Career Management Alliance Blog

“World-class oomph”: that’s how Fortune Magazine describes 25 strong personal business brands in its feature story, “Power 25.“ Though the phrase “personal branding” does not occur in the article, the write-up on each of the 25 could easily be part of a brand bio.

For instance, Steve Jobs is described as, “The Beethoven of business,” able to “conjure digital objects of desire from esoteric blends of chips, disks, plastic, and software, and then promote them with his own alluring brand of performance art.” Warren Buffett’s nickname is “The sage of Omaha,” someone people everywhere listen to.

So, is “power” inherent to a personal brand? I say “yes.” Another article in Fortune’s same issue considers the “soft” or “cool” power of leaders who wield “attraction rather than coercion.” They are successful because they motivate activity around them without using threat or pressure. So, if a personal brand is about power, then it is also about influence, the force that drives the brand, or the energy that fuels a person’s expression of his/her brand. Oprah’s brand is a whole lot more than “rich black businesswoman and TV personality.” It is also about her power to make interpersonal connections with millions over the television. Mother Theresa’s brand is about being the saintly caretaker for the poor of Calcutta, but it is also about her power to embody and express compassion.

Think about what fuels your brand. How do you make change happen? What is the “oomph” within you that gets expressed in your career and life? What is the influence that you wield? “May the force be with you” in 2008!

Posted by Jean Cummings