You are your own brand

Written By: Brent Knight, CSP; President of ISS, Inc.

When we think about ourselves and our careers, I bet most of us don’t think about our “brand”.

You might be asking, what does that mean? Well, I am a firm believer that each of us has a brand that is all our own. It is based on our personality, our approach to things, and how we behave. This defines us and others tend to label us accordingly.

Let me provide an example. I think that we all know Joe the safety guy who always has a smile on his face, greets everyone good morning, and is always a positive influence on everyone around him, lightening the mood. On the other hand, we also know grumpy Bill, the guy who hardly says two words, gives you looks that drill through you and make you feel inadequate.

I think that it is safe to say that each of these characters has their own brand and everyone around them sees it clearly, from the first moment that they meet.

What is your brand? What would you like it to be? These are big questions because, believe it or not, you have total control over that brand as well as your life and your career.

Take a look at yourself and determine first, who you are. Next, determine what changes you would like to make to broadcast the brand that you want others to see. A great book that I would recommend is Extreme Ownership, by Leif Babin and Jocko Willink. Buy it and read it and you will know why.

At the beginning of the day, we have our brand. At the end of the day, hopefully, we have improved that brand and we have our integrity as well. Either way, I encourage you to determine your brand and be the best version of yourself.