AMP UP PERFORMANCEAttract Opportunities

Create Your Professional Brand And Become A Thought Leader

Anne Collier

AMP UP PERFORMANCEAttract Opportunities

Create Your Professional Brand And Become A Thought Leader

Anne Collier

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Anne Collier is dedicated to improving culture, collaboration, and communication. She believes that everyone deserves a ful-fi lling life and career and that every organization can be a great place to work. Recognizing that the organization is its people, she helps people to develop a better understanding of them-selves and others and learn collaboration and communication tools. After years of coaching executives and developing teams to step into their power, she created this written Workplace Tool-kit – Actionable Approaches to People Problems© to provide further support to the clients who clamored for more.

Focused on producing scalable and sustainable improvement at the organizational level, Anne created virtual training courses based on her work with individual exec-utives and their teams. Scaled, her methodology is called The Arudia System©, which improves organizations via a customizable combination of delivery methods focused on imparting to everyone the understanding and the skills to communicate and collab-orate more effectively. This improves culture.

Anne works with entire organizations, teams, and individual leaders, executives, and managers. She is a catalyst for stepping into power. She guides clients to discover a fresh perspective through proven assessment tools and to use that perspective to truly harness different ways of thinking and to minimize the effects of blind spots. In ad-dition to being a Myers Briggs Type Indicator® Step I and Step II Master Practitioner, she is qualifi ed to administer and use the Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory, the Emotional Quotient Inventory 2.0® and 360 Feedback; Strength Deployment Invento-ry®; the Apter Motivational Style Profi le®; the Apter Leadership Profi le System®; and the Center for Creative Leadership’s 360 Degree Assessments®.

Anne is practical and creative in her approach to improving culture and resolving cli-ents’ challenges. She coaches individuals to lead powerfully and build effective teams that make the most of each team member’s strengths. Her individual clients also ben-efi t from her unique personal branding process, which creates their talking points for attracting the best opportunities. Anne’s clients include the people who lead and work in a broad range of organizations including corporations, not-for-profi t organizations, associations, government agencies, public and government affairs agencies, and law fi rms, whether they are long-established organizations or start-ups.

In 2015, Anne was elected to the Board the Women’s Bar Association of Washington DC. She is a Professional Certifi ed Coach and she studied economics (BA with High Disthas her JD, cum laude), at the University of Michigan. Anne is a graduate of Coach University Core Essential Program and Advanced Coaching Program and a certifi ed educator through the international Equine Experiential Education Association.

Anne resides in Chevy Chase, Maryland with her husband Alex and four cats. She loves to cook, travel, fl y fi sh, and is an avid equestrienne.

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Table of ContentsI. Executive Presence - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p. 1

II. Why Brand Yourself? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p. 2

III. 5 Steps to Defi ne Your Professional Brand- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p. 2

a. Step 1: Establish A Powerful Mindset - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p. 2

b. Step 2: Identify “Why” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p. 2

c. Step 3: Choose Your Vocabulary - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p. 3

d. Step 4: Defi ne Your Mission - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p. 4

i. Now You . . . - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p. 4

e. Step 5: Build Your Brand Description - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p. 5

i. Your Examples of “WHAT” You Do - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p. 6

f. Generate Confi dence - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p. 7

g. Wrap Up - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p. 7

IV. Defi ne and Distinguish Yourself Through Thought Leadership - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p. 8

a. Defi ne Your Topic - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p. 8

b. Identify Target Audiences – Real People! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p. 9

c. Prioritize Platforms - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p. 9

d. Schedule Action! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p. 10

V. Create Your Plan - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p. 12

a. Refi ne Your Vision - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p. 12

b. Create Your Strategy - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - p. 12

For more information, please contact Anne Collier at annecollier@arudia.com and (202) 449-9751.

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ForewordA brand is the promise of a consistent experience. A powerful personal brand will deliver remarkable results by providing a compelling and unambiguous rendition of your strengths, inspiring confi dence, and drawing potential clients, promotions and recognition to you. Your brand articulates why, how, and what you do, distinguishes you from your competition, and succinctly describes the value the potential client or employer would receive by hiring or promoting you. You will leave this workshop with a brand, elevator pitch, mission statement, and messaging on which to draw. You will also learn how to generate confi dence and create your own plan for leveraging your brand.

