Building Your Personal Brand

This is an excerpt of the original article. It was written for the July-August 2011 edition of Supply Chain Management Review. The full article is available to current subscribers.

July-August 2011

Winning and winners have a powerful fascination for us. Everyone seems to go crazy when their favorite team wins a championship (think Boston Bruins in the recent Stanley Cup). Individuals bring out the adulation in us, too, whether they are in sports, politics, the community, or religious leaders. And don't forget business. Jack Welch, Bill Gates, and yes, Donald Trump are among the business "winners" who have captivated us. By developing winning ways, supply chain people can put themselves in great position for a long and fulfilling career. We hope that the articles in our July/August issue will accelerate your progress along that…

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In the movie “Ray”, there is a powerful scene where musician Ray Charles and his future spouse are having brunch and he innocently asks her if she likes his most recent record.

Ray: Did you like my new record; the one King Bee was playing?

Bea: It’s not that I don’t enjoy your music; it’s just that I feel I heard it before. I keep wondering what the real Ray Charles sounds like.

Ray: The real Ray Charles? Who’s he?

Bea: Nobody, if you don’t know.

This small vignette offers a powerful lesson for any supply chain leader. Highlighting a pivotal moment in Ray Charles’ career—a moment when he sees what else he must do besides being a gifted musician to establish his reputation—it reminds us that you must know who you are if you are to become a truly exceptional leader. This is more than simply being genuine or looking to stand out in a crowd. It is about establishing your own unique voice—a voice that encompasses your values, beliefs, expectations, motivations, and other intangibles and that touches those around you in profound ways. Simply put, it is about establishing your professional brand.

In addition to being a talented and innovative musician, Ray Charles understood brand marketing. In fact, the record deal he personally cut in 1959 with ABC Records, about five years after that conversation over brunch, was the most lucrative ever signed up to that date in the recording industry. It even eclipsed the contracts signed by another musical titan of that era: Frank Sinatra. Great talent leveraged by exceptional marketing launched Ray’s career into the stratosphere. He became a sensation…

Supply chain executives can benefit greatly by following in Ray’s footsteps. Skilled practitioners though they may be, most have the potential to significantly expand their influence and achieve greater success. They can realize more of their potential by deliberately building and marketing their personal brands. In doing so, they can elevate the status of their profession as a whole.

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