False! Personal branding is not about you, it’s about everyone else. This post is required reading for everyone who believes that myth.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/EGP3y3XaV5o]
Note: I tend to do podcasts when the point can better be expressed through my personality and personal connection.
Daniel Pink Introduction
This all comes together as one of six chapters in Daniel Pink’s new book “The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need.” The subtitle may be a stretch, especially because one of the themes of my book is career development (more like brand development), but his six points are extremely relevant to the new workplace. This is the first business book to explore the popular Japanese comic format, Manga. Daniel explored the fine art of manga and hired an illustrator to help him write this book. His previous book, A Whole New Mind was a bestseller and translated into 16 languages. He is also a freelance writer (Fast Company, NY Times) and public speaker. His previous job, before he became a free agent, was the chief speechwriter for Al Gore.
Chapter 3 Myth Breaker
My favorite quote in the entire book is “You’re here to serve, not to self-actualize.” When you are working with a team and serving a customer/client, it’s about them and not you. He goes on to say that the most successful people improve their own lives by improving the lives of others. By helping people solve problems, even if they didn’t know it was a problem, you are more successful. You need to bring out the best in others by making your boss look good and your teammates succeed. Dan’s book is a perfect read for professionals in my generation because it’s short, contains more pictures than writing, and has six major points we can remember. Pickup your free sample here.
Give Before You Receive
When I was growing up, my parents warned me of peers that would ask me for favors, without doing anything in return. This reciprocal nature was never present, but if it was, maybe there would have been a relationship, rather than a “one night stand.” Fact of the matter is that if you take genuine interest in another individual, by giving before you receiving, that karma and courtesy will make you very successful in the long run.
Value Is The Key
“The most successful networkers give value before receiving it.” By emailing or interacting with someone who is more successful than yourself, the key is to have something of value to give to them. This is another reason why blogging reigns supreme. By promoting someone else’s work when they need it (Daniel Pink’s for example), the chances that they will help you in the future are much greater. I’m lucky that I can give a lot of value to others, such as this blog and Personal Branding Magazine. By building media properties, it gives you a channel to actually promote others, while at the same time promoting yourself. No one charges people to read their blogs and because of this “free economy,” people are more inclined to do business with you because they learn to trust you and see previous results and achievements.
People usually won’t help you unless you can help them. What if you have nothing to give?
Everyone has something to give, they just haven’t figured out what! You need to discover your brand and learn what your strengths are and what you can produce for others. You can’t get hired for a job, start a business or do just about anything without knowing what you can provide to others because that’s how money is made and people become customers. Before even being asked for something, take the initiative and do it for that person. Today is national “help someone else,” day which means that if you take the first step today, you will have everlasting success.
