Post by John Counihan

What do people say about you when you're not around? A question I'm sure many of us ponder from time to time. I think most of us would agree we care a lot about the answer? Despite this, I'm pretty confident that not many of us invest concerted, consistent effort and attention into building our brand or reputation. Yet organisations, products etc do it all the time. Why? Well quite simply it's the currency that keeps us relevant. How can we do this in a simple, humble yet effective way I'm often asked in leadership workshops. My answer is always the same. Pick three qualities (to start with anyway) that are useful to the organisation or to other colleagues and become famous for them. It's the small stuff that when done consistently over time creates your brand so please don't think too big. An example I always share is to become famous for following through or to quote the book 'The Four Agreements', "be impeccable with your word". In simple terms ALWAYS do what you say you'll do, when you'll say you do it. It sounds ridiculously basic yet I invite you to reflect on how many people you can name who actually live it. Food for thought I hope.