Welcome back to the Look and Sound of Leadership, an ongoing series of executive

coaching tips designed to help you be perceived in the workplace the way you want

to be perceived. I'm Tom Hentrel, your executive coach, and today we're talking

about personal branding. Donna and I were old friends by now.

Originally, I'd been her coach.

Later, during her exhilarating rise through the company,

she had often engaged me as a thought partner.

These days, we tended to talk when planning an off-site for her group, but today,

aside from catching up, she'd invited me to lunch specifically to think about one of her

direct reports.

I'm dying to get Jason promoted, she told me,

but the other members of the senior team don't see his value yet.

I can only push so hard.

So I'm wondering, what can he do to change their minds?

What's his brand at this point? I asked her, not just with the senior team but in general what's his brand?

Dependable, she answered, not having to give it much thought.

"'He's a stable guy, no drama, what you see is what you get, does what he says.

That's his brand.

And it's all good, right?

But being dependable doesn't light any fires.

How has he shaped his brand himself? I asked. She asked what I meant.

By way of example, I told her about Chavavan, a fiery Irish woman I had coached.

...