Why Working with a Brand Strategist will Boost Your Executive Presence
Some of us (incorrectly) think we don’t have a personal brand, but each of us does: it’s just that, sometimes, it takes a little digging to uncover exactly how you wish to be perceived by the world.
A personal brand strategist specializes in helping you define your personal brand, materializing that brand into the world, and embodying that brand in your professional life. And that’s when it starts to impact your Executive Presence.
Standing Out is Part of Executive Presence
While a big piece of Executive Presence has to do with your values, strengths, personality and listening skills, standing out from the crowd is a very important aspect as well.
Do you stand out from the crowd? How are you different and unique from the Jane or Joe sitting in the office next to you?
When you’re truly authentic in the way you express yourself through style and clothing, you will naturally stand out because your uniqueness will shine through.
I have a real-life example to illustrate my point.
There was an employee, we’ll call him David, who worked for years at an insurance company. His clothes never quite fit right and they were about 10 years outdated, but he was good at his job and he had integrity.
The boss knew this about him, so he continued to get standard raises and was relatively well regarded in the company. His personal brand told his coworkers that he had a great heart, he was good at his job, but he didn’t really have any ambition beyond his cubicle.
But one day, that all changed.
David decided he wanted to go for a manger’s position that had recently opened in the company, so he started working with me to update his wardrobe. When he started dressing the part of a manager, people paid attention. He would walk into the office and get comments from his coworkers like, “Whoa, you look great. Are you interviewing for another company today?”
People thought he was leaving!
David already had a good thing going at the company because his working reputation was so stellar. When he made the relatively minor adjustment of dressing like a manager, suddenly the people around him started seeing him as promotion material – and then he started feeling like a manager, and his performance improved!
Take my free quiz: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself to Find Out if You Could Benefit from Working with a Personal Brand Strategist
Sure enough, David was awarded the manager position. Not long after that, he moved up again. And it really all came down to David making the decision to work with a personal brand strategist to clarify his intention and shift the way people perceived him at work.
Step it Up a Notch
Are you ready to move up in the company? Take a good, long look at how you’re showing up. When you walk into the office, does your physical appearance demonstrate to your superiors that you respect the job and you can handle a promotion?
Remember, they want people who look and act the part in those C-level positions, because it makes them look good!
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