I was supposed to be a doctor.

I graduated from Johns Hopkins, famous for turning out doctors. However, my pre-med career lasted one undergraduate semester. And, I am forever grateful to Dr. Gryder, who suggested I find another way to eventually make a living; seeing as no one would ever seek medical advice from someone with a 28 average in chemistry. So, I switched majors, found my true talent, and graduated with a degree from one of the top undergraduate writing programs in the country.

But, I never got a chance to take the oath.

Before entering the medical profession, students take an oath. Many believe it is the Hippocratic oath, but that has been out of fashion for a while. Nowadays, students create their own oaths, combining the idea of “first, do no harm” with vows to remember their patients as human beings throughout diagnosis and treatment. At Harvard Medical School, each class of students now writes its own oaths, one at the white coat ceremony and another at graduation, when they take the oath as a new doctor.

The oath, no matter what words are used, is a pledge to uphold specific ethical standards. There is power in an oath; especially one you create yourself.

Have you ever thought about creating and taking an oath to yourself; to your brand? What kind of ethical standards would you hold yourself up to? And, what would your life and career be like if you embraced a “first, do no harm” promise?

Of course, by taking an oath to uphold your own high standards of behavior and communication, you are also strengthening the reputation of your team, your company and your family. Without an oath or a promise, you expose yourself  to the constant influence of others who don’t value their brand or their future reputations.

Do you think if they took an oath to first do no harm, the fraternity brothers from Penn State could have avoided the death of one of their pledges and the consequences that will follow them their entire lives?

Do you think if he took an oath to first do no harm to his brand, the college football coach with christian values would have made that call to the escort service that led to his forced resignation?

Do you think if she took an oath to first do no harm to herself, the professor at Yale would have made racist remarks in her Yelp reviews; leading to her suspension, and eventually stepping down from her position at the university?

Reputations take a long time to build, and a very short time to destroy.

With your own oath to do no harm, you are less likely to complicate your life. You won’t put yourself in situations or say things that might put your career, your position, your family or your company in jeopardy. This is more than just compliance. This is the consistent, mindful act of holding yourself to a solemn promise.

Is the joke you posted on twitter worth losing your scholarship or job? Was it really that funny?

Is the instant gratification of an angry email or text you send to a co-worker or client really worth the risk to your career?

Is your political rant gratifying enough to have you fired for being deemed a risk to the brand of your organization?

Will the action you are considering derail all of the hard work you have devoted to fulfilling the potential of your future greatness?

First, Do No Harm.

Great brands remain great not because they are dynamic, witty or flashy. Great brands remain great because they consistently deliver on the promise they make to themselves and their “customers."

You don’t need to be a doctor to make a promise to yourself. Take an oath to your brand. Then live the promise.

Stand for Your Brand,
Dave

"Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value."
- Albert Einstein

Take a look at a picture of the sign I saw on a recent vacation in Montauk, NY in the window of one of the local pubs.

“Piano player wanted. Must have knowledge of opening clams.”

I'm sure there's a story here. There always is. But on face value, I’m trying to imagine what this new hire’s day would be like once he or she is hired. Come in early, open some clams, play some piano, and then when it gets busy, take a break from the keys and open some more clams? Think about what it takes to be able to play the piano well enough for people to pay you. You put in hours of practice as a child, then more hours as an adult. You spent time and effort working on your craft hoping to get the chance to one day be paid for all of your efforts. It’s not Carnegie Hall, but someone is willing to pay you for your talent. Piano player wanted.

But wait.

The employer knows a good piano player is going to bring in a crowd, so having a talented musician is important. No one wants to hear a bad piano player. And, yet, he or she is not going to play the piano all the time, so why not have someone with a knowledge of opening clams, so he doesn’t have to hire another person. Multi-talented. You just hope he doesn’t hurt his piano hands while opening clams.

Employers are asking more of their employees. Do more with less. For that, we need people who can wear many hats. Those people are valuable. But that's just part of the story. We are now in a world where new businesses are changing the way we live and work. And, the talent needed for jobs today could be obsolete in 10 years. At the same time, there will be jobs in another 10 years that don’t even exist today and new talents will be needed. Who would have thought cybersecurity positions would be so important 10 years ago?

So, how do you ensure a successful future? You make sure your one brand encompasses many talents. You make sure you bring Unique Value every day.

How many piano playing clams shuckers do you know?

How about consultative, highly creative sales people who are also fluent in Microsoft Excel and can make their own engaging webinars and videos?

How about a nurse who is also a stand-up comic and takes pride in making patients laugh through their pain?

Do you know someone who is a concierge in a luxury hotel, but also sings in the lobby lounge, and is in the emerging leaders management program?

These kinds of people are not unicorns. They are rare. But, they exist. These are the people willing to share all of the talents that make them unique.

My point is, the only way you are ever going to provide unique value to your customers is to make sure you don’t squash the qualities and values that make you different. Sometimes we try so hard to fit in that we eventually lose sight of everything that makes us stand out.

