proof? Just remember back to a moment ago when you visualized that person who lacks humility. My guess is that you don’t think terribly highly of this individual, right? Their brand is not strong however great they may think they are.
The convenient truth is that a high degree of self-awareness and accompanying appropriate levels of humility and compromise are keys to successful personal brands in the vast majority of cases.
Here are three ways to build your personal brand without boasting:
- Start from a position of giving. Think of your personal branding efforts as ways to give to others, not as a self-serving act. Select a skill or strength that you want to be known for and demonstrate your effectiveness by giving it away with no expectation of return. It will expand the network of individuals who know this is a strength of yours as you add value. Those who benefit are happy because you helped them, and you are happy because by doing so you showcased an area of strength.
- Ask for advice. I know this one sounds deceptively simple but it works. Ask for information, input, or advice from influencers and people you know you could learn from. By seeking out others who can share their knowledge, you also are expanding your network, and showing others what you care about and perhaps even where you shine.
- Step up and take a risk. One of the best (and most humble) ways to build your personal brand is to take a risk. Put yourself out there in some way that may push your boundaries a little. For example, you may volunteer for a project that is outside of your comfort zone. You are likely going to have to stray away from your existing strengths, but these opportunities provide a chance for you to develop new ones. They also often broaden your network by exposing you to individuals you don’t usually work with.
Developing your personal brand isn’t an exercise in vanity. It is key to driving your professional trajectory, achieving your goals, and developing relationships of mutual value.
