What Can We Learn From Sarah Palin’s Re-Branding?

As we look forward to the first Vice –Presidential debate tonight, I’m hearing lots of conversations about how Sarah Palin needs to “show up” in order to be seen as “potential Presidential material.” I think people are actually talking about what we call in business today- creating or recreating your personal brand.

We all know that companies spend millions of dollars branding themselves because their brand – and people’s perception of that brand – is their livelihood. They will build their brand, nurture it, protect it, and defend it. And when necessary, the company will re-brand itself to respond to changing times and the need to change perceptions. 

In the same way, our personal livelihoods depend on our own brand. The perception that our colleagues, boss and customers have of us plays a large role in the opportunities and promotions that come our way. If at this stage of your career you’ve got the brand you want, congratulations!  But if you haven’t gotten it just right, you need to re-brand yourself. This can be challenging, as long-held beliefs about you can be difficult to change, but – with some hard work- you can shake things up, change those unwanted perceptions and create a new personal brand that will help you reach your goals! 

Prime example: Sarah Palin. Politics aside – whether you like her or not, whether you agree with her or not – she is one of the most successful personal re-branding stories in recent memory. She was thrust suddenly onto the national stage and was immediately branded by the media as inexperienced and not capable of leading at this level. When she made her debut at the Republican National Convention after a week of battering, she had nothing to lose.  And she came out swinging. 

Substance aside – we’re only talking style here, she decided what impression she wanted to leave people with. Her goal was to turn those negative first impressions on their ear – for example, inexperience in Washington meant she was an outsider ready to shake up the system.  She was a mom, yes, but as a “hockey mom” (a pit bull with lipstick) she would show she was tough enough. Her presence was a combination of soft and feminine (with her trademark hair worn uncharacteristically down) brilliantly melded with tough words.

Before her performance, the press speculated that her rival for the Vice Presidency, Joe Biden, would have to tone down his approach during their debate. When her speech was over, all gloves were off (or on!) because the perception of her was that she can give it as well as she can take it. What was most important about her message (and about any personal branding effort) was that she was authentic. She is a gal from Alaska, a hunter, a mom but she also let people know about her toughness, her leadership abilities and her willingness to have difficult conversations. The response to that speech from her audience in the convention hall was very positive. She had successfully rebranded herself in the eyes of many people.

When we work with participants in SHAMBAUGH’s WILL Program on this topic of branding or rebranding themselves, we have the same focus as Sarah Palin had going into that speech: Determine what you want people to think and say about you and then figure out how to achieve that impression. We start by looking at their personal goals. We ask:
• What are the 4-5 things you want people to say about you when they are describing you to others?
• How do you create those impressions? 
• Where do you “show up” as your brand at work? 

SHAMBAUGH has been coaching a number of leaders and executives on defining, living and leveraging their “own” brand. To answer these questions, you really have to get clear about things like your values, your goals, your passions and your dreams. Then, once you have those descriptors identified, it’s time to plan how you can intentionally show up that way. We look at things like:
• What are the 2-3 things you want people to take away from a meeting or conversation with you?
• How do you want to present yourself in presentations and even in emails?
• And, although it is often controversial to discuss, who do you want to be associated with in your organization?

Equally as important, you want to be authentic in presenting who you really are as well as be intentional in terms of what you want those perceptions to be. The goal is to create the conversation you want people to have about you through intention, planning and preparation.  

It’s also important to get feedback on the perception people have of you now (as I’m sure Governor Palin did) and to understand what you have done to create those perceptions in order to determine what you need to do to change them. One approach is to seek out people you trust to coach you through this process. Another is to watch people who are projecting the qualities you want to be known for. What do they say? How do they carry themselves?  What is the tone they use? A great deal of the impression we leave people with is created through our non-verbals: our dress, how we carry ourselves, as well as our body language, etc.

Another key is our personal brand deals with our verbal communication style – how we respond to other people, our tone as well as our message. If you want to be viewed as a leader, are you talking about things that are most relevant to your audience, focusing on the things that are on the top of their minds? Are you communicating simply and in a style that makes them interested in what we have to say, or are you overwhelming them with information? Are you listening versus always speaking? Are you thinking about the message you want to drive home; being intentional versus just walking into a room; doing your preparation and doing it with mindful intention?

Weeks after Sarah Palin’s first speech to the Republican Convention, we don’t remember much of the substance of what she said, but we remember the impression she created. Certainly, substance is critical to doing your job well and proving your competence, but it is the impression others have of you- your personal brand- that often gets you noticed and remembered when it comes time for a promotion. If you watch the debate tonight, ask yourself- what is the impression Sarah Palin is trying to create, how is she doing it and is it working? We can all learn from her successes as well as her mistakes.

Click here to read Becky’s previous blogs.

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Rebecca Shambaugh

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