For far too long, people and machines have been clustered under one head as a means of productivity for an organization. Operating machines was the only prerequisite for success. Over time, this changed, and people who could program computers became the ones in demand. Today, we value the creative mind and the ability to cut across facts and figures and tell a story. So, how do you show your personal brand in the future of work?
What has got us thinking about the future of work and personal branding?
Cal Newport’s bestseller Deep Work argues that two core abilities are crucial for success in the new economy:
The ability to quickly master hard things.
The ability to produce at an elite level, in terms of both quality and speed.
Today machines are able to do many of the tasks that humans can, including making decisions. As a result, the people, and the jobs that will survive today are, once again, focused on the individual. It isn’t how far you’ll go, but how well you’ll do it that matters today.
This is why personal branding is essential. If you have any doubts about the success of such an approach, look no further than an Elon Musk or Virat Kohli or Sheryl Sandberg. Even consider Instagram influencers and bloggers today who probably didn’t have as prominent a presence just a couple of years ago. There are many avenues today to share your opinions and analysis on, and using these platforms, you too can build a personal brand.
Why should you do all this work on personal branding, though?
1. Get Noticed: On platforms like LinkedIn, people who post often have a 30% better chance of being noticed than those who don’t. However, it isn’t about posting random memes. On LinkedIn and other professional networking sites, sharing insights about your learnings can take you a long way in getting noticed and building authority. Which brings us to…
2. Build Authority: In a world crowded with opinions, only the experts get heard. This is why building authority and retaining it through constant learning is so important. When you become an expert on a subject, any one of them really, you get more opportunities to work in relevant domains. One way to reverse-engineer this is to think of who you want to be. For example, you may have a desk job today but be really passionate about playing the violin. Use your social media accounts to frequently practice and post videos of yourself playing the violin. Share posts about the nuances of learning such a complex instrument. Build a community around people sailing in the same boat as you.
You get the drift. This approach works for any number of specializations. When you build authority, doors open for you.
3. Get More Opportunities: Opportunity is the bread and butter of every sustainable venture. So it goes with personal branding. The more opportunities you use to establish yourself as an authority, the better the projects and assignments you will get. That’s not such a bad thing, seeing as there is no dearth of options for what you can do to earn a living today. Don’t believe us? Just take a look at the Facebook page called Nas Daily, or Superwoman’s YouTube channel. Only 8 million and 14 million followers respectively!
4. Build Your Influence: If you’ve ever considered a career as a life coach or a professional coach, the best place to start is by showcasing your own success. Your personal experience of being phenomenal tops the best of degrees. Even in a workplace setting, people are much more likely to listen to those they perceive as having some authority on the matter. This means a faster move up the leadership ladder.
5. Do Some Good: You know the world needs it. An expert in the field of a cause, with a strong personal brand, is much more likely to precipitate change. Of all the scientists in the world, why do we listen to David Attenborough? Because of his immensely popular show on birds, of course. Today, as the commentator for Blue Planet II, he has managed to start a discussion around the need for preserving, even restoring, the world to a better state. You can do the same for a cause you believe in when you are an influencer. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to change the world for the better with just the power of your ideas?
The bottom line – what we believe in very strongly at RainKraft – be the Best You! To open doors for yourself, be really great at what you do and then tell the world, with a view to do good and pay it forward.
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