Summary: This week on CIO Playbook with Jeffrey Hurley we are discussing the importance of building your leadership brand. This discussion comes from a presentation I did last year to a group of CIOs. Your brand is an important component in the development of a strong technology organization. The show notes are summarized below. For more details I suggest listening to the show audio. Personal Development and Career Management Make brand definition part of your personal development plan Use the social media tools available to you Contribute to the conversation Help others and build a reputation Toastmasters One of the best personal development organizations Provides a safe environment to learn at your own pace Learn to speak quickly on your feet Learn to speak to large and small groups Learn to lead Learn leadership A Paradigm Shift Building your brand requires a shift in your thinking Building your brand will require getting out of your comfort zone So Many Options So Little Time LinkedIn Tumblr Google+ Facebook Pinterest Instagram Twitter And so on…. What Should You Do Be the real you Be consistent Showcase what you can do Build relationships Keep up to date Be a service, a giver 20:1 Ratio Don’t count your followers Proactively call out your brand (when you meet people, get interviewed, do a guest post, etc.) Have a next step in mind so that people can engage Michael Hyatt’s Ten Reasons Every Leader Should Have a Blog To improve your communication skills. To create a repository for your best thinking. To provide thought leadership to your industry. To raise your organization’s visibility. To share your organization’s vision. To network with people who can help you. To build trust with prospective customers. To build authority in your niche. To gather feedback from your constituents. To mentor the next generation of leaders Why a Podcast Develop expertise in your industry Demonstrates consistency and reliability Easy for the audience to consume A tool for recruiting Global audience Low cost barrier to entry Increase your personal and professional network Why Audio Over Video Lower cost of entry Less work on editing Video requires the consumer to watch a screen limiting viewing option Requires more than just turning the camera on and speaking into it What the Experts Are Saying Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room” - Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon “Personal branding is about managing your name — even if you don’t own a business — in a world of misinformation, disinformation, and semi-permanent Google records. Going on a date? Chances are that your “blind” date has Googled your name. Going to a job interview? Ditto.” - Tim Ferriss, Author of the 4-Hour Work Week “Branding demands commitment; commitment to continual re-invention; striking chords with people to stir their emotions; and commitment to imagination. It is easy to be cynical about such things, much harder to be successful.” - Sir Richard Branson, CEO Virgin “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” - George Bernhard Shaw, Author “Too many people over value what they are not and undervalue what they are.” - Malcolm Forbes, Publisher “Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken”. - Oscar Wilde, Author and Playwright Become an Expert in Your Industry Start working on your brand today Contribute to the conversation Select the social media platforms most relevant to you and participate Help answer questions Notes Photo via flickr.com: Brand by Rupert Ganzer 10 Reasons Every Leader Needs a Blog, Michael Hyatt CIO Playbook with Jeffrey Hurley is a podcast dedicated to the development of technology leadership hosted by Jeffrey Hurley,