You are the sum of your talents and your experiences. No other person has ever lived the life you lived, ever. You have a talent. Actually, you have many talents. And, when you finally learn to use all of them together, no matter what your title or role might be, you will discover the difference between a job and a purpose; the difference between success and value.

Stand for Your Brand,

Dave

Like it or not, this is your personal brand. You can say anything you want about yourself, but it’s what others say about you when you are not around that ends up being the true value of what you are worth to your family, friends, colleagues and customers. 

Personal Branding is the application of brand building principles to human behaviors. It is the process of skills building in four unique areas: Increased Self-Awareness, Stand-Out Communication, Consistency of Actions, and Unique Value Differentiation.

Why is Personal Branding Important For Your Career?

Personal branding is the promotion, education and sustainability of the unique value and purpose that differentiates you from your colleagues and competitors.  Without it, you are simply your title, your company and your function.  With it, you are a marketable product of unique value that stands out from the crowd. 

When the world or your company knows who you are and what you stand for, your brand becomes more valuable. When your brand is more valuable, people want you on their team. When you are wanted, your company and the clients you serve are much more willing to pay and promote you for your differentiation.

No matter your career, your level of expertise, your industry or your role, it’s time to take ownership of your reputation, focus on the unique value you bring to the world, and take a stand for your brand.

Why is Personal Branding Important For Your Team?

You cannot be everything to everyone, so determining your strengths and promoting what you do better than anyone else will allow you to reach your full potential as an individual and as part of a team.

When you develop a strong personal brand, it immediately increases the value of your team and your company. As a leader, salesperson or customer service representative, you are the face of your brand. But, nowadays, with social media allowing anyone to talk to the world at any given moment, any employee, partner or customer can be the face of a company, just as much as the CEO.

Everything that you do or say is a reflection on the people around you. My wife and I always tell our kids as they walk out the door every morning for school or every time they step on the athletic field, “make good choices” because every action or communication not only represents who they are in the world; they are also a direct reflection on our family, their teams and each of their teammates. Your reputation and personal brand value either increases or decreases the value of your team. 

Why is Personal Branding Important For Your Company?

Companies spend an incredible amount of time, effort and money to get their identity, messaging, and unique value proposition just right. But, the moment they launch their new campaign, product or service, increasing the value of the brand becomes the responsibility of the people who directly interact with the customer. Nurse, salesperson, waitress, financial advisor, teacher, CEO, data analyst…it really doesn’t matter who you are; we all serve a customer.

Companies that recognize and support the power of personal branding understand that they cannot force people to represent the company brand unless there is alignment between the values of the person, the leaders, the team and the organization. Companies that acknowledge and promote the strengths and brands of individuals, build better teams and, ultimately, a successful organization with a positive culture.

If everyone on your team understood and developed their own strong and aligned personal brand, imagine the recognition and accomplishments in store for that team. And, if every team in your company invested in building stronger personal and team brands, imagine the ultimate success of the entire company.

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Companies that invest in brand training for their people see a return far greater than compliance. These companies see greater revenue, less turnover and more innovation, further increasing the brand value of the company.

“The Founder" is a movie that tells the story of the beginning of McDonalds; how Ray Kroc, a struggling 52-year-old salesman from Illinois, played by Michael Keaton, met Mac and Dick McDonald, who were running a burger operation in 1950s Southern California.

Ray Kroc is portrayed as both hero and villain. Kroc is hero as the creator of a global brand who revolutionized an industry; and villain, who forced two nice business owners to sell their name and their dream for a fraction of it's eventual value.

As I watched the movie on my latest business trip, it was a reminder that there is a difference between people who think “business” and those who think “brand.” People who think "brand" tend to think bigger. They consistently look to grow and expand their business, and their audience, while maintaining the highest standards of quality and customer service.

What’s your dream? Your bigger vision for yourself or your business? Do you put yourself out there, willing to fail and be laughed at or ridiculed in the face of naysayers who say, “don’t get your hopes up.”

We hear these legendary success stories like that of Ray Kroc all the time. The salesperson or business executive with a big idea who won’t let it go, until he or she is able to make their vision a reality and change the world. These are the stories we retell over and over to remind ourselves that while there are many people with talent, there are far fewer people with talent who are able to think bigger and do what it takes to make those dreams a reality.

There will always be naysayers when you have a bigger vision for yourself. They will tell you that you can’t do it, not because you can’t, but because they can’t. Their failure is not your failure. Their fear is not your fear.

Think of yourself as a brand, not just someone who works at a business. Grow and expand your network of customers who need and want the value you have to offer. Maintain the highest standards of quality and customer service possible.

If you are happy in your job and your life, and you are content with the way things are, keep doing what you're doing. But, if you’ve ever had a bigger dream for yourself and failed to truly go for it because someone said your goal was too big, or that you needed to play it safe, remember that you are never too young or too old to be successful beyond your wildest dreams.

If you want it, you can do bigger. You know you can.

Stand for Your Brand,
Dave

©2024 Dave Gordon
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