Personal branding and the Elizabeth Holmes Effect

“The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavour to be what you desire to appear.” Socrates

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Emerging technology is blurring the line between our personal and professional lives.

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One of the best ways to gain authoritative visibility in your industry is through your personal brand.

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So as an influential leader and, most importantly, as a human being, you must first recognise the need for safety, belonging and that you matter before anything else.

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These values are also crucial to the people you want to connect with.

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I'm fascinated with the Elizabeth Holmes story at the moment.

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How on earth does a young women manage to pull the wool over so many incredibly smart people's eyes?

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How do you raise billions in capital for a business that's built on smoke and mirrors?

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Simply .... Her brand and the values she APPEARED to hold dear.

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Elizabeth used her womanhood, story and her vision to create a fairytale brand that mesmerised.

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She loved spruiking how women can to anything and the hashtag "Ironsisters", motivating and cheering the rest of us girls on with rousing calls that "you can do it".

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I can just imagine this young blonde women delivering her address to the US First Fleet in San Francisco, tears in her eyes, tell her audience what it privilege is is to be able to save the lives of US soldiers and sailors, absolutely enchanting the crowd and winning their hearts.

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She was a young women smashing the glass ceiling, a pioneer for all women, who was going to change the world and keep your family safe!

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She hit her audience right between the eyes by tapping into their emotions - her brand's superpower.

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I don't think there are many people who like this woman any more given what she truly stood for and how she behaved, but like it or not, she was a brilliant leader with a billion dollar personal brand.

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And that means that we can learn a lot from what she did.

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So, take a moment to consider your brand?  How would people describe you when you're not in the room?

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Are you projecting the image that you want people to see in the most effective and efficient way possible?

#leadershipdevelopment #personalbranding #brandbuilding