There is no shortage of advice on how to build a personal brand. Many experts tout the importance of a communication platform and using it to build a community and nurture relationships. But, if your focus on branding begins there, you have made the same mistake many product brands commit. Great brands are just that because they know something about themselves that permeates everything they believe, feel, say, and do. They understand their purpose and are able to articulate it throughout their business operations.
On a personal level, if you cannot state your purpose, how can you build a meaningful brand? It would be like taking a car trip from Florida to California without a map. You may get there eventually, but it would be a trip full of uncertainty and be less meaningful than if you had a clearly mapped journey.
The Purpose of Purpose
Purpose defines your
core, the foundation of all that you believe, feel, and do. Values are the
guiding force of your core. They serve as your belief system and operating
principles that influence choices made, attitudes held, and actions taken. Widely admired corporate brands tend to have very distinct values that are not
only communicated through mission statements and marketing campaigns, but they
affect all business decisions made. An example of a brand heavily influenced by
its values is
Patagonia, known for its
high quality outdoor clothing and gear. Patagonia’s mission statement leaves
little doubt about the company’s values:
Build
the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and
implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
The company’s values
reflect the personal values of the band of climbers who founded Patagonia. That
reflection extends to seemingly routine business decisions about lighting
systems for stores and dyes used in clothing, with concern about the
environmental impact of these and other practices factoring into how the company
is run.
Answer the Unasked Question
Your personal brand should be built on a core foundation
of values just like Patagonia. Interestingly, many brands do not follow this guideline. Business and
leadership expert Simon Sinek suggests that brands are comprised of the answers
to three questions:
1. Why – What is our purpose?
2. How – What is our point of difference or
capabilities that create value?
3. What – Can you state the product
category or industry in which you compete?
Sinek maintains that many
brands can easily answer the “what” and “how” questions, but they are less
clear on the answer to the “why” question. Thus, these brands are essentially
working backwards; they go through the motions to compete but are unclear as to
the purpose of their existence.
Answer the “why” question first so that your
values and beliefs can rightfully exert their influence on how your position
yourself to add value in your chosen field as well as what you do to create
value in an industry or category. And, it will bring clarity to how you should proceed to follow the abundant advice on how to communicate and promote your personal brand.
Labels: Personal Branding, Purpose, Values