Open and True

When we speak of Authentic Personal Branding, our entire premise is based on one being centered in Authenticity.  What drives today’s growing need for authenticity?

Every person, at some level, seeks the freedom to express his or her own true nature.  Each of us has some unique characteristics and being accepted for who you are allows you to play your role in this world to the best of your abilities.  When we are self assured and self accepting enough, we are unafraid of others opinions and can gift our self the liberty to be the best possible versions of our self, rather than poor imitations of someone else.

In the modern context, who you are speaks in many ways and through different channels.  What may not be obvious is as to how transparent our lives have become in the new world.  With the advent of mobile cameras, digital voice recorders and the all pervading internet – it is largely impossible to know and completely control which part of you and your life becomes public.

It is only natural for us to be different in different surroundings.  For example, the way you would dress, speak and behave at your formal client meeting is likely to be very different from how you would present yourself at a party with friends who have known you most of your life.  To be appropriate to the occasion includes some degree of change and flexibility.

However, without having invested time and attention in having discovered and accepted all parts of your self, you will be unable to present a consistent and authentic personal brand.

Authenticity enables you to acknowledge and integrate all parts of yourself in a coherent fashion, in a way that allows you to be comfortable with who you really are.  There is no false image to protect and your realness is what reaches your audience.

Know that your audience will be doing its homework, to understand who they are dealing with, before they do business with you.  In today’s world, you should expect that you or your company will be examined by anyone who has to interact with you, whether as a client, employer, employee, investor or associate.

The information is too easily available to be ignored.

A prospective customer is unlikely to only visit the official company website for product information.  He is more than likely to search for customer and other reviews, candid accounts of experience through blogs, videos and other such channels and do price and qualitative comparisons through other independent sources and media.  Hence, if a company expects its brand to be communicated in a way that leads to a positive impact, it is not sufficient for it to present itself well – it has to genuinely be a good product and true to what  it claims to be.

Any lack of authenticity is bound to show up.

The same holds true for you as an individual.

Deliberately positioning your self according to what is attractive, popular or politically correct, without it being a reality, cannot support your growth in the long term.  For example, as a professional or corporate leader – you cannot criticize corruption and advocate transparency – if there is going to be a photo-story on your rival’s blog, showing you paying off the local traffic policeman.

Similarly, if you have been reluctant to let your colleagues at work know that you enjoy night clubs on the weekends, you are likely to be embarrassed to have them discover this part of you through comments on a friend’s social networking page.

Authenticity and honesty are no longer purely aspirational values for the genuine seekers of spiritual and personal growth.  The modern world has rendered them an inevitable necessity.

Be who you are – or be willing to be found out.

It also remains true that anything can be quoted out of context and visual media can be manipulated to intentionally present a false picture.  And again, the only answer to such a possibility is to be so true to your self – that your authentic brand itself silences all falsehoods.

As Richard Bach said – ‘Live never to be ashamed if anything you say or do is published around the world, even if what is said is not true.’

An integrous reputation is something that is built over a period of time.  Your veracity and way of being gradually consolidate to an extent wherein people can rely upon you delivering what your brand promises.

Consider the example of  Sachin Tendulkar.  His years of sincerity and dedication to his sport have built a strongly positive image in the public mind.  In a world where every other cricket player is accused of match fixing and spot fixing, most audiences tend to think – where there is smoke, there is fire.  But a Sachin Tendulkar has such a clean track record, that very few people would entertain suspicions about him.

Similarly, an Aamir Khan has built the brand of an intellectual, social minded brand.  A small budget with no significant ‘star’ cast, the movie ‘Peepli Live’ was a hit largely because of Aamir Khan’s backing.  First, his personal brand built the curiosity to get the crowds in and then because the movie stood on its own merit – living up to the generated expectations – it worked commercially as well as with the critics.

It becomes clear that being genuine is not only liberating, but highly strengthening.

Whether you choose it out of the love of truth, the freedom to be your best self or to avoid public controversy, authenticity is not only rewarding, but the unavoidable way forward in this transparent world.