Be Your Own Brand—A Breakthrough Formula for Standing Out from the Crowd

Roles: Our Relationship with Others

In business, when consumers think about a brand—whether it represents a product, a service, a company, or an employer—often they first describe it based on what it does for them. Regardless of how it was built (standards) or how it looks (style), a car has to start, move, stop, keep the rain out, and keep the passengers in (roles). Regardless of how it was cooked (standards) or arranged on the plate (style), a meal has to be palatable and bear a reasonable resemblance to what the customer ordered (competencies).

Building a strong personal brand starts from a similar base. To be competent means to be, at some level, qualified (or, more accurately, perceived to be qualified) to do something for someone. Your ...