This workbook is ideal for the professional seeking to expand his business and position himself as an expert in his fi eld as well as the executive seeking to position himself within his company and industry. Regardless of your level of experience, you will benefi t from being known for your strengths and expertise. Your goal is to create your own messaging pyramid so you can describe why, how, and what you do in a manner that interests and draws others to you. The pyramid below depicts your brand.

The Messaging Pyramid

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Executive Presence Is Key To AdvancementA 2012 study conducted by the Center for Talent Innovation found that your career success and whether you are perceived as leadership material depends more on “executive presence” than hard work and attractiveness. In fact, on average, executive presence accounted for 25 percent of what it takes to get promoted.

Executive Presence ■ Gravitas: the ability to project confi dence, poise under pressure, and decisiveness

■ Communication: excellent speaking skills, assertiveness, and the ability to read an audience or situation

■ Appearance: looking polished and pulled together

While you project and utilize your professional brand externally, the key to any branding process is to gain internal clarity about your value, what you offer, and why clients/leader-ship want to hire or promote you. You need to know it so you can own it and attract the best opportunities for you. This is confi dence; this is executive presence.

1. If you were your client (external client, internal client, law partner, or chief offi cer), what would you expect of you?

Objectives ■ Defi ne your professional brand

■ Generate confi dence

■ Distinguish yourself through thought leadership

■ Create your plan

2. Think of a brand you like and use. What are three aspects of this brand that you like?

3. You already have a brand; when colleagues and clients describe you, what do they say? What would you like to reinforce as part of your brand?

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Why “Brand” Yourself? ■ Attract opportunities

■ Create confi dence

■ Clarify which problems you are the solution to

■ Help others understand why they should hire you, promote you, or give you work

■ Differentiate yourself from others

4. How would having a professional brand support you professionally or personally?

5. What do you want your brand to be?

Step 1: Establish A Powerful MindsetThe purpose of Step 1 is to identify the empowering mindset that will propel you forward.

6. What do you tell yourself when you are “pitching” you? (E.g., when you are pitching work to prospective clients or asking for a promotion or raise.)

7. What self-perceptions, if any, prevent you from making a great pitch or presenting yourself in the best light possible?

8. What are your strengths? Consider your top 5 accomplishments, points of praise, talents, and the strength you’ve gained from overcoming adversity.

Step 2: Identify “Why”The purpose of Step 2 is to shift your focus from solely or primarily WHAT you do to WHY you do it. Articulating WHY will attract and connect you with the people you want to reach. For more on the power of WHY see Simon Sinek’s TED Talk How Great Leaders Inspire Action.

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9. When you’re refl ecting on a great day, what made it great?

10. What drives you?

11. WHAT: I am an expert in:

12. WHY: My motivation for doing this is (remember, a paycheck is just a side effect):

13. The work I love is:

Step 3: Choose Your VocabularyThe purpose of Step 3 is to help you identify a vocabulary that is authentically you and your brand. In choosing words that are uniquely you, it is helpful to examine what brands you use, identify with, and why. Do you drink Pellegrino, brush with Crest, shop at Nordstrom, get your coffee at Starbucks, or drive a Lexus?

14. What brand do you most identify with and why? In other words, if you were a brand, what would you be and why? For example, I am a Porsche because I love the power, fun, and driving agility.

I would be: ______________________________________________

My brand

Because: _________________________________________________.

Reason(s)

15. What words do you associate with this brand?

16. What is the promise of this brand?

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Step 4: Define Your MissionThe purpose of Step 4 is to clarify your mission and create a crisp and compelling articulation of why you do the work you do. Your mission is what drives you.

17. For which of your skills, knowledge, or expertise do colleagues seek out?

Now you…To…

_______________________________________________________________

what you want to achieve, do, or become…

_______________________________________________________________

reason why it is important or by doing…

_______________________________________________________________

specifi c behaviors you can use to get there.

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Step 5: Build Your Brand DescriptionThe purpose of Step 5 is to integrate the information above and fl esh out the building blocks that complete your brand description/messaging pyramid. You will utilize these elements in your ”elevator pitch,” bio, CV, LinkedIn and Facebook profi les, blog, and anywhere else you present yourself.

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“HOW” You Accomplish Your Mission18. How do you accomplish your mission? How do your clients benefi t?

