Women are the future. They are the most valuable assets of progressive organizations that have gender diversity on their strategic agenda. McKinsey's ‘Women Matter’ study suggests that the companies where women are most strongly represented at board or top-management level, are also the companies that perform the best. 79% of all mid- or senior-level women aim to reach top management, compared with 81% of men.
Yet, women have not always been given the opportunity to contribute their authentic value to their employers. Until now, they were often expected to conform to the cultural norms that were established by their male counterparts. They frequently disguised their own strengths and unique characteristics to fit into traditional, male-dominated organizations. However, companies are finally waking up to the important role women play in their organizations. They are preparing their female employees now to be the leaders of the future. In this scenario, the question for women no longer is ‘should I have a personal brand’. Instead the question now is ‘how do I best manage my personal brand’?
But what is personal branding? Very simply put, personal branding is how you present yourself. It is about identifying and then communicating what makes you unique, relevant and differentiated for your target audience, so that you can reach your career and/or business goals. First impressions count, so being able to articulate who you are and what you stand for is essential to career progression.
Undoubtedly, substance is critical to doing your job well and proving your competence but it is the impression others have of you - your personal brand - that often gets you noticed and remembered when it comes time for a promotion!
Creating a strong personal brand can pose a challenge for anyone. Women, however, may have a few extra hurdles.
For women, creating and promoting an authentic personal brand can be a difficult task to accomplish. This is often because self-promotion is not part of our upbringing as women. "At a young age, we are taught to be nice and not to brag, whereas men are often praised for self-promotion," says corporate wellness consultant Katie Bressack. This is a big mistake because, when people have a reputation for accomplishment and they are more visible, they have an edge. It’s what is called the ‘visibility premium’. In strategically managing how you and your personal brand are perceived, you can help overcome the common pitfall of being unsure or uncomfortable with marketing yourself.
Having a brand gives you an edge whether you are looking for a job, want to move up the ladder, or are promoting your business. Personal branding is not just “packaging” or self-promotion, it is finding out and communicating what’s unique and special about you and what you do that meets a need in the marketplace.
So how do you build your brand? You must start by defining your brand with absolute clarity. What are you passionate about? In what do you consider yourself an expert? For what do you want to be known? How will you tell your story?
How do you want to “show up”? What do you want others to think of you? Make sure those traits are demonstrated in all that you do—words, dress, style and marketing. Your personal brand should be an amalgamation of your Appearance, Behavior, Communication, Digital footprint (A+B+C+D).
Great brands always build off their strengths – their authenticity – and you should too. ”What makes you unique makes you successful. ” says personal branding guru, William Arruda. Focus your efforts on the core elements of your brand and what you love to do. Work with coaches and mentors, take classes, watch what other people in your field are doing, attend conferences, stay on top of the media and the internet. At every possible opportunity, build your visibility. You can start out with low visibility tactics like volunteering, attending conferences and networking events and build up to higher visibility tactics such as contributing articles, writing blogs, taking on speaker/panel member positions at industry forums.
Women possess many strengths that make them natural leaders. In fact, when women rely on their natural feminine strengths such emotional sensitivity, compassion,, authentic communication style, listening and collaboration skills, they actually possess a superior power to lead, influence and inspire.
So go ahead, ladies, build your personal brand as your powerful asset and invest in it diligently. Ask yourself one question everyday “what have I done for my brand today?”