Google Apple and discover for yourself the immense value of the brand and be even more amazed when it was just 13 years ago when Apple was almost “finished” as a tech company with no future!
But Steve Jobs changed all that and with it, a new destiny was birthed!
The lessons are it is never too late to start building or rebuilding your brand and very often, all it takes is one person, YOU Inc, to change the course of history. The questions which I want to pose to you today are:
• How much do you think your value is worth?
Before you look at your payslip which is a reflection of what you have done currently or what was done in the past, look towards the future to determine what your worth is. Given your uniqueness of your own personal brand (an integrated asset of abilities, strengths, talents, passions, values, etc), what will any organisation be willing to pay for to “acquire” this asset, YOU Inc?
Employers just like any investors are willing to pay a premium for the future potential that the asset can deliver. Investment managers would scrutinise the financial reports, interview the management, visit the plant and inquire over the future prospects to determine if it is a sound investment to put money into.
Likewise, your employers (current and new) would do the same.
What do you have that is so compelling that they must have YOU Inc no matter what is the cost?
As an entrepreneur, what do you have that is so compelling that your clients and customers must have to own it?
What is that value to them that will change, transform and improve their lives that they cannot live without it?
• What can you improve to start building your value?
Steve Jobs knew back in 1996 that he had to work with others to get Apple back on its feet. He was humble to learn from the best and was willing to start from ground zero to rebuild Apple’s brand value again.
From Wikipedia,
At the 1997 Macworld Expo, Steve Jobs announced that Apple would be entering into partnership with Microsoft. Included in this was a five-year commitment from Microsoft to release Microsoft Office for Macintosh as well a US$150 million investment in Apple. It was also announced that Internet Explorer would be shipped as the default browser on the Macintosh. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates appeared at the expo on-screen, further explaining Microsoft’s plans for the software they were developing for Mac, and stating that he was very excited to be helping Apple return to success.
After this, Steve Jobs said this to the audience at the expo:
“If we want to move forward and see Apple healthy and prospering again, we have to let go of a few things here. We have to let go of this notion that for Apple to win, Microsoft has to lose. We have to embrace a notion that for Apple to win, Apple has to do a really good job. And if others are going to help us that’s great, because we need all the help we can get, and if we screw up and we don’t do a good job, it’s not somebody else’s fault, it’s our fault. So I think that is a very important perspective. If we want Microsoft Office on the Mac, we better treat the company that puts it out with a little bit of gratitude; we like their software. So, the era of setting this up as a competition between Apple and Microsoft is over as far as I’m concerned. This is about getting Apple healthy, this is about Apple being able to make incredibly great contributions to the industry and to get healthy and prosper again.”
What are your gaps that are preventing or at worse hurting you from increasing your brand value?
Is it your lack of communication skill, organisation ability, lack of charisma, leadership skills, teamwork, humility, etc (you know what I mean)? (Read Executive/Entrepreneur Distinctive Strengths)
Realise that there is almost an inexhaustible list of motivated strengths to develop before one can be “perfect”.
In Personal Branding, the key is to maximise your strengths and collaborate, outsource or delegate your developmental needs
Just as Steve Jobs had done by working with Bill Gates.
When you embark on Personal Branding to build, enhance and increase your value, you are embarking on a journey and not a destination. Branding yourself is never an end in itself. As your target markets vary, so will be their needs. Likewise while the branding commandments of the 3 Cs of Clarity, Consistency and Constancy remain the same, the foundation of your branding has to be raised to meet the more sophisticated needs of your clients or customers.
The head of Finance who is now promoted to CFO of the company has to re-orient his way of thinking to meet the added responsibilities which come in different degrees of scale and scope.
The new entrepreneur who relishes her aspirations to start a new career as a businesswoman has to reframe her thinking and change her behaviours to lead, create, innovate, influence, learn etc to be transformed into a successful entrepreneur.
While their Personal Branding visions are still relevant, the capacities to reach those goals have to be expanded to realise the visions (coaching holds the key).
The constant need to evolve as a stronger being is important in the context of developing a strong Personal Branding.
Find out how Executives Branding can create the value in your personal brand so that YOU, Inc can generate rewarding benefits resulting from who you are and what you do! (Select your interest here)
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