RLF Reflection: A Guide to Personal Branding

On February 10^th, Alicia Massey delivered an enlightening presentation that guided the audience about how to brand themselves and put their best self forward. Alicia broke her presentation into three main parts. First, she defined personal branding as how one presents themselves, their skills, and their goals to the outside world. She invoked a brief example comparing the branding done by Michelle Obama and Beyonce ––emphasizing their qualities of confidence, elegance, sophistication, independence, and power. Second, Alicia argued personal branding is important for the modern leader for five main reasons: it builds trust with your employers, colleagues, and all relationships; it builds your network and allows you to reliably connect with individuals from different "brands"; it builds your own credibility that only grows upon further recognition; it builds confidence; and it gives the opportunity to be authentic and true to your character. Third, Alicia said there were five main steps to building one's personal brand: deciphering your mission, then dressing the part, then finding your target audience, thinking of yourself as your own PR rep, and not being afraid to transform or evolve.

Alicia asked several questions of the audience–– asking us what is your story? How can it be applied to the professional workplace? How will it enhance your leadership style?

In my own life, I brand myself as a dedicated individual for others, from the humble area of Tacoma, Washington. I grew up in an entrepreneurial household of two doctors. When I was 4 years old, my father quit his job as an emergency medicine physician to help improve health care across hospitals. I grew up alongside the company and his struggles, watching him devote his professional life to delivering better care for Americans at lower costs for our hospitals. I can apply my story to the professional workplace by asking myself the same question–– where have I sought to make an impact on others? As a varsity oarsman on campus who has interned in private equity, political campaigns, and the UN, I pride myself on working hard for others. My brand is one of dependability, commitment, and empathy. This understanding of putting others before myself will be the cornerstone of my leadership style. The coming challenge into the professional space will be thinking of my own career in light of others. The balance between individuality and commitment to a team is one I am still figuring out how to balance. But I do not think that with my background, I could pull off the Beyonce or Michelle Obama-like "confident, independent, sophisticated" brand without also being labelled "spoiled, privileged, or spoon-fed". That is not a bad thing, it's a reality that our workplace cultures are moving in the right direction of diversity and inclusion. For my brand though, I must realize how to balance humility and perspective with ambition and the desire for recognition.

-Written by Max Bessler, Class of 2022 Rockefeller Leadership Fellow 

As Rockefeller Leadership Fellows, seniors gain a better understanding of the qualities and responsibilities expected of leaders. As Fellows take part in the workshops, discussions, and team-building exercises, they examine their skills, qualities, and attributes as leaders and analyze how these influence teamwork and achieving goals.