Branding is Everything – Richard Branson
Hi, I’m Coach Rob Opie, and the subject of this week’s COACHING NEWSLETTER is:
Branding is Everything
We will be exploring the power that lies in PERSONAL BRANDING.
I will be sharing with you the strategies and tactics, which the great champions employ, to build POTENT PERSONAL BRANDS.
And, I will be showing you how to build your very own POTENT PERSONAL BRAND.
I’m not going to delve into how to build your ‘OUTER‘ personal brand ( called your image ), but I will help you to build your ‘INNER‘ personal brand
– the part which defines YOU – the part which will dictate YOUR destiny.
It’s the part of your PERSONAL BRAND which serves as :
your compass in good times and your scaffolding in challenging times
We will be going inside the Game Plans of sporting greats like Tiger Woods, and business greats like Richard Branson, to explore how they get it right at times – and how they get it wrong at times.
Even the best of the best, get it wrong at times – and spectacular sporting and business careers come crashing down.
This happens when they fail to invest in their own INNER PERSONAL BRANDS.
One of the questions I like to ask of my audiences is:
Name the most valuable brand in the world, as at today ?
The answers mostly vary from Coke to Google to Samsung to Facebook to Apple……………
But, these are not really the answer which I’m looking for as a Performance Coach.
That’s because the MOST VAUABLE BRAND IN THE WORLD TODAY is undoubtedly:
YOU. BRAND YOU
Think of it like this > a Coke , an I Phone, a Samsung – are all easily replaceable within minutes.
YOU ARE NOT REPLACEABLE! EVER.
My Advice. Invest in Yourself. Warren Buffett
Let’s take a closer look at the Tiger Woods brand story.
His life is a fascinating story of two halves. Someone who realized his greatest potential in his first half – and then life changed dramatically for Tiger.
For more than a decade, Tiger Woods dominated world golf. Harvard sports psychologist Steven Kosslyn, summed it up as follows:
In Tiger’s head there’s an orchestra. And it’s not just that some of the orchestra’s players are in virtuosos, a lot of them are. How they interact makes Tiger what he is. There is a confluence in his brain, his person, his world, his goals and beliefs, his culture. He has all the aces.
Indeed Tiger did have all the aces in the first half of his stellar career – and one of those aces was his dad, his master tactician , his mentor, his supreme confidante : Earl Woods.
Tiger shared a ”military like” pact with his dad, who served two tours of duty in the US Special Forces in Vietnam – and went on to become a US military strategist.
By age 31, Tiger was well on his way to achieving the goal – the ”military like” pact – which he had established with his dad .
To become the greatest golfer that has ever played the game
That meant he had to haul in Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 major wins.
For, Tiger chasing down goals, chasing the result, chasing the gam , worked for him in his first half career. Ofcourse , he had his dad with him, guiding him every step of the way.
For Tiger that all changed on that fateful day : 3rd May 2006, when he lost his dad after a long battle with cancer.
Tiger, like so many other sporting greats (and so many business executives do), had fallen into the trap of:
Chasing the Game
It’s a human trap that often leads to BURN OUT – when one fails to release the relentless pressure.
Without his dad, Tiger’s professional and personal life fell apart.His last major victory coming in 2008.
Tiger needed a new SECOND HALF GAME PLAN – to shift his focus away from the constant relentless pursuit of his goal to haul in Jack Nicklaus’s record and to rather FOCUS HIS ENERGY on the bigger picture.
To Entertain. To Educate.To Enrich the lives of others through his innate god given golfing genius
Tiger’s story is one of what appeared to be a flawless OUTER brand – yet flawed INNER brand.
That will become clear as we explore personal branding further in this newsletter.
HERE’s HOW TO POWER UP YOUR PERSONAL BRAND
One of the great secrets of the great champions is :
To power up your game – you must power up your personal brand
Warren Buffett , who is regarded as one of the world’s greatest investors, shared the following sage advice
My Advice. Invest in Yourself
But, herein lies the challenge. Most people do not know how to invest in themselves – invest in their own PERSONAL BRANDS.
Whether we know it or not, we’re all in the game of personal selling (closing the deal and personal marketing (creating and sustaining relationships).
Talent, beauty, strength, intelligence, kindness, wealth, humour, loyalty, power are all ways we advertise and market our value as human beings.
Yet, few of us truly capitalise on the inherent power that lies in:
PERSONAL BRANDING
The great champions do. It’s what sets them apart .
In this coaching newsletter, I will share with you ‘the how’.
Think of PERSONAL BRANDING as the ice berg as pictured above.
There are 3 powerful P’s which are the key ingredients of a potent Personal Brand , namely
PURPOSE
PRIORITIES
PERFORMANCE GOALS
While the PERFORMANCE ”P” lies above the water and is transparent for everyone to see , it’s the two P’s which lie below the surface which become the critical ingredients of human great.
They make great things happen.
