Confidence

I used to believe that being an introvert was a bad thing. Especially growing up in a loud and assured family, I always felt like the odd person out.  I would always ask myself, why wouldn’t I step out of my comfort zone as they did? From the looks of things on the outside, they always seemed to be having more fun with the confidence that always existed inside them. My introversion affected both my social life and academic performance. I was always terrified to go to stores around my area, for fear I would see someone I knew. And at the gatherings my parents forced my siblings and me to attend, I would incessantly implore when we could leave because I was never comfortable and didn’t want to socialize with other kids at such gatherings.

Quite often, I didn’t have the courage to ask questions in class or for assistance from my teachers even though I desperately needed it. The faculty would always state I was quiet. Since I was constantly told I was too shy and afraid to speak my mind, it worsened my self-esteem even more, which eventually made me to feel upset. Thus you can imagine my horror when during the summer before fifth grade, my parents dropped a bombshell on me; we were moving to Ethiopia. Though the country of my parents’ birth, I had never visited nor did I speak the language. This news would be hard enough for any ten-year-old, but for an introvert like me, the thought of a new school and so many unfamiliar experiences was terrifying.

Surprisingly, this new environment, was exactly what I needed to find peace within myself and a new sense of confidence. In America, I was very sheltered, which subconsciously instilled in me that there was something “out there” to be feared. But in Ethiopia, my parents granted me the independence to run errands to the neighborhood souks (shops) and even to venture to the mall with friends or stay the night at a relative’s house. These experiences helped me come out of my comfort zone and forced me to try new things and learn to overcome challenges on my own. Furthermore, my quietness did not feel foreign in Ethiopia, where speaking in a low voice is a sign of respect and humility and a reserved nature is considered a virtue.

And yet this new-found confidence not only allowed me to reflect on myself, it also enabled me to come across the new environment I was in, witnessing different cultures. While living in Ethiopia, I’ve come to realize that most of the young girls may have few opportunities due to certain reasons like culture or traditions, causing them to maintain low self-esteem. Often, it is not because they are forced to do so, but on their own, they have accepted to remain on the sidelines, tackling issues throughout their lives.

Throughout the years of living in Ethiopia, I began to realize that I needed to accept my introversion and, shockingly started to feel much more comfortable and excited in my own skin. I often came out of my shell more and began to speak more than I used to before at places. Not only did I learn and come to notice that speaking your mind without fear and socializing is very important, but I learned that introverts have so much more to offer and that it’s great way in growing and finding natural confidence to carry on with you as live in this world.

Dear Parents/Carers,

I am delighted to inform you that we are organising the Lent Appeal once again this year. Blue Coat was founded many years ago as a charity school which provided education and guidance to the poor people in and around Walsall. A prevalent part of the Christian faith is to treat others as you wish to be treated and at Blue Coat we strive to achieve this from all pupils. As a Church of England Academy we celebrate special events in the Christian calendar, including Lent. We believe that being benevolent forms a part of our Christian philosophy, and even though there are many different faiths at Blue Coat, charitable giving is a fundamental part of all faiths.

The Lent Appeal project aims to raise as much money as possible for our chosen charity and support those in need. We have been raising thousands of pounds for many different charities over the past few years with the support of students, teachers and parents. Last year we accumulated over £3,000 for the charity Islamic Relief, and this year we are hoping to raise even more but in order to achieve this we will need your continued support. The event will take place during the Easter period as a commemoration of the forty days that Jesus spent in the desert making sacrifices. We remember this time by encouraging pupils to give up their time and money just as Jesus gave up his life for others.

Each year the pupils are given a voice. During a vote they select which charity they most want to raise money for. This year the majority of the pupils nominated Water Aid. They use practical solutions to supply clean water, effective sanitation and education to the world’s underprivileged people. In addition they try to influence education policy at national and international levels. They are presently operating in twenty seven countries mainly situated in the Africa, Asia, Pacific region and Central America continent. This specific charity also provides safe aquatic and public health services close to people’s homes. Furthermore, their projects allow communities to attain a more robust quality of life and escape the spiral of poorness and specialise in fairness.

