Being known in your field is the ONLY countermeasure against everything trying to replace you..
But here’s what most people get wrong about building that presence..
The whole personal branding circus creates this illusion of celebrity that takes you away from what actually matters – being of service.
Building a personal brand is NOT about you. Get over it.
It’s not about you, or your awards, or designation or how many people report to you or how powerful you are.
It’s about thought leadership. It’s about helping the younger version of yourself. It’s about sharing what you’ve learned so others don’t have to make the same mistakes.
What that does is create a shield around you – detaching you from designations, jobs, bosses. You become your own person.
Was talking to a friend who’s a senior CXO saying “I want to start but can’t find time.” Begin now with baby steps. In 2-3 years, you’ll see the impact. Start wherever you are.. write, record whatever… create! It’s like building an insurance.
Another close friend wanted to start a podcast for years, told him to commit to 100 episodes before even starting. Making one is easy, but consistency compounds. He’s now at 25 episodes and growing. Super proud of him because he’s truly sharing value, and he’s evolving into a thought leader in his own niche.
When you’re known for your thinking and not your title, more doors open, more opportunities flow, more people listen.
The alternative to being known for your thinking is being ignored when your designation disappears.
Start sharing what you know. Help someone who was where you were five years ago. The freedom that comes from that? Priceless.
Tag: personal branding
When your designation disappears, so does the spotlight..
Recently met with a CMO friend who’s been thinking about building a stronger thought leadership..
In our conversation.. he was telling war stories from campaigns, leadership pressures, sharing his take on how marketing is evolving, and opening up about everything in between..
It was pure insight gold that any marketing professional would find invaluable.
But here’s what I’ve noticed – most CMOs and senior leaders spend so much time being busy leading teams that they forget to build their own voice.
Then one day, they suddenly no longer have a job, or they quit, or they burn out.
That’s when reality hits
The fancy marketing event invitations stop coming. People stop following them. Comments on their posts decrease. The world was after the designation, not the person or the thought leader.
If you invest time in building and sharing what you’ve learned, you become detached from the designation. You become known for your thinking, not just the company you work for. That’s real freedom.
How many other leaders and CXOs are sitting on their goldmine of insights, waiting for the “right time” to share their authentic stories?
from my experience, the one thing thought leadership does for you personally.. is kill job insecurity.. and drives you towards a more purpose driven freedom wali life :)