There are probably very few of us who can say
we have not been touched by the work of Stan Lee in some way or another. Be it
watching one of the awesome Marvel movies over the last few years, tuning into
the TV series of Spiderman or Bruce Banner & The Hulk from the 80’s and
90’s or picking up and devouring a Marvel comic as a kid.
In his passing away this week I was struck by
the impact he had, even my kids noticed it and commented on the influence that
he had on them.
We recollected how we always looked for his
cameo appearances in many of the superhero movies that he was associated with,
wearing his signature tinted glasses and often uttering the word he was always
associated with “Excelsior”.
Your own superhero abilities also make
appearances, not in the movies, but in the lives of others. Your unique skills
have an impact, just like Stan’s characters did, not perfect but ultimately
making a difference and helping others to be a better version of themselves.
If you struggle with making that connection
here are some approaches that might help you develop a personal brand to
MARVEL.
M – Mindset, always remember that what you have
or where you are now is not fixed forever and you have the ability and
opportunity to change that. Stan went through a myriad of changes and
challenges in his life, even sadly right at the end, but it never stopped him
focusing on having a creative impact.
A – Application, using and leveraging what you
are good at does not have to be done in a certain way or only with a particular
group or organization. Sometimes a certain situation is not a good fit and you
have to move on. I have also had VP’s of IT become heads of Marketing and
Accountants become Lawyers, it is how they applied things that mattered.
R – Reflect, give yourself time to review,
measure and assess the direction and actions you are taking. Often taking 5
minutes, an hour or a whole day not delivering or trying to be your best all
the time is the most productive and impactful you can be.
V – Values, I repeat this often and it is
because this is such a core element of a personal brand foundation. Your values
are your moral compass and will guide and direct your decisions more than
anything else. Not sure how? – Take
the EvalYOUation exercise to understand.
E – Excellence, the old adage “If a job is
worth doing, it’s worth doing well” could not be truer when it comes to
your personal brand. Stan Lee does not strike me as some who looked back
thinking he produced mediocre work, you shouldn’t either.
L – Leverage, you do not and should not be
doing it all yourself. Others have equally great skills in something you suck
at, so don’t waste your time, energy and resources figuring out and diluting
your personal brand because if it.
Regardless of whether we live to 95, like Stan,
or not, you need to be sure that you are spending the time working at whatever
it is that calls you, engages you and makes a difference for others.
Now go be ‘Brandtastic’ - Excelsior!!
by Paul Copcutt Learn more
No comments:
Post a Comment