During the Lent period we ask both parents and students to support our fundraising events and take part in extra-curricular activities that are led by teachers. We like to allow students to take ownership over raising money, with the support of their form tutors to help build self-confidence, team work skills and understanding the importance of helping others. There are many ways in which you can offer support; firstly encourage your child to take part in all events, attend after school events such as; fashion shows and X Factor. There will also be friendly competitions between the different colleges to help raise money for Water Aid and we would like your child to take part in at least one. You can obtain further information regarding the project by either visiting the school website or collecting a leaflet from the school reception.

Once the Lent Appeal is over, the money will be collected together by a member of staff and the total calculated. The grand total will be announced in a special church assembly with a cheque awarded to a representative of the charity. To encourage pupils to support the Lent Appeal there will also be certificates awarded to individuals, forms and colleges who have raised the most amount of money and shown a high level of commitment.

I hope I have covered all of the information you need however if you would like any further details please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you in advance for your continued support.

I was flicking through some featured articles on my IPad last night when I happened to come across Rod Liddle’s piece: ‘our children urgently need less self-esteem’. I asked myself, do our children need less self-esteem? Preposterous. Of course not, in fact I believe that they need more self-esteem. Low self-esteem is one of the major underlying problems of crime, bullying, unemployment… honestly, the list could go on. Children with low self-esteem suffer from depression and a sense of insignificance and generally have a pessimistic view on all aspects of life.

Whereas children with high self-esteem are positive and seem to do better in life than those who lack confidence. Why? Why should children need less self-esteem when it is already clear that high self-esteem seems to be a better trait in children? Honestly, I really do think this article is just a ’50 year old twat’ ranting about the younger generation, however I have an urge to criticize his opinions because his article is just too fallacious.

Rod Liddles article was a response to the riots earlier last year in the summer, and yes I do agree that they were outrageous and caused a huge calamity nationally, but, like the teachers I would say the kids need more self-esteem rather than less. This is due to the fact that a majority of the rioters probably had low self-esteem to start with and therefore gave into peer pressure to follow some idiots smashing up the shop windows of Poundland just because it seemed like the ‘cool’ thing to do.

Even if some kids have self-esteem which sky rockets to the sky, acting as role models for the rioters, it is probably the parents fault, and the upbringing they had which means it is Liddles generation to blame. I believe that the riots were not started by some random, over-confident teens wanting to take over the nation but were sparked by an outrage when the judicial system failed to explain the accidental shooting and killing of Mark Duggan.

So obviously it is his generation who started the riots In the first place by unjustly ignoring people’s anger, consequently allowing the riots to start. Also, Liddle states that the judicial system is made too liberal saying “if anything goes wrong with a modern child’s life, it is someone else’s fault: teachers, or the Police, or society”. In this he is totally contradicting himself, because the police force is made up of his generation or maybe slightly younger, but all still being adults, so really he is criticizing the wrong people.

In addition, according to Wikipedia, police arrested 3,100 people which is a fairly reasonable amount of people. Meaning the judicial system is not actually that soft, they do lock up a fair amount of wrong doers. As for the teachers, well I’m sure almost everyone on the planet has had a detention or some form of punishment for doing something wrong in school. And if you do something horrifically bad then you are expelled with no exceptions. So tell me again, Liddle, where children are not disciplined?

The riots were not caused only by low self-esteem by also by desperation due to the current economic situation our country is in now. Many people are now broke, poor and depressed, and obviously some people want to do something about it. So when the opportunity arises where you can take whatever you can get hold of, whether you actually want it or get some money out of it then I’m guessing the mind-set is ‘why not? , other people are doing it’.

The state of the economy had to be caused somehow, some time ago and after some research it turns out that it was in fact Liddles generation who caused this total slump. Apparently, ‘back then’ houses were cheaper and loaning from the bank was easier, causing people to have too much self-esteem and consumer confidence. So when people decided they were rich they started buying and buying and buying until they had no money to give back to the banks. Now in the present day all of us have to pay for their expenses and suffer in this drudgingly, slow sink into an economic depression.

Lastly, I am convinced that Liddle is totally unreliable and his use of hyperbole is excessive, he is clearly not a modern day teen and cannot say anything about self-esteem in kids because he simply is not one. Liddle is pretty much 30 years past his prime and cannot accurately state the minds of our modern youths. Many teens are low in self-esteem but merely hide behind a mask to make it seem as though they are ‘significant’ and know it, but in fact they want to curl up in a ball and cry about life.