Let’s do that together – keeping your 3 P’s : AUTHENTIC , SIMPLE & ALIGNED.
The first ‘P’ is your : PURPOSE.
Mark Twain said the following:
The two most important days in your life are the day you are born – and the day you figure out why
Great companies and great individuals all have powerfully articulated purposes.
They start with why – not what .
Coca Cola’s purpose is “to create happiness”
Disney’s purpose is “to make children smile”
Facebook’s purpose is ” to connect people”
Microsoft’s purpose is “to empower people to do more”
Google’s purpose is “to organize and disseminate the world’s information”
Apple’s purpose is “to change the status quo”
Starbucks purpose is “to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, one neighborhood at a time”
Hence great organizational brands are the ones that put purpose before profit, the why before the what – and it’s no different when it comes to great personal brands.
Nelson Mandela’s purpose was ‘to deliver freedom for all ‘
Winston Churchill’s was ‘to inspire hope’
Bill Gates is ‘to empower people to do more‘
Elon Musk’s is ‘to elevate humanity’
Mark Zuckerberg’s is ‘ to connect everybody‘
Let’s take a look at a sporting super star like Rory McIlroy.
For him it’s not just about playing golf – the what. It’s about the why – and it’s clarity of purpose which elevates human ingenuity from good to great to greater – and into the realms of genius.
Rory McIlroy’s purpose is :
To Entertain, To Educate, To Enrich – the lives of others
He uses his god given talents do this. It’s the very same for any sporting super star – those blessed with unique sporting talents.
Springbok Captain , Warren Whiteley knows rugby is more than just a game .
The purpose of the Boks is : ”to foster national gees ”
For us , we want to be more than just a rugby team – more than just 80 minutes on the field. We want to inspire people through our actions on and off the field, We want to bring smiles to people’s faces. We want to be ambassadors for our country. We want to pride ourselves on that.
Facebooks’s Mark Zuckerberg in a recent commencement address at Harvard said the following :
Purpose is that sense that we are part of something bigger than ourselves, that we are needed, that we have something better ahead to work for. Purpose is what creates true happiness.
In his Harvard address he told one of his favorite stories of when John F Kennedy visited the NASA space center. He saw a janitor carrying a broom and he walked over and asked what he was doing. The janitor responded:
Mr. President, I’m helping to put a man on the moon
Purpose is the bigger picture in one’s life – the why in one’s life – and it becomes the key ingredient of both one’s priorities and performance in life.
You are not here to merely make a living. You are here to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision , with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand – Woodrow Wilson
For Richard Branson it was never about student magazines, music , airports and gyms – it was about finding new ways to help people have a good time .His brand stands for ”the experience”’.
Purpose is about revealing YOUR true greatness.
EXERCISE : Find your own emotionally compelling purpose. Try to articulate it in one short sentence.
COACHING TIP : Your PURPOSE is found when your PASSION meets with the universe’s needs – and you get well rewarded for sharing it with others.
Here’s mine in one sentence :
To inspire and help PEOPLE to achieve their greatest potential in life .
A clearly articulated purpose drives the focus in your life.
The second ‘P’ is your : PRIORITIES
Getting one’s priorities right is without doubt one of the most important actions one can take in life. Priorities dictate one’s destiny.
Bill Gates said :
The most important thing I have learnt in life is to focus my energy on what is important in life
Yet, it’s surprising how most people cannot clearly articulate their big five priorities in life – what is important in their lives.
Some out of ignorance, some out of fear and some because they cannot see the value in doing so.
But, one only has to look at examples of so many great sporting champions, who come unstuck because they fail to articulate their priorities.
Clear priorities help one to make clear decisions in life. Clear priorities power up your deserve level and help you get what you want in life.
EXERCISE : Can your list your BIG FIVE PRIORTIES IN LIFE – in hierarchial order ?
OK, it’s certainly not easy. Most people really do struggle to do this. Here’s a little help.
While we are all unique human beings, defined ‘Priority Patterns’ do exist for the great champions.
Here are the common denominators I have found – and how one’s ‘Big Five’ PRIORITIES should be stacking up – if you want to build a consistently great personal brand.
Priority Number One is BRAND YOU ( Yourself )
This one is commonly the least understood priority – in life and health – as many people regard it as being selfish to put themselves first in life .
But, remember Warren Buffett’s sage advice
My Advice. Invest in yourself
BRAND YOU is the ongoing investment in one’s personal brand, so that one can approach life from a ‘position of strength’.
It’s no different from winning in sport – you must ensure that you are always coming from a position of strength – never from a position of weakness ( otherwise you lose ).
Life is about setting up right – to be able to help others. Consider this wisdom.
Great Champions recognize that self -interest is central to one’s human design , but count the greatest gain as the goodwill of fellow humankind – Bob Bulford
Just think about all the people you could help – because you helped yourself first – to become great.
