GenXmanager: Leadership for the Generation X Manager

My definition of a personal brand is very simple. Your personal brand tells the world about you. Your brand tells the world what you stand for, what your values are, what your expertise is, and ultimately why the world should even care.

A personal brand combines elements of marketing, career planning, and personal development.

The Marketing Angle

What is a brand? According to Kotler and Keller a brand is “a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors.” The key word here is ‘differentiate’.

The Career Planning Angle

Career planning “is a lifelong process, which includes choosing an occupation, getting a job, growing in our job, possibly changing careers, and eventually retiring” (from About.com). I think career planning is much more. Career planning involves matching your strengths and passions to what you will do for a living throughout your life. The key words are ‘strengths’ and ‘passions’.

The Personal Development Angle

Personal development encompasses many disciplines but here I’m relating it to personal values and understanding your purpose in life. Your values drive your behaviors. Your values define who you are and what you stand for. Your purpose in life is your overarching reason for living on this earth. The key words are values and purpose.

So, your personal brand comes down to differentiation, strengths, passions, values, and purpose. Branding yourself is the package you present to the world and methods you use to communicate that package. There is much more to say on this topic, of course, but this is a very simple definition (my definition) of a personal brand.