Despite the movement of feminism, women in modern society are still seen as an object of beauty rather than given the respect of a human with emotions. As appearance Is considered an important quality In society today, women are placed under pressure to be physically appealing to both males and females. Women considered to be ‘hot’ are generally those with a high sex-appeal or stunning physical appearance whereas being beautiful Is a lustrous characteristic not merely reliant on one’s genes.

Also, a bland or discourteous personality may override any physical appeal a woman may have. Likewise, a devoted, passionate and respectful personality can compensate for the lack of ‘perfect’ features of a woman. However, people see beauty differently and completely relies on their individual interests. The physical appearance of a ‘hot’ woman and the personality of a ‘beautiful’ woman can’t be compared. According to men, having large breasts, a glowing face and skin, bedroom eyes, lean and sexy legs and a toned figure are among the physical attributes of an attractive woman .

Therefore, virtually any woman can become ‘hot’ simply by extreme diets, Intense exercise and plastic surgery. In turn, women focus on these ‘Important’ attributes and forget Inner beauty. Inner beauty, difficult to appreciate with looks alone, Is what connects with people and Is referred to as that special something’. Being beautiful Is the way a woman walks, talks and presents herself to others. Some men believe having passion and being able to get excited over certain things, having the confidence to not owe her looks to anyone, not feeling the urge to fight for attention and being humble and mysterious is attractive.

Intelligence of being able to logically speak her mind, have self-confidence, be impassioned and not crave the approval of others can be considered beautiful. Therefore, being beautiful is much more than a skin-deep quality, more like a unique quality to few. According to the urban Dictionary, being beautiful isn’t limited to the physical features of a woman rather her personality traits and the way she acts around others. Beautiful Is a woman who has a distinctive personality, one who can laugh at anything, Including themselves, who Is especially kind and caring to others.

She Is a woman who above all else knows the value of having fun, and not taking life o seriously. She is a woman that you can trust and count on to brighten your day. As the urban Dictionary is written by ordinary people, rather than language professionals, the meaning is relevant to society. Therefore, it proves society believes that beauty is a personality characteristic rather than a physical attribute. People Magazine’s ‘sass’s 10 most beautiful’ beauty isn’t limited to physical factors.

Actress Gabrielle Union, who is among the 10 most beautiful, believes being beautiful consists of a friendly personality. As usual, the list consists of predominately stresses and models, and all of the women are physically appealing. However, every woman on the list believes that confidence and Individuality Is the key to beauty. They focus on themselves, their health and wellbeing and their confidence to ensure they are happy, which also contributes to their ‘perfect’ physical appearance.

These women are extremely fortunate in the aspect they have stunning physical features personalities are why they are considered in the list. However, the women mentioned in People Magazine’s ‘sass’s 10 most beautiful’ are physically attractive as well as having appealing personalities. The magazine speculates possessing decent looks is needed to expose ones beautiful personality. The fact that physical appearance is highly regarded in modern society means a woman is pressured into craze diets and bizarre skin treatments to become reasonably attractive.

Therefore, women seem to need a degree of physical attractiveness or be somewhat ‘hot’ so their personality can be noticed and they can then be seen as beautiful. Most believe ‘beauty is in the eyes of the beholder’ and is defined differently to each person. Everyone has a different interpretation of the meaning of beauty, whether it’s merely physical or resonantly based or a mixture of both. Some believe that first appearances are important but not always critical. A physical attribute may lead to initial interaction but the woman’s personality will maintain the attention of others.

A woman with self- confidence and the ability to naturally attract the focus of those around her. She isn’t selfish and has the passion to pursue her goals and ambitions. Certainly physical attributes are desired but a beautiful personality is more attractive than glossy hair or air-brushed makeup. Women who have shimmering hair, flawless skin, picture- reflect make-up and a glowing tan may have an uninteresting, horrible or obnoxious personality which dominates their attractive appearance.