That’s what the great champions know – and do.
By taking care of yourself first, you’ll eventually put yourself in a position to have excess abundance to take care of others ~ Corey Wayne
Priority Number Two is YOUR PURPOSE (Your professional why)
It’s the one thing that one becomes expert in– so that one can positively impact and contribute to this world – imparting great knowledge – and making a significant difference.
Every living being was born to accomplish certain purpose. It’s the knowledge of that purpose that enables every soul to fulfill it – Muhammad Ali
Priority Number Three is – YOUR FAMILY & FRIENDS (Your personal why)
Lot’s of people see their FAMILIY as their No.1 priority , but that’s like putting the cart before the horse .
Of course family is hugely important, but the human smart thing to do is – to put BRAND YOU – YOURSELF at number one – so that you can build yourself into the best YOU that you can be.
This will allow you to be the best Dad , the best Mom ever – always coming from a position of strength.
Think about it carefully . If you neglect YOURSELF and mess things up – you can easily become a liability to your family , the very persons who are most important in your life.
Priority Number Four is YOUR HEALTH & WEALTH (your finite resources)
With priorities 1-3 authentically aligned , you will soon find that your health and your wealth is on the up and up .
But, you will also need to continue to invest daily in your Heath and your Wealth .
This is so important that we will cover this subject in a later coaching newsletter – all on its own – sharing the health and wealth strategies and tactics of the great champions .
You will be surprized.
Priority Number Five is YOUR LIFESTYLE. (your refuelling )
Don’t leave this important one off your priority list . Invest in the things you like to do – the things you like – your desired lifestyle .
Seek out and live a balanced life.
Why ? Because , YOU NEED TO REFUEL FOR THE JOURNEY – so that you have the required energy levels to execute with ” gutso ” on your select Priorities 1-4 .
It’s common sense ! You can not work yourself into the grave . You must find some time out to REFUEL YOURSELF
The main idea in life is not to become the richest man in the cemetery
WARNING ON PRIORITIES AND WHY THEY ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU : Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by lower priorities in your life – as they will lower your finite energy levels – they will lower your self-deserve level – they will lower your self- esteem – they will self- depreciate YOU faster than you might know – and they will eventually wear YOU OUT.
The great champions pay very close attention to all FIVE of the priorities as laid out above for you – THE BIG FIVE – so should YOU !
By doing so , they are effectively getting all the ingredients just right in a potent Champion’s Cocktail , known as FCB :
FAITH , CONFIDENCE & BELIEF
The Third P is your : PERFORMANCE GOALS
Now we are above the water again with our iceberg analogy .And it’s time to execute .
Here’s how – keeping your personal brand AUTHENTIC , SIMPLE and ALIGNED .
Choose ONLY three PERFORMANCE GOALS for your current year .
Ensure that these are all optimally aligned with your Purpose and your Priorities – as set above .
The key to achieving your performance goals , is to align them , as closely as possible.
You will become inspired to do , as opposed to continually seeking motivation to do .
I’m a big fan of what I call the 90/10 rule.
If you can now focus 90 % of your energy on YOUR BIG FIVE PRIORITIES, and YOUR THREE PERFORMANCE GOALS – life becomes easier through the clarity of your decision making .
Saying YES and saying NO becomes far easier.
Delegating all your lesser priorities to others, becomes the key to achieving :
SUSTAINED SUCCESS & SIGNIFICANCE .
The great champions FOCUS their finite energies .
It’s as if you are riding in the Peloton , and as you will see in a later GAME CHANGER on the programme – riding in a peloton can save up to 40 % of your finite energy .
The 3 P’s of Branding are the backbone of every great champion’s high level game plan which is:
Made of The Right Stuff
In this week’s inspiration video story – ” If you’re gonna play the game , boy…… “
Every week on the course I would like to share an inspirational video with you – and have some fun too .
This week’s video story we go way back to 1978 , when Kenny Rogers shared some sage advice about life.
THE GAMBLER :
If you’re gonna play the game , boy. You gotta learn how to play it right ; You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em……
Enjoy the video below
SOME READING :
Simon Sinek’s book START WITH WHY is a great – sharing stories such as how Steve Jobs created one of the greatest companies in the world .
Steve Jobs started with why – and focused on ”the why”.
He did not start a company that made great computers ( the what) – he started a company who wanted to think differently ,
to change the status quo
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Till next week , when we take an inside look at : GAME CHANGER NUMBER FOUR : THE ONE THING – with the great champion’s Business , Sport and Life answering the all important question :
What’s the secret to life ?
THANK YOU CELL C : A special thank you to Jose and Doug at Team Cell C for their continued support of our GROWING SOUTH AFRICANS GREAT initiative at THE GAME PLAN .
Rob Opie is a Brand Strategist , Entrepreneur ,Speaker, Author and Performance Coach.
He helps teams and individuals to achieve their greatest potential in life.
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