Your personal brand is, at its core, out of your control because your professional reputation lives in the minds of other people. However, you can do a lot to shape and influence how people see 

you. Intentionally developing a strong personal brand is an excellent investment to help you advance your career, but it can be a challenge. Why? Because proactively building your reputation is something you do through, and in addition to, your day-to-day work activities. This investment in yourself: 

• takes a personal commitment, focus and intention 

• requires regularly adding new people to your network 

• requires you to regularly lean into difficult challenges and get “comfortable in your stretch zone” 

• takes time 
  
  

This last point may be the most important. You have no time to waste. A good reputation isn’t there when you need it unless you’ve worked over months and years to build it so that it’s at the ready all the time. Reputations are built over time and every moment you wait to focus on it means lost opportunities to gain exposure, or leverage things you’re already doing for greater visibility and impact. 

A strong personal brand positions you for future success. Here is why you want to invest in your personal brand. 

• Get noticed by people who can open doors for you 

• Be the person they think of when new positions open up and before they’re posted to the public 

• Improve the odds you’ll be in the right place at the right time for high profile tasks and assignments 

• Increase your chances of receiving the compensation and benefits you deserve when changing jobs 

• Go farther, faster than others at your level of experience and education

The main reason people don’t build strong personal brands is because they get distracted by the day-to-day. Commit to do ONE thing every week that builds your personal brand and reputation. 

If you don’t have the personal brand reputation you want, there could be a reason. Whatever you’ve done to date hasn’t gotten you where you want to go. Look honestly at what you’re doing, and how much time and energy you’re investing in building a strong reputation, and decide to make a change. 

There’s no time or energy to waste. Build a personal development plan to focus on the actions that give you the greatest leverage, like 

• improving targeted leadership skills 

• learning to be a thought leader 

• expanding your network strategically 

• choosing opportunities that bring you the right kind of visibility to the right kind of audience