Although, a woman who doesn’t chase the attention of others and has true self confidence and respect may become more an attractive personality as time passes. Hence, physical beauty becomes irrelevant to males if the personality of a woman is seen to be ugly. However, a woman may require rather good-looks otherwise her ‘beautiful’ personality may not be recognized and appreciated. In conclusion, people perceive beauty differently which can make everyone seem ‘beautiful’.

How do leaders develop? Given the large amount of different facets leaders posses in order to perform effectively in their respective domains, it is hard to specifically define leadership- however, it can be merely presented as an influencing process between a leader and the people who follow. Furthermore, leadership development is essential in carrying an individual through from the stages of emergence all the way to leadership effectiveness, and was defined by Day (2012) as “the expansion of an individual’s capacity to be effective in leadership roles and processes”.

According to Contracts (2010) and Murphy (201 1), there are major developmental stages in leadership; starting in early childhood, those years playing a major role in the upbringing of future self-regulation and leadership identity. Studies by Viola and Possessing (2011) have also demonstrated that many skills acquired at a young age during “sensitive periods”, when learning has proven to be easier and happens faster, often have an impact on leadership development in later stages; therefore an adequate early environment may reveal itself as helpful in developing future effective leaders.

Furthermore, research from Arrive et al (2006) argues that many leader personality traits are partly genetically inherited, and that parents contribute to many characteristics shown in their children; which helps demonstrate that there are a considerable amount of factors in leadership development that are, at least for the early years, beyond the control of the individual concerned and will most likely have consequences (positive or negative) on leadership development in the person’s future years.

However, initiative is arguably the main driver for self-regulation and a moon trait in leaders, according to Larson (2000). In addition, Caldwell (2008) states in his findings that practice is the main method for obtaining desired leadership skills, leading us to think that anyone with enough initiative and the right set of goals could potentially become an effective leader. Considering the impact of an individual’s environment on their personal traits and attributes, most noticeably from the early years, how much control do we really have over our leadership development?

Based on a research conducted by Arrive et al (2006), at least 30% of personality heartsickness in relation to transformational leadership is attributed through genetics; which is an indication that genes play a large role in determining leadership attributes in individuals, whether it is leader emergence or leader effectiveness. However, 70% of leadership traits stem from other sources; it is therefore important to analyses all the other factors influencing the development of the individual’s leadership skills.

Acting as the main role-models, parents are a vital influence in their children’s developments and play a major role in their relation to adhering: “Parents contribute to their children’s religious beliefs, intellectual and occupational interests, feelings of self-esteem or inadequacy, adherence to traditional or modern notions of masculinity and femininity, helpfulness to others, skills, and values” (Wade & Atavist,2008) A research conducted by Contracts (2010) concluded that there are four different types of parenting styles; these are: authoritative, neglectful, authoritarian and indulgent.

Each one of the four is argued to have varying effects on children’s leadership development. It is believed that authoritative parents are the most likely to raise children to be effective leaders, by educating them with strict discipline and monitoring; but also supportive and encouraging of them to think and act independently as they become more mature (Murphy, 2011).

On the other hand, according to Banding (1991) authoritarian parents tend to exert control and punishment based on firm rules; which is a parenting method that is not usually prone to leadership skill development in children, generally resulting in teenagers with a lack of social and communication skills.

Furthermore, neglectful parents are absent or play very minor roles in their children’s lives; as a result they tend to raise teenagers with poor social skills and low self control. However, indulgent parents, who will be present without ever enforcing many household rules, tend to raise children with generally higher creativity levels; but will also lead to lower social skills and self-control due to a lack of firmness in regards to their education from their parents.

Another phenomenon instigated by parenting, which can be observed from infancy and acts as an indicator for future adhering outcomes, is the attachment or bond that infants have with their guardians; Insinuators et al (1978) determined three different types of attachments a child can have: Secure, avoiding and ambivalent- these will influence the individual’s future social behavior.

According to Insinuators et all’s findings, individuals who benefited from secure attachment to their guardians in their formative years are generally more socially adaptable as adults and have the confidence resources to take on leadership roles; whereas individuals who suffered from insecure attachments (avoiding or ambivalent) tend to comparatively lack social confidence due to the absence of a sense of security from a guardian as a child and, in contrast, will not seek out leadership.

