I have nothing to share, really…or do I?

It’s a really interesting comment I hear a lot from people when they are being called to BE bigger and bolder in their lives and work.

Like a broken record, they’ll often say through gritted teeth….

“I don’t have anything really important to share that the world wants to hear……”

I smile at that moment because I can see, feel and sense the energy of their potential.  They just can’t see it yet.

I have a knowing at that moment that they are subconsciously “calling in the courage” to actually dare themselves to BE bigger and bolder.

I know this because in the past I have said those exact same words.  Back in 2010, as I was moving away from work as a Psychologist, and going full-time as a Professional Photographer, I really struggled with this idea of sharing more of myself with the world.  Ironically, nowadays as a Personal Branding Expert, you can’t shut me up (lol) as I am so excited to share my insights and give as much value as I can.

 

Personal Branding

A large part of personal branding and being a leader with influence is that you become known for knowing something that is considered valuable to your connections.

But how do you know if what you are sharing is valuable? Or are you just adding to the noise?

In this hyper-connected society, you could be forgiven for feeling like there is a lot of noise out there and a lot of people having “opinions” all over the place!!

The fact is, we don’t wear our value on our sleeve like some sort of price tag in a clothes shop.  It’s not as black and white as that.  No-one can ‘assign’ you value.  You have to claim it and back yourself consistently.  You need to be intentional in contributing to the conversation that you intend to lead, by getting really playful and creative with your thoughts, perspectives, and the stories you can share about a particular topic.  It requires introspection, time to create, take risks and be prepared for others to disagree with your perspectives.

 

So many people are blending in, disconnecting and being passive, because they are scared to step up, have their say and take a chance.

I was reading an article the other day by Nicolas Cole, where he stated that if you don’t have a personal brand established by 2020, then no-one will choose to work with you.  As simple as that.  If you won’t embody self-leadership, then no-one will look to you for leadership.

Creative contribution

To creatively contribute great value and influence others, you don’t have to be a gold medal winner, a war veteran, or survived some massive life event to have credibility and respect.  There are many layers to us as humans, and for many people, they stay at the surface level of the human experience.  To future-proof yourself in a world that is quickly changing, you need to raise your self-awareness, get really clear about what your beliefs are and find your voice so you can fulfil your soul purpose.

I dare you to amplify that which is within you and to really connect to your deepest, truest sense of self.  Connect to your most successful version of you.  The chances are that most people around you are not sharing their value to their fullest potential.  Instead, they are also waiting to be inspired by others.  The time is now to step up and consistently show more of who you are if you want to be a leader and make a difference.

Creative contribution defines our personal brand, in a world of sameness, hiding and overwhelm.

Most importantly, if your world perspective and stories don’t even resonate with YOU as being important, then how can you expect anybody else around you to find them of interest?

In 2010, IBM surveyed 1,500 corporate heads and corporate sector leaders, and they found that creativity was the most important leadership quality (60%) that was required over the following five years, which far outweighed terms like integrity and global thinking. Research is showing that by 2020, creativity will be one of the top three work skills that people will require in order to be successful in their work or business.

You must scratch the surface, and dig deep within you.  There’s no point standing on the top of a mountain and screaming your lungs out about what you know and why it’s important when nobody else can understand what you’re saying. You have to have clarity around your message.

When we don’t have a deeper awareness of our creative contribution, everything remains really shallow.  It becomes all about the doing rather than the being.  While you might deliver an excellent product or service, there are many other people who are doing exactly the same sort of quality of work.  The difference comes down to your individuality and what you believe and know.

When we only focus on the product or service, we tend to hide our opinions.  Without realising it, we disconnect ourselves from the personalisation and humanness of the product or service.

Brené Brown says it beautifully,
“The only unique contribution that we will ever make in this world will be born of our creativity.”

If you stay at the surface level, you rob yourself and your audience of this deeper, more human experience of what lights you up and what motivates you.  It disconnects you and the audience from the bigger picture of why all of this matters to you.

It’s kind of like one of those scratchy tickets you buy at the newsagency.  The value within the ticket is hidden by this light grey surface of paper that you must scratch through to reveal the prizes of varying values beneath (if you are so lucky!).  Our creative contribution is just like this scratchy ticket.  Stay at the surface level and never reveal your value, or dig deep and potentially strike gold!

I had a client recently who had an extensive work history and experience and yet she still asked me the same question,

“Do I have anything of value to share in my brand?”

She couldn’t see the golden threads of topics and beliefs that have followed her throughout her working life.  Without realising it, she was creating her very own PhD in awesomeness, she just hadn’t chosen yet to scratch the surface and connect the dots.  I dared her to dive in and find out more about herself, her identity, and her value that was already within her.  She did exactly that!

It has never been more important, for you to creatively contribute to this world and to believe that what you share matters.  This world needs your story, your insights and your humanness more than ever.  The choice is with you.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on sharing your value with the world. 
Add your comments below!

I DARE you to risk having something to share, even if not everyone agrees!