The Corporate Ladder vs. Personal Brands

For anyone who has spent any time in the corporate world, you know that there are “rules”. Rules that your industry (or society in general) has put on it’s participants as to how it looks and feels to participate in that industry.

I’ve spent a lot of time recently connecting with people who have left their corporate gigs because of personal brand misalignment. And it got me thinking. So I googled, “how to climb the corporate ladder” and found this Forbes article. And as trustworthy of a source as I consider Forbes to be, there’s just so many pieces of this that go directly AGAINST embracing our personal brands. So, if you’re currently enjoying your climb up the corporate ladder, just consider how that may play out in the long run.

Make a plan.

The article references that, “too many people bounce through their career like a pinball in a pinball game…"“ And although I am one for having at least a little bit of a plan, deciding what the pinnacle of your career looks like before you’ve done any discovery into your personal brand is bananas.

My plan was to go to business school (because it seemed like a good thing to do). Then, my plan was to become a marketing major (so I didn’t have to take the Government in Business class). And then my plan was to move up the corporate ladder to a senior level marketing position (which I did). All the while, having a love/hate relationship with marketing (since Marketing 301).

So, again. I’m all about having the plan. But most of the time, our plan isn’t based off of information about ourselves. And THAT, my friends, is folly.

Get an education.

I went to University, and graduated with honors. So, it’s not that I’m going to argue this one. EXCEPT, the education system has been built with NO interest in a specific person and their innate abilities. It is based on giving everyone the same information, testing to make sure you can implement it in the same way, and then telling the world that you’re “ready” for a career in a certain direction.

In my very first job, my boss (who didn’t have a University education) once told me that, “experience was more valuable than education”. As a new grad, I was like, “ok, dude” (yeah, we talked like that).

Now, what I understand about the education system is that it teaches people to LEARN. Which is an important skill to have. But similar to having a plan, if you go to law school with no intention of practicing law, then what’s the real value of that education?

To be clear, I want to call out the difference between Learning & Institutional Education. They are absolutely NOT the same. This commentary is related to a false focus on institutionalized education. Lifelong learning IS absolutely important, both in gaining new skills (which education is based around) and learning about yourself (personal development).

Work hard.

Ok, I’ll start again by framing. It’s not that hard work isn’t important. Anyone who got anything they wanted put in the work.

I remember one of my senior colleagues (not my direct boss) telling me once, “Did you know that Roger comes in on the weekend? He’s going to impress people with the amount that he’s working”.

In my position at the time, it was probably taking me about 2 hours a day to complete all of my work. And I remember thinking, “why would I come in on the weekend? I can get all my work done in a regular work week.”

This is where the “work hard” principle breaks for me. I would love to live in a world where more people are working “smarter”, doing the activities that are really necessary to get a job done, and doing a job well. Instead of putting in longer hours because that’s what it takes to climb the corporate ladder.

Develop an "I will do whatever it takes to get the job done" attitude.

While attitude is definitely one of the most important things in life in general, there is also a precedent that you set with this specific attitude. When speaking in relation to the corporate ladder, we risk putting a lot of things that we hold dear to the side to make sure you can get the job done for someone else.

I think this is especially relevant when people in corporate roles become parents for the first time. All of a sudden, there is something else that is a priority for them, and it’s difficult to balance that against a career where you’ve set the expectation that this is what you are willing to do.

I know, because I did it. And then, I got to the point where my personal brand wouldn’t allow me to make that trade any more. So, what if we just didn’t set that expectation to begin with?

Dress for success.

I was taught this one as well. Mirror + 1 is what one of my university professors called it. But this is assuming that success for you is the same as the definition of success of people one level higher than you.

I remember once running through JKF airport in heels (I was going straight to a client meeting) and thinking, “this is ridiculous. I’m actually going to be late because of how I’m dressed.”

And, if I had showed up on time and in running shoes, perhaps I would have done a better job for the client. That we’ll never know. But the fact that we put so much pressure on people to dress a certain way is kind of ridiculous.

Dress should really be related to your personal brand. I want you to show up as the best version of you. Because THAT’S how I’m going to get the most out of your work ;)

Get to know your company and your boss.

When it comes to understanding a company’s values and your boss’s priorities, a “good employee” has been taught to align their efforts with the companies goals and objectives. Which makes sense…when they are also aligned with YOUR goals and objectives.

This is where so many people experience personal brand misalignment. Because they KNOW this is how the company wants something to be done, and in the same breath it feels BAD for them to do it.

In this space, I recommend getting to know the company and boss BEFORE you accept the job. And make that decision based on your personal brand, to minimize misalignments.

Be keenly aware of broader company goals.

A quote from the article on this one states to, “align yourself with the people and projects at the highest levels of attention and expectation. This gives you visibility and the chance to shine more quickly.”

Again, great…IF it also aligns with your personal brand.

What the article got right

There are a bunch of things that the article mentions that don’t negatively impact your personal brand. THESE things I would highly recommend to work on in whatever journey you may be on :)

• Network - working relationships are about people. Meet lots of them. Connect. And be in it to help one another.

• Dream beyond the job description - new jobs are created every day. What if you could create the ideal one for you?

• Become a resource - being the “go to person” is awesome…and easier if it’s for a thing that’s aligned with your personal brand.

• Keep an ongoing success file - it’s OK to keep track of your accomplishments and share them.

• Consider yourself a free agent - no company owns your personal brand. Only you can do that.

• Think and act a level above - make the decisions that the CEO of your life would make. Not a VP. Not an assistant.

• Be an initiator, not just an executor - use the fire of your personal brand to start something new. Create your thing.

• Be a team player - the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts ;)

• Express appreciation - there are always other people who will invest in you. Make sure they know you appreciate it.

If you’re feeling the personal brand misalignment from being in your corporate job, let’s chat.