This goes to show that parents have a considerable impact on the outcome of their children, which ultimately will affect them in regards to their leadership development, abilities and capabilities. It is quite obvious that early influences and genetics have an impact on leadership development in adulthood, those early years being a delicate, sensitive and an important period of development.

However, as long as individuals keep on learning new skills and behaviors, development will continue (Bernstein, 1989). An individual’s background, environment and early upbringing are not the only factors in successful effective leadership development; although those elements are strong enablers, with many demonstrated correlations, they are not everything needed to be a leader .

Caldwell (2008) underlined the crucial importance of training and practice through his analysis of notable leaders such as Bill Gates or the Beetles, and included that it requires 10 000 hours of work to become an expert in any field; and this can be achieved by anyone with the initiative to do so. Although practice may yield more results in skill development and mastery if performed at a young age during the “sensitive period” of learning, it does not however mean that it will instigate zero form of leadership development if practicing occurs later in lifetime (Viola and Possessing 2011).

Another important concept explained through a model developed by Lord and Hall (2005), which encompasses the development of leadership identity and self- exultation in relevance with the lifep approach to leader development, is that our notion of leadership evolves through time; for example the way leadership is demonstrated and perceived as a child in primary school will be completely different to the way in which it is viewed by adults with different motifs and sets of personal goals.

Leadership identity plays a vital part in leadership development, acting in correlation with self regulation; as individual goals and motivations progress through time, we tend to re-develop new updated leadership identities and adapt our goal researchers accordingly, in order to eventually achieve effectiveness and have control over our own leadership development. Previous findings demonstrate a clear correlation between early influences and leadership development.

Furthermore, the presence of a sensitive period in regards to learning and developing core characteristics found in early years of childhood is an indicator of the limited amount of control we have over our own leadership development, given that most main decisions regarding young children’s upbringing and social environments are made by the parents, and ultimately become defining eaters for the individuals.

This emphasizes the fact that individuals placed in a favorable environment for developing leadership skills, self-efficacy and regulation at a young age have a considerable advantage over those that aren’t, and consequently greater chances of becoming leaders in the long-run; this can be used as an encouragement for parents and schools to focus on those crucial character- building and defining years in order to enable individuals with the best opportunities for effective leadership from early on.

It is still however possible for individuals to hang their leadership development trajectory and develop a different leadership identity at any given time after reaching maturity, if they posses the urge to become an effective leader or differ from a current leadership position; it is only their original circumstances as a young child which they have no control over, which is a major part of leadership development.

Personal development planning is beneficial to ones academics in the sense that one is able to gain a clearer focus to learning. A person is able to stay motivated throughout the academic life. There is a better understanding of the learning process and the improvement of ones performance. Personal development planning leads to more enjoyment and reduced stress from ones learning since one becomes more consciously skilled. In addition, one is enriched with more awareness of how to apply the learning to new problems and contexts. One is able to gain a reflective thinking skill that strengthens academic performance (Covey, 2004).

Benefits of PDP to professional life In the professional view, personal development planning helps professional to have mores clear ideas about the kind of life and work one wants. Professional are able to have greater confidence when making their choices in their life. This confidence is also extended to the skills, qualities and attributes that are brought to the career of their choice (Littleford et al, 2004). Through the use of personal development planning, professionals are in a better position to complete their jobs. One is able to participate in the discussion of ones skills, personal qualities and competences with the employers.

Professional are able to solve problem better and gaining planning skills through personal development planning. There is also the development of positive attitudes and approaches that are associated with successful professional life. In an organization employees are expected to understand their own performance and being able to adjust themselves at the time of increased work load, stressful situations and in time of change. Training of employees may be used to increase their ability to respond to change. Employees are expected to understand their own performance influences to provide professional outcomes in the organization.

Personal development planning helps employees to continually show their professional development in their work. Employees are able to actively seek out information through training and events that keep their skills and knowledge up-dated. Benefits of PDP to personal life According to Hodgson (2005), personal development planning is beneficial to the personal life since it provides a better understanding of oneself and how one expresses him or herself. A person is able to enhance the ways of making better choices that will help in achieving ones aspirations.

