How important is your personal brand?

It's tough being in business today. We have so much to juggle, so much to deal with, and the breakneck speed of business isn't going to slow down anytime soon. So, naturally, leaders are thinking about the things that can help give them a competitive edge and enable them to work smarter. A strong personal brand is one of them.

Your personal brand is the strongest currency you have to deal with in business. It can make or break your career, your leadership and your reputation. One of the biggest challenges for a small business is to 'break through' in a noisy and crowded marketplace and build a reputation. This is where personal branding comes into play.

Tom Peters, an American business management writer and author of In Search of Excellence, first popularised the term 'personal brand' back in 1997. He says: "All of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You." I couldn't agree with him more.

We all need to be architects of our own brand. A strong personal brand is what will win you the respect of your team, peers, leaders, clients and associates. Respect is something we all need to earn. So, if you are clear on who you are, what you stand for, and continue to ensure this is relevant and authentic, then you will soon start to gain the respect you deserve. As singer-songwriter Miranda Lambert says: "If you don't stand for something, how can anyone respect what you do?"

Having a strong personal brand will enable you to:

• Influence and have an impact on others 
• Build strong relationships with people 
• Attract clients and talent who want to work with you 
• Attract and create opportunities for yourself

Most businesses are in the business of people. Behind every logo is people. We don't buy a logo, we buy people. People are the power behind any company, yet personal branding isn't emphasised enough.

It's a fact that people buy other people in the same way we buy a product or service. We all have a choice and make emotional decisions to buy based on how much we think we will benefit and the experience of the buying process. Interestingly, in the age of technology, we now value human connections more than ever.

Human capital has long been recognised as a source of economic value, from theorists like Schultz (1961) and Becker (1964) to IBM's famous CEO studies. The 2012 IBM study found that 71 per cent of CEOs believe human capital is the key source of economic value, while the latest (2016) edition found that 95 per cent of 'torchbearers' and 83 per cent of 'market followers' were looking to hire new staff to fuel innovation and growth.

It's clear why. In business today, how we respond to clients and when is almost considered a choice. "I'll call you back today" can actually mean "I'll call you in a couple of days... if you're lucky." If an email appears too problematic, it's often left sitting in an inbox or 'accidentally' deleted. Yes, people are busy and under incredible time pressure, but this can't be an excuse. Rather, we should lead the way as business leaders, teaching our employees to 'walk the talk' themselves.

Both you, and your employees, need to understand the importance of personal branding in business. Their behaviour is reflected in you and your business, so it's critical you lead from the top down. Doing so will ensure you cut through in a crowded, competitive and complex market.

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