Your Examples of “WHAT” You DoPrepare four examples that provide evidence of your expertise, ability and experience in each of the areas listed in the boxes above. Frame them as short, compelling, narrative “bites” that you can draw on when speaking with stakeholders. You will want to intrigue others so that they are interested and ask follow-up questions.

“Case studies” of your past work typically provide the most compelling evidence, but you may also site educational history or training, particularly if you are moving into a new area of work. Other examples of what you do may include how you specialize via: strategies and techniques; programs and services; knowledge, relationships, and perspective; and niche areas of expertise

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Generate Confidence19. What do you need to be at your best? For example, do you need to rev up, calm down,

or focus?

20. What are two words that describe you everyday of the week? This embodies who you are when you are at your best: who you are at your core, your strengths, and what people rely on you for.

21. What are two words that describe an aspirational you? This is how you need to be to succeed in stressful, evaluative situations.

Say to yourself before presenting, entering a meeting, and anytime you need to be “on.”

Wrap Up22. What do you want your colleagues, clients, and prospective clients to take away from

interactions with you?

23. What “news story” will you share with colleagues, clients, and prospective clients to convey your brand?

24. What kinds of opportunities would you like to attract to yourself in 2015 and 2016?

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25. Which key words and phrases can you use to reinforce your brand when describing you, your accomplishments, and your goals?

Your LinkedIn Headline

26. Instead of using just your job title, use your brand to attract opportunities. Like your brand, a powerful LinkedIn headline answers these questions: what you do, who you do it for, and problems you help solve and/or prevent. Remember: use “active” words and verbs, create a visual picture of what you do. Brevity is key. Draft two new potential headlines:

•

•

Define and Distinguish Yourself Through Thought Leadership

Defi ne Your Topic

27. Capabilities: I’m really good at…

28. Lens: I have a unique perspective because…

29. Business issues: I think and know a lot about…

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30. Social Issues: I care about…

31. Personal Passions: I love thinking and learning about…

Identify Target Audiences – Real People!

32. Customers, clients, stakeholders

33. Prospective clients, partners, stakeholders

34. Referral sources

35. Infl uencers

Prioritize Platforms

36. Organizations (Professional groups, Nonprofi ts, Associations, House of Worship, Alumni Groups)

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37. Online (Websites, Social Media Communities)

38. Media (Local papers, radio, magazines, journals)

39. Social Clubs (Salon dinners, Lunch Bunch)

Schedule Action!

Month 1Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday � ursday Friday Saturday

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Month 2Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday � ursday Friday Saturday

Month 3Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday � ursday Friday Saturday

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Create Your PlanRefi ne Your Vision

40. Write a news story about you from the perspective of three years from now. What would the story say about you, your career, your accomplishments, your niches, your practice, your thought leadership, and the like? What opportunities will you have? Who will you know? Who will know you? You don’t need to touch on all issues, just those that are relevant to you.

41. In three years, I will have achieved the following in my career or business:

42. By this time next year, I will have achieved the following in my career or business:

43. In the next 90 days, I will have achieved the following steps to further my career or business:

44. In the next 30 days, I will have achieved the following steps to further my career or business:

Create Your Strategy

45. I could fi nd potential clients, referral sources, and/or opportunities

■ At the following events:

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■ Reading these publications/blogs/etc:

■ Attending these conferences:

■ Involved in these activities:

46. I could raise my profi le in my local, national, or subject-matter community by doing these three things:

47. The most appealing career/business development activities:

■ Making phones calls

■ Attending local functions

■ Participating in volunteer/community/family activities

■ Attending conferences

■ Presenting

■ Writing

■ Visiting colleagues and current or potential clients/referral sources

48. I am willing to invest _______ hours per week in raising my profi le and connecting with people.

49. I can serve as a resource to others in these ways:

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50. Of the actions identifi ed above, I am willing to do the following or some combination of the following every weekday or several times a week:

51. Of the actions identifi ed above, I commit to doing the following three within the next month:

52. Of the actions identifi ed above, I commit to doing the following three within the next three months:

53. Of the actions identifi ed above, I am willing to do the following within the next six months:

54. My biggest challenges in implementing my plan will likely be:

55. I will overcome these challenges by:

56. I will create and utilize the following support, systems, or techniques to hold myself accountable:

Congratulations, the fun is just beginning!