There is a greater awareness of ones needs and the ways of meeting these needs. One becomes more aware of the exclusive contribution one can make in the community as well as developing a positive, forward-looking approach. The theory of Personal Development Planning As advocated by the (Department of Health, 1998: p. 42), the definition of personal development planning is a process of lifetime learning for all individuals and teams that can be used to meet the needs of patients and delivers the health outcomes and enables professionals to expand and fulfill their potential.

Through personal development planning doctors are able to be kept on learning through out their profession. Katona & Jackson (2000) advocates that personal development plans are designed to make CPD a practical process that contrasts with the reactive manner in which training is undertaken by many students in the past. It is related to the process of setting educational objectives for the learners to ensure that they get the most out of training attachments, provision of advanced skills, knowledge or attitudes and building on existing strengths.

Personal development plans will help psychiatrists to cure deficits, ensure maintenance of existing attributes as well as developing new ones as they wish or when there is the need of the service. Factors for success Personal development planning gives the possibility of various factors to be considered in order to succeed. Firstly airtime is a measure that contributes to success. It refers simply to the need to ensure that all members of the group have sufficient space to consider their requirements and generate an agreed and effective plan.

Protected time for meetings is a necessary factor for success. People should determine if holding meeting in the same venue will lead to success for the organization. Organisational action arising from analysis of personal development plans should also be considered as factor of success (Cottrell, 2003). Methodology Rationale for the methodology The research methodology used in this paper is a case study in the sense that the researcher is taking diverse material given by different people in Egos company from different dimension to explain the benefits of personal development planning.

The reason as to why the researcher has used case studies is that a case study portrays information as a whole of the experiences of people in the organization (McNamara, 2008). The researcher has used both primary and secondary data to get the information required to get the answers for the paper. The researcher interviewed some of the staff, and provided questionnaires to the employees and customers to fill. Sampling strategy The researcher provided fifty questionnaires to be filled in the organization by employees and customers.

The researcher also took the step to interview ten staffs. Out of the fifty employees and customers, only twenty managed to return the questionnaires. The twenty questionnaires gave evidence that personal development planning is beneficial to individuals, professional and academics. The staff also supported the argument that to be successful as a professional one has to use personal development planning as a tool to organize his or her plans. Conclusions Personal development planning is an important instrument in one personal life.

It is also essential to professional for the purpose of enhancing their career. Academics use personal development plans for recording their studies and subjects. This enables them to be organized hence achieving their educational goals. Personal development planning is essential in the essence that appraisal is undertaken that reveals the areas of weakness of a person. A person is able to enhance the ways of making better choices that will help in achieving ones aspirations. There is a greater awareness of ones needs and the ways of meeting these needs.

The things that need to be considered in personal development planning mostly include thinking deeply in a structured way of the life and ambitions that are expected to be achieved. Appendix Appendix 1: Examples of questionnaire questions a) There are several factors that are used to predict the success of personal development plans. According to your view which factor is highly rated to contribute to the prediction of success of Personal development planning in people? Choose one from the following answers.

1. Airtime for all participants 2. Protected time for meetings 3. The same venue for each meeting 4. Organisational action arising from analysis of personal development plans b) In academics, the use of personal development planning helps in the achievement of Educational objectives. According to you, which of the following characteristic provide the possibility of achieving educational objectives in academics? Choose one from the following given characteristics. 1. Measurable 2. Specific

The following excerpt is from Karen Tiber Leland’s book . Buy it now from

One of the first questions I ask every new client is, “What’s the weather that you bring with you?” In other words, what are the one or two things you (or your team or business) can be counted on to contribute? If the brand tone and temperament is the mood of your brand, your brand energy is the élan — the flair, aptitude, and talents you bring — always and under almost any circumstance. Over the past 20 years, I’ve observed 12 archetypal brand energies that most personal and business brands fall into. They are:

 Advocate

People with this brand energy are known for their strong, unwavering support of causes and policies they believe in. No matter the situation, they’re always a spokesperson for their campaign — but not in an annoying way. Individuals with a true brand energy of advocacy inspire others with their dedication. The types of statements they might make about themselves include:

• I am fully committed to this cause. It’s my life purpose.
• I’m willing to stand up for what I believe, even if it upsets some people.
• I believe that eventually the work I contribute to this cause will create change.

