Personal Branding Blog – Dan Schawbel

You could be an intellectual and subject matter expert in your field or function, but without an inborn desire to go out and pursue your goals, you will fail.  To get attention, you must demand attention from your audience.  You have something important to say and material to show off, so do it, but make sure that it is seen by the right people.  To get anywhere in the working world, you must have the aggressive attribute.  The strongest Personal Brands in the world, such as Donald Trump, seek media attention and command an army of workers.  You don’t just magically control resources and claim top job positions.  You have to fight for it, be noticed and convince the right people that you are the best fit candidate for that job.

Without speaking up to your manager or those around you, how would they know if you are management material and what your true passions and desires are.  They wouldn’t!  To solve this, you must use the quality materials you created, along with a core message around the subject and project it to your manager.  Make your manager feel that you are something “special”.  Being special in your audiences eyes, directly correlates to your differentiator.  To be different is special and being positioned as special means that you will be the first to get a raise, bonus or even a promotion.  Remember, that if you aren’t aggressive, others will be and you will have a competitive disadvantage at work.  Do not settle for anything less than your best and ensure that your words are heard because ideas shape the future and make money.  Take charge of your life and your career by using the aggressive attribute to achieve your goals.