Your Brand, Your Reputation

Your Brand, Your Reputation

Companies build their brands via a clear plan, consistently invest in their growth, and relentlessly protect their images.
Individuals must do the same. However, many people don’t spend enough time on their Brand, on their Reputation.
Plan Your Brand Building
Lay out a 15 year plan for your journey.

• Ask yourself the tough questions – where do I visualize myself? What is important to me? What are my strengths and opportunities? Where is my Passion? What will people say about me before I arrive and after I leave? What will be my legacy? Seek Personal Clarity and establish your “VISION”.
• Clearly assess how the your Aspirations, Capabilities, and Choice Flexibility all intersect and/or complement each other. This is a VERY important item. Your Aspirations will change over time as your life matures. Your Capabilities will also evolve as your career progresses and you identify your strengths. Your level of Choice Flexibility is the true “governor”. It is impacted by the important factors in your life as well as your willingness to “sacrifice”.
• Identify the Core Life Message that will guide you in every arena. For example, mine is “Impact The Lives Of Thousands For The Better”. Everything that I focus on has this Life Message at the center.
  Set your goals along multiple layers – Professional, Personal, Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Financial, Spiritual, Community, etc. Be reasonable in goal setting. Laying out numerical and/or situation based metrics is a great tactic. Year over year consistency is the key.

Invest In Your Growth

• With your plan in hand (or at least on paper), move forward with courage and intentionally seek opportunities to build your skills, craft meaningful relationships, and establish your image.
• Take inventory of the relationships in your life and align them against your goals. Are there opportunities for reciprocity? Engage in discussions with others about your goals and ask “how can I help you?”.
• Develop a Personal Board Of Directors. Imagine a conference room table with the “right” people in the room discussing, aligning, and advising on a very important item – YOU and YOUR SUCCCESS. Think about the 6-8 people in your life that you can seek counsel from with the assurance that they will be honest with you and feel vested in your success. Level does not matter – caring candor does. Do not limit the “board members” to current corporate partners – ensure that your entire life vision is reflected.
• Secure professional support in areas that you are not comfortable with or need support. Examples include Time Management, Writing Skills, Presentation Skills, and Technology.

Protect Your Reputation

• Be very aware of your leadership image. This is especially important as you progress upwardly in your career. The shadow that you cast expands exponentially with each promotion, with each success, with each positive interaction. This is an area that many great leaders have experienced a “speed bump”.
• “Dime con quien andas y te dire quien eres” means “tell me who are with and I will tell you who you are”. It is an old saying in the Latino culture that has been shared by grandparents across generations. This is also an area where great leaders have faced issues. Surround yourself with as many people as possible who share your values, have your drive, and exude positive energy. If there are people in your circle that limit your growth, then you should minimize their impact. Remember Greatness attracts Greatness.
• My experience is that when you face obstacles – you lift yourself up and realize that your resolve is always greater than your circumstances. Find the true confidence within and rise like the Phoenix that you really are. There are many who admire you and are counting on you.

Well, that’s all for now. I hope that these insights make a difference.
Take care of yourselves and those that you love.
I am at your service. Thank you.

Seize The Moments Of Truth

Seize The Moments Of Truth

 

Over the last few years, I’ve had several close friends who have faced “Moments Of Truth” – job interviews, exams, personal challenges, tough decisions.  We engaged in tremendous discussions on how to Seize The Moments Of Truth. Several of them asked me to blog about our learning's on how we maximize the powerful combination of  Courage, Preparation, Purpose, Confidence Aura, and Faith.