Maker

People with this brand energy are masters at hands-on action. From cooks to software developers, they bring things physically and mentally into being. They create something that did not exist before they applied their imagination, intelligence and skill. The types of statements they might make about themselves include:

• I enjoy spending time alone creating things.
• I get excited when I have made something myself.
• I love learning new techniques I can use creatively.

Connector

People with this brand energy are masterful at bringing things together — people, projects, causes. They intuitively seem to know who or what would make a good fit. The types of statements they might make about themselves include:

• When I talk to someone, other people they should know are always popping into my mind.
• I have an intuitive sense of who would work well together and mutually benefit from connecting.
• I get a deep sense of satisfaction from putting people together with projects they could contribute to.

Motivator

People with this brand energy have the ability to move other people to action. They’re good at inspiring others to grow, collaborate, create and participate. The types of statements they might make about themselves include:

• I enjoy inspiring others to be their best and reach their goals.
• I’m good at getting groups of people excited about a project.
• Other people tell me I have made a difference in their life and inspired them in some way.

Synthesizer

People with this brand energy have the ability to bring together various elements (ideas, products, thoughts etc.) and combine them in a way that creates something new or improved. The types of statements they might make about themselves include:

• I enjoy projects where I take multiple parts and put them together to make a new whole.
• I’m often asked to figure out how to make several separate things work together.
• People tell me I’m good at blending and combining things together to make something better.

Fixer

People with this brand energy see problems as opportunities waiting for a creative solution. Rather than avoid problems, they embrace them as a fun challenge to overcome. The types of statements they might make about themselves include:

• I’ve never met a problem I couldn’t eventually solve.
• I firmly believe there’s always a solution to any problem.
• My motto is if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

Implementer

People with this brand energy seem to almost effortlessly turn goals and projects into action. They are skilled at taking an idea and making it tangible. The types of statements they might make about themselves include:

• I’m good at getting things done.
• I find it fun to make things happen.
• If I’m given a job to do, even if I don’t exactly know how to do it, I’ll find a way.

Visionary

People with this brand energy have the ability to imagine possibilities and then translate them into ideas others can take action on. They excel at thinking outside the box and are motivated by the energy of ideas. The types of statements they might make about themselves include:

• I am constantly on the lookout for something new to learn.
• I am always getting new ideas from books, movies and discussions with friends.
• I’m good at coming up with breakthrough solutions to old prob­lems and creating new possibilities.

Interpreter

People with this brand energy take something someone else has created and add value to it through a new translation. We have all heard a common song we know by heart performed in a totally new way and felt like we were hearing it for the first time. The types of statements they might make about themselves include:

• I can take any raw material and make it better by what I bring to it.
• I regularly build on others’ ideas and make them my own by adding my twists to them.
• I’m continually thinking of ways that the things I see and use can be improved.

Storyteller

People with this brand energy use their ability to create a powerful narrative to generate change and action in others. Storytellers usually express their brand energy through writing and speaking, and sometimes through visual mediums. The types of statements they might make about themselves include:

• I often speak in similes and metaphors to get my point across.
• I actually know the difference between a simile and a metaphor.
• I believe that one picture is worth a thousand words.
• I’m frequently told that my stories inspire and motivate people.

Facilitator

People with this brand energy have an innate talent for getting a group of individuals to engage in effective dialogue and constructive debate and ultimately come to consensus. The types of statements they might make about themselves include:

• I’m good at helping people with different points of view get aligned.
• People often ask me to facilitate meetings and even conversations between two people.
• I’m able to see all sides to a situation and help others find common ground.

Mentor

People with this brand energy often act as trusted advisors. They easily gain other people’s confidence through their belief in and support of others. The types of statements they might make about themselves include:

• I often have an intuitive sense of what other people are feeling and need.
• People frequently seek out my counsel and keep me in their confi­dence.
• I enjoy helping other people overcome their challenges and reach their goals.

What’s Your Brand Energy?

Knowing what your particular brand energy is helps you craft your brand-building strategy. By understanding your natural strengths, you can align your brand to fit who you authentically are as an individual, team or business.

Now that you’ve had a chance to look through these 12 brand energy archetypes, which ones resonate with you? While you may be good at many of these, there are usually a few that really stand out. Ask yourself which one or two …