The birth of the Ninja Salmon

When we are children we are often asked “what do you want to be when you grow up”. The answer vary from fireman, to pilot, doctor, SAS soldier (in my case), footballer and the like. So we focus on the role, the activity, the job.

Seldom do we ever consider our personal benchmark when it comes to who we want to be in that role and how we want to be perceived. Do we want to just be a doctor or do we want to be an excellent doctor known for their empathy, their mild manner and expert diagnostic skills or agility with a scalpel.

With the rise of social media in the realm of recruiting and personal recommendations still being the main factor when it comes to recruiting, building your personal brand has become more and more important over the past years.
To quote Jeff Bezos the founder of Amazon: “Your brand is what people say about when you’re not in the room”. I am pretty sure that we would like people to say positive things about us. That said, if we think back to our teens and our initial efforts to win a girl-/boyfriend, being referred to as “a really nice person” or “I think you’re cute” wasn’t what we wanted to hear – mainly due to the fact that sentences like that were often followed by something along the lines of “… but let’s be friends” or “it’s not you it’s me”.

We want to be known for the rights things – OUR things! Attributes we want to be known for. Our brand attributes.

Recently in one of my workshops focusing on personal brand I asked the group of high level investment bankers and personal wealth specialists the question: what are your four personal brand attributes? After much thought one of the participants said she was headstrong, dedicated, focused and courageous. She said she was a bit like a salmon heading upstream if it was something she believed in and felt was worth fighting for – either for her team or for a client. Her depiction was very clear and she definitely owned the description. I then dared to point out if she knew that most salmon die once they reach their goal. Her answer was simple: she wouldn’t die despite all the efforts to swim against the current: she was a Ninja Salmon. She then proceeded to draw a small scribble of her “brand animal”.

Her ability to describe herself and visualize her brand helped her focus, helped her recognize the potential dangers and challenges surrounding her. She was able not only define her role in the company but also what she looked like in that role. She created her own brand and has helped her become a true ninja salmon warrior (she works in financial IT). She has begun to fill that brand with life, often testing actions against her own benchmark. Thus reducing the amount of energy wasted trying to be someone she is not or doesn’t want to be.

I invite you to sit down for 5 minutes and think about what you want people to say about you when you’re not in the room. Ask yourself not “what do I want to be” but “how do I want to be”. Create those 4 brand attributes – and don’t worry too juch about getting them perfect first time – they can change and adapt over time depending where you journey takes you.
Take 3 minutes to say them out loud:

The brand Mike is energetic
The brand Mike is open minded
The brand Mike is empathic
The brand Mike fights for quality

The more you say them to yourself, the more they will help you focus. Those attributes may even help you become the hero in your own story. Let them become your guide to whether or not you do something or not, whether you say Yes or No, where you draw a line, what you stand up for. Not only in the work environment but in your private life as well. After all brand consistency is one of the key factors of building a successful brand.

And may the force of the Ninja Salmon be with you – always!

Share with: