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How to evolve a successful personal brand 20 Jul 2016

The death of legendary American boxer, Muhammad Ali, dominated global news coverage last month because of the enormous personal brand he built as an outstanding heavyweight boxer and humanitarian. World leaders, religious leaders, celebrities and Ali's family members gathered to pay their last respects, as one of the greatest boxers of all time was laid to rest in his home town of Louisville, Kentucky.
    
Becoming a successful personal brand involves a series of attributes including positive thoughts, attitudes and behaviours. Life is about the choices we make and you can only be a strong brand by making the right choices that can influence your attitude, regardless of the odds that are against them.

You become the brand you desire: The reality of the times we are living in calls for everyone to reinvent themselves. You cannot afford to wait out the rising tide of economic challenges Nigeria is currently faced with. Through a positive attitude, you can alter your circumstances because the physical manifestation of whom and what you become is sown in your mind. Muhammad Ali was nicknamed "The Greatest." This moniker came from him declaring himself, "I am the greatest!" after he defeated then heavyweight champion Sonny Liston in 1964 at the age of 22. Ultimately, strong belief and respect for human dignity defined Muhammad Ali's personal brand and his legacy.

Self-discovery: Everyone needs to discover himself or herself. Whatever education or training we get are only the tools to help each one of us discover our identity and become the brand we desire. Remarkably, self-discovery is not restricted by age. At the age of 71, Muhammadu Buhari believed he could still be Nigeria's President and that is what he is today. Like the mythical bird, phoenix, you can recover from any calamity and rediscover yourself.

Personal-improvement: The farming concept is very instructive to personal branding strategy. Just as it is in the process of planting seeds, taking care of the crops and the yield a farmer gets during harvest; likewise it takes consistency, perseverance, self-renewal and vision to create a successful personal brand. Essentially, a farmer reaps what he sows. Therefore, continuous learning, personal improvement, self-development, innovation and creativity can drive the process of building a strong personal brand. In order words, it is a deliberate effort designed to place you at that vantage position in your chosen field or career.

Responsive citizenship: As you become the person you desire through self-discovery and other personal-improvement efforts, you must realise that your personal brand thrives on the positive impact you have in your community and society at large. A responsive citizen is one that has imbibed the positive values of discipline, integrity, character and professionalism.

I was at an SME event recently where the facilitator espoused so much passion for the country and regretted that many Nigerians fail to celebrate the country's achievements and uniqueness. Indeed, there are so many positive features of Nigeria and the Nigerian people that we can celebrate. Rather than regaling ourselves with the failings of our society, we can spin our narratives to boost the sense of patriotism and pride that we must have in ourselves as a people. By the way, we cannot expect to have a functioning democracy without responsive citizenship.  

Conclusion

A quick-fix mentality to success may look attractive but it is not sustainable. One of Nigeria's most influential brands is Aliko Dangote; a businessman, philanthropist and Africa's richest man. He is an inspiration to a lot of people and many young people would like to be like Dangote. But while it took Dangote thirty years of hard work, planning, perseverance, losses, disappointments, etc to build his business conglomerate, today's youths are in so much hurry to acquire riches.

But remember, life is one step at a time. And equally important is that a strong personal brand does not necessarily have to be accompanied by riches or a celebrity cult-following. You can be influential in society as a social worker or a social entrepreneur. But whatever you do, always remain positive. You may be unable to determine your circumstances, but you can determine how you manage your circumstances. Your personal brand requires purpose, character, confidence, and resolve.