In a previous blog post I mentioned that the best way to discover your brand is by writing down your perception of yourself, and others’ perception of you. But how do you go about building a personal brand in the first place? And I’m not referring to what technologies you employ to showcase it, but rather how do you create that strong foundation for your brand to flourish?
First and foremost it comes down to Passion (with a capital P for emphasis). How often do we hear self-help gurus and entrepreneurs extol the virtues of passion? The reason is because regardless of what external influence we face, passion is what drives us. Passion is the oxygen to success and it drives our personal brand. Any successful person in life was passionate about something. Steve Jobs is passionate about technology; David Beckham is passionate about football; and Mother Teresa was passionate about helping the poor. Everyone that is passionate may not achieve the success that they are after, but everyone that is successful is definitely passionate about something. I challenge you to prove to me otherwise!
The above three examples are people with strong identities that have achieved recognition and success in different ways. And although branding may not have been their focus at the time, their passion in a particular field has solidified their personal brands. The same emphasis on what you love and your purpose in life should ultimately shape your personal brand too. Let me explain why:
When you’re passionate about something, you’ll do it really well – and if you do something really well, then you want to showcase that talent in your brand, as that is the image that you’re planting in other people’s minds. I myself am very passionate about communication. I thrive on opportunities to impart my knowledge, forge relationships with people and help everyone along the way. I’m also very dedicated toward my health and fitness and incorporate the same discipline in all aspects of my life. These two passions of mine form the bedrock of my personal brand.
Passion creates a community of followers – If you’re passionate enough about something, you become an expert in that field. Other people then look to you for advice or guidance in that chosen field. You don’t need any formal qualifications in many cases to be considered an expert in your passion either. One of my good friends here in Singapore is passionate about web start-ups. He travels all around Asia meeting founders and entrepreneurs, discovering new technologies and organising events to showcase these start-ups. He has immersed himself in the space to such an extent, that others regard him as a pundit on Asian web entrepreneurship.
Passion encourages curiosity – The above point about becoming an expert in a certain field has a snowball effect that stimulates further curiosity. It’s important to realise that experts never stop learning; passionate people continue to learn and thirst for more knowledge and expertise in their chosen field. I read a lot of books on subjects such as EQ, NLP Leadership and Communication. I also pick up a monthly Men’s Health magazine in a desire to constantly improve diet and exercise.
Passionate people are more attractive – not necessarily in the physical sense, although true to some extent, but overall possess a magnetic quality that sets them apart from others. Their passion is so infectious and they exude such energy that draws other people in. Think about the same circumstances being applied to your career search. Ordinary students will rely on the strength of an employer’s brand to seduce them into a graduate role. However proactive and exceptional students will work the other way round and lure employers in through their personal brand. Isn’t it about time, Gen-Y took over the reigns in the graduate recruitment space and attracted their future employers, instead of the other way around?
I could honestly list so many other reasons why passion is important for our personal brands, but this is a blog post not a dissertation. Passion will be a recurring theme in the concept of Personal Branding throughout this blog though as we’ll keep revisiting the fundamentals in order to strengthen our understanding. I guess that’s why I always had to play my scales first, before the pieces when learning piano!
In summary, passion forms the kernel of our brand; it germinates our USPs and exhibits our distinct personality. If you’re unsure what your passion is, go through the exercise described above and learn what really drives you.
About Andrew C Abraham
Andrew is Founder of Gradkin, a Branding and Networking platform to connect Candidates with Employers. Please share your thoughts on his careers blog . He offers a unique perspective on Gen-Y, being one himself and having recruited and managed this generation. His previous positions in Sales, Communications and Human Resources have given him an insight into understanding what truly motivates this new generation of Millennials.
