A New Leadership Imperative: Declare Your Brand Style – Revealing Genius

Show up strong every day by clarifying your ‘purpose, why and hows’ using a Brand Declaration of what your personal brand stands for.

Some well-known people are famous for having a signature wardrobe; they are perfect examples of a clear personal brand translating into brand style. 

Margaret Thatcher’s style included a lapel brooch. The ever-present piece of jewelry reinforced the British prime minister’s brand as deliberate and steady.

Steve Jobs wore black turtlenecks, mirroring the sleek simplicity of the Apple products he created.

Taylor Swift is known for the color red. The singer’s use of the color in lyrics and branding—even lipstick—reflects the fearless intensity that’s earned her icon status.

You don’t have to be a household name to benefit from knowing and showing your brand style. Leaders of all walks at all levels of their organizations can reap the rewards.

And, good news! It’s not hard (and can even be fun)  to discern your brand style when you create a Brand Declaration using the time-proven Excavate-Tell-Affirm™ process from Revealing Genius.

Brand Style, Defined

Google the word “style” and pay attention to the second definition. That’s the one that really makes sense for executive personal branding: “a distinctive appearance, typically determined by the principles according to which something is designed.”

So while Thatcher is known for her brooch, Jobs for his turtlenecks and Swift for the color red, these elements of style are really just reflections of their brands—Thatcher’s steady approach, Jobs’ commitment to user-friendly yet elegant design and Swift’s intense pursuit of greatness. Those wardrobe pieces flowed from each person’s principles.

At Revealing Genius, we know from working with hundreds of clients like you that you can build a successful outward brand style when you have clarity about your “purpose, why and hows”—why you exist to serve, at what you are the best in the world and the non-negotiable high standards you must uphold to make it happen. 

Creating a Brand Declaration using our signature, time-proven Excavate-Tell-Affirm™ process is a surefire way to define your brand style. 

‘Wear’ the Same Thing Every Day

You could say that Thatcher, Jobs and Swift are not only known for “wearing” the same thing every day but also for showing up in the same way every day. They are clear about their purpose; they know why they are doing what they are doing; and even their tactics—the “hows” they use to do what they uniquely do best—are crystal clear. 

Having a deliberately chosen signature style helps others see us how we want to be seen. When you get full clarity about your purpose, why and hows using a Brand Declaration, you’ll walk through every door and project the same brand. This consistency will build trust with everyone in your network.

In addition, research by McKinsey shows that strong brands outperform their less recognizable competitors by as much as 73%! 

Your brand style clearly matters.

Notably, you don’t just express your brand through what you wear. The lion’s share of engagement with personal brands, including yours, is now occurring digitally, when you’re not in the room. 

Let me ask you, does your LinkedIn profile truly reflect your brand style? How about your CV or resume? Download our free white paper, “The Critical Importance Of Your Signature Brand Style,” to get more examples of where your brand style can and should shine.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Before you can effectively tell everyone about your personal brand, you need to clarify it. Fortunately, doing so is not so hard as it might seem. It might even be fun!

Excavating Your Brand Style

I can’t help but think of the 1971 Billy Joel song that starts with the lyric, “She’s got a way about her.” When people think of you, what’s “your way about you?” 

Don’t answer that question haphazardly. Instead, rely on the three steps of the Excavate-Tell-Affirm™ process from Revealing Genius to help you develop a Brand Declaration that declares your purpose, why and hows. Here’s a quick encapsulation of the process:

1. Excavate: Take a deep dive into your experiences, strengths and aspirations to uncover your unique value proposition and give words to your extraordinary why.
2. Tell: Craft compelling narratives that effectively communicate your brand and potential impact that feel authentic and, most importantly, reduce complexity and ambiguity. These narratives will be heard, trusted and acted upon by key people in your network.
3. Affirm: Build your confidence and clarity about your brand through targeted feedback and support.

As an example, here is my Brand Declaration. It’s the first thing I look at every day. I feel it in my bones: 

My Purpose  

(This is why you exist to serve.)  

I exist to serve by Revealing Genius. 

My Why 

(This describes at what you are the best in the world, and the transformation (before and after experience) you facilitate when you are tapped into your natural strengths. Formula: To so that   

To connect others to what lights them up so that they can gain clarity and confidence to share their brand genius. 

My Hows 

These are non-negotiable. In the absence of them, you cannot create an impact. Start with an action word. Up to nine is the best practice.  

1. Play big. Stand tall.  
2. Oooze with integrity.  
3. Always trust my gut. 
4. Listen between the lines.  
5. Honor seeking my joy.  
6. Take really good care of me. 
7. Radiate joy, passion, service, irresistibility 
8. Obsess with delivering tremendous value 
9. Remind people of their greatness 

Strengthen your entrance through every physical doorway and every digital channel, literally and figuratively. Get guidance in developing your Brand Declaration by registering for the Excavate-Tell-Affirm™ Brand Leadership Summit or through a Brand Declaration 1:1 arrangement with Revealing Genius.

brand declaration, brand style, hows, purpose, why