• Courage – The great Eleanor Roosevelt once said  “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself,  ’I lived through this….I can take the next thing that comes along’.”  To burst through expectations and achieve success in critical situations, we must first acknowledge our concerns, our fears.  I have often mentioned the “little voice” that serves to distract us and steal our confidence.  Our fears must be flipped directly into positive action.  Al Bru, former CEO of Frito-Lay coined the phrase“Adelante Con Valor” which means “Move Forward With Courage.” It is this type of  Courageous Mindset that will serve to fuel your success.  Imagine yourself in a positive situation.  Think about how great you feel after the successful interview, acing the exam, and making a great decision.  This visualization of success is very powerful.
• Preparation- Along with this Courageous mindset must come a definitive effort to enable an Improved Skill Set, your capabilities, your knowledge.  It is not enough to merely wish your way to a positive outcome.  If you have a big presentation, know your content and practice your delivery.  If you have an exam, study the material and don’t cram.  If you have a big job interview, learn about the company, prepare your answers to tough questions, and craft meaningful questions.  This preparation might even involve asking for support from others.  The brave Cesar Chavez said ”You are never strong enough that you don’t need help”.  Prepare yourself for the moments to come.  Knowing that you have done all that can to be “ready” will give you tremendous strength.
• Purpose – Juan Lopez from Amistad & Associates, a great friend and mentor,  once asked me “Angel, why is it YOUR time?”  Frankly, I had a very tough time with the answer.  I did not quite understand what he meant by it.  It was a sobering moment as I realized that I had no immediate response.  I had not spent the time needed to define my purpose, the compass that I would need to achieve my potential.  It was not until I crafted my Life Message, “Impact The Life Of Thousands For The Better”, that I began to embrace my destiny- to achieve success as I served others.   Accepting why I am destined to succeed, has given me confidence during the great times and strength during the tough times.  Knowing Your Purpose will drive you to effective decision making and strong actions.  I specifically want to direct this point of feedback to our young people, those future leaders who are considering their possibilities.  Be sure to ask yourself “what am I passionate about?”, “what am I good at?”, “who am I trying to please?”, and “why is this important?”   If you have big decision like choosing where to go to college, analyze the pros and cons of the choice, think about how the school might open doors for the future.  Think about how the choice enables your purpose – a purpose based on your passions and considerations.  Give yourself the license to dream big, you have a lifetime ahead of you and many people who will celebrate your success.
• Confidence Aura – In my opinion, the most successful people are those who are self-aware, those who are conscious of how they are perceived.  It has often been described as one’s Aura, our image.  Lucian Freud, the noted English painter, was quoted as saying “the aura given out by a person or object is as much a part of them as their flesh.”   The ability to create your aura of confidence is critical to your success.   As you approach your Moment Of Truth with courage, preparation, and purpose, you will give off a sense of confidence that others will pick up on.  Stand Tall, look people right in the eye, smile at them, and be genuinely happy to have the opportunity to succeed.  When you walk into the room, people will notice and will be drawn to your positive energy.  Have your “mojo” at it’s best.  I have been asked “what’s the difference between Confidence and Arrogance?”  The fine line between the two is based on your Humility.  A sense of humility acknowledges that you are indeed a work in progress. While you are confident in your skills and potential, you know that you are bound to get better.  Also, practice maintaining an internal Peace in tough situations.  Establish calming signals for yourself when you feel nervousness coming on.  Physical cues like curling your toes, making a fist, or paced breathing are very effective.  No matter what happens outside, stay cool on the inside.  This will help you explain yourself better, avoid “fast talking”, and allow you to think more clearly.  This insight is best captured by modern day philosopher and spiritual leader, Deepak Chopra, “In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you”.
• Faith – Faith is the most critical building block.  It is based on the belief that the Creator does not gives us anything that we can’t handle.  We must savor life’s lessons  on every level.  The greatest performers know that they were placed in a Moment Of Truth by the Higher Power.  Success which glorifies the confidence placed in them by the Great Spirit is the only option.  They also perpetually “Give Thanks” for their success by acknowledging how Faith made a difference.   This Faith permeates everything in their lives – how they impact others, how they lead, how they prepare, how they perform.  Mohandas Gandhi, a historical leader of enormous significance, proclaimed “My Life is my message”.  Amazing words to live and succeed by, all based on on a powerful Faith.

I hope that these insights are helpful as YOU Seize Your Moments Of Truth.