You’re Probably Wrong About How Others See You…

The good folks at the Harvard Business Review posted a thought provoking article last week that I believe is a terrific reminder for every executive who serves as a leader and spokesperson for his or her business or organization.   The message is simple:  You’re probably wrong about how others see you.  

Having worked with many execs over the past 30+ years, I believe this is very often true.

The author of this HBR article, Dorie Clark, reminds us that when it comes to your personal brand — your professional reputation — it’s not about how you view yourself. What matters is how the world sees you.  She writes: 

“One modest, self-deprecating executive was shocked to learn, after engaging an executive coach who examined his professional relationships, that his habit of interrupting people led his colleagues to perceive him as arrogant and haughty — almost the exactly opposite of the truth.  Particularly for high-ranking executives, it can be hard to recognize how you’re really viewed by others. For one thing, employees who don’t want to jeopardize their standing may conceal any negative perceptions and ‘put on a happy face’; for another, power has been shown to dramatically distort leaders’ self-awareness.”

I agree with Ms. Clark’s assertions, as well as her four recommendations to help executives better understand their personal brands and manage how they are perceived, even if they don’t have access to executive coaching.  She wisely suggests:

Seek out patterns in your paper trail. If you have access to copies of past performance reviews or recommendations letters that others have written for you, you can scour the written record for patterns.

Examine your online presence. Search for yourself online. What comes up first? Is it what you expected? Is it what you’d like to convey to the world?

Conduct your own “360 interviews.” Invite trusted colleagues, your boss, and your employees out for coffee, tell them you’re working to raise the bar professionally, and ask for their honest feedback: What do you do well? Where could you grow? Their perspective is likely to be revealing.

Hold your own focus group.  I love this.  Ms. Clark literally recommends holding a focus group with a mix of friends and colleagues, then sitting back and listening.  Don’t respond; just focus on what you can learn.

Dorie Clark provides additional detail on this subject in the complete HBR blog post, which you can find here.   It is very much worth a read.

As I see it, smart executives actively gather and analyze as much data as possible about their companies, because it helps them remain competitive – it’s good for their brands.  By simply focusing these same tactics on our own professional brands, we should be able to achieve similar growth.

#   #   #

Leave A Comment