You want the title, You want the responsibility, You want the money, You want an enviable reputation. You want to be respected. You want a seat at the table.
Well, it is not going to fall in your lap.
You’re going to have to put in the work and do the hard yards
— build your skills, learn to influence people, network, and gain the respect of your peers, manager and subordinates and deliver the results.
Not like a one-trick pony, but consistently. Over and over, again!
And that too will not be sufficient.
I knew this intellectually at 22, but I only got a hang of it when I turned 29. Slow!.. I know. 🙁.
You have to build your brand inside and outside of your organisation.
By putting in the work, you start your journey to build your brand.
But there is a lot more to it.
Here are some simple pointers that may help you.
A set of rules, a code you operate by.
This could be how you will behave with people, the habits, things you want to be consistently doing. Make sure you uphold values that are important to you and ones that help you to treat others well.
Don’t be the aggregator of everything and the disseminator of nothing.
Build your learning agility, and your ability to overcome information asymmetry. Once you’ve done that, share. Let others in on the secrets that you have uncovered.
Think of this like multiple life streams powered by you.
Build your presence. Treat yourself well in the presence of others.
Talk sense. Talk enough. Talk well. Dress sensibly.
Be able to hold on your own in a conversation or a conflicting argument. Be nice, be diplomatic, pick your battles.
But remember, your thoughts, values, feelings are all important. Others do not have the power to make you feel any different. People will respect you for you.
This is my favourite. We all have it in us to achieve whatever we want.
To drink the kool-aid of societal norms, to be intimidated by authority, seniority or show respect out of fear, doing what the group wants — these are the norms we’ve absorbed and normalised.
But we have a choice, to take on their rules or make your own. I chose my own rules. And I invite you to make your own too.
So when you run into the CEO in the elevator, treat them like a human being.
Be genuine and be good. If they ask you a question, tell them like it is. They can sniff BS a mile away.
They need to know they are supported by you. Let them know you’ve got their back.
Following principles like these is how you build an authentic brand that commands respect.
At Procurement Superheroes, this is exactly what we aim to help you with.
