The most common Personal Branding mistake

People make all sorts of mistakes when they’re developing their personal brand. Can you guess what’s the most common Personal Branding mistake?

Read on to learn that and more…

3 things to Talk About this week:

1️⃣ 3 common Personal Branding mistakes (yes, including the most common mistake)
2️⃣ Take the Communication Skills Poll (I want to hear from you!)
3️⃣ How and why to forgive a difficult colleague (my recommended reading for you for the week)

1️⃣ 3 Common Personal Branding Mistakes

Over the past few years, I’ve helped hundreds of executives develop and refine their personal brands. In this time I’ve noticed several common personal branding mistakes. Here are three such mistakes.

The first is putting the cart before the horse: trying to communicate your personal brand before taking the time to create or articulate it. Have you noticed how so many personal branding experts focus immediately on how to promote yourself and get followers? (aye…)

The second is scripting. Personal branding is about sharing your unique strengths, not reciting a memorized paragraph about yourself. How you communicate your personal brand should depend on the context and the people with whom youre communicating. Put that script away!

Are you ready for the most common mistake of all?

The #1 most common personal branding mistake is COPYING OTHERS. It’s easy to fall into this trap! It’s natural to emulate the successful folks we admire. That might even be a good idea early in our career. But the problem with simply copying others is that you aren’t sharing your unique strengths.

And those successful people you’re copying? They’re successful because they are focused on what makes them unique.

Do you want to learn more about these common Personal Branding mistakes and how to avoid them? Listen to the latest Talk About Talk podcast episode HERE or check it out on your favorite podcast app, episode #125.

2️⃣ Take the Communication Skills Poll!

What specific communication skills are YOU seeking to develop?

Please share!

Please cast your vote in this informal communication skills poll. I’d love to know what you’re focused on!

Confidence, Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, Speaking Up
Developing My Personal Brand

Formal Presentation Skills
Communicating with Precision and Clarity
Demonstrating Leadership, Establishing Credibility
Something else? Email me to let me know!

Thank you for voting. The results of this poll will help me to focus on material that is most helpful for you. I will share the results with you in a future newsletter.

Thank you!

3️⃣ Recommended Reading: “Forgiving a Difficult Colleague”

In March I was pleased to contribute to Pocket’s monthly recommended reading list.

My selection? Ron Carucci’s Harvard Business Review (HBR) article, “Forgiving a Difficult Colleague.” This article really resonated with me.

As Carucci writes, “When we harbor resentment, spite, and other negative emotions, the person at whom we aim them isn’t suffering (and is likely oblivious to our feelings). The only one suffering is us.”

So true!

I highly recommend this article, especially if you tend to hold grudges or stew over things. I hope it leaves you feeling inspired.

There you go – 3 things to Talk About this week! The 3 most common Personal Branding mistakes, a communication skills poll, and my recommended reading in Pocket App’s March collection.

If you have any questions or feedback, please email me or message me on LinkedIn. You can also leave me an audio question here. I love hearing from you.

Talk soon,