Think Like a Company Because YOU Are One

September 1, 2008 at 6:40 pm | In Career Development, Networking, Personal Branding, Success Strategies | 13 Comments

I’ve thought a lot about the distinction between company and individual this week. If you analyze the makeup of the company you work for, then you notice that the various business functions are relevant in your own life. In a world where, everyone is for themself, you have to understand how you can make yourself a successful business, without relying on others. Today, I examine 5 different roles each and every individual must play in a brand YOU world.  Don’t neglect any of them.

The roles of Me Inc.

1) Chief Executive Officer. You are in charge of yourself, which makes you the CEO. At the end of the day, personal failure or success lies in your hands. You make the final decision which company you want to work for or start. You are the decision maker in every aspect of life, but you, just like company’s, have little control of external factors (such as weather, politics, etc). As the decision maker, you can choose your own destiny and that is empowerment.

2) Chief People Officer. Who you surround yourself with is a representation of who you are. As the CPO, you are required to recruit and retain powerful allies. You need to meet people who have shared interest, but also have skills that compliment your own. For instance, if you are a talented musician, then you need to connect with a business expert in order to further your career. The more people you can “recruit” to be part of your network, the better equipped your business will be to succeed. Think about it, we are all in Human Resources (HR) because we have to locate and befriend people in order to have a social life and professional network. The hardest part is finding the right people and giving them enough value so you can have a substantial business advantage.

3) Chief Information Officer. Your role as CIO takes a few forms. First, everyone in the world needs to know how to create a website. If you don’t, you are at a severe disadvantage when establishing Me Inc. on the web. Second, you need to be able to pay attention to your industry (area of interest) and follow it. I have hundreds of news feeds as we speak. Follow the trends and research on a continuous basis because they lend to your credibility.

4) Chief Financial Officer. Everyone in the world has to be their own CFO because at some point in our lives, we will be accumulating wealth. Stop relying on financial advisers and start learning how to invest your money. Do you really want someone else controlling your money? I think you’d rather ensure that you are getting the most ROI possible. Businesses make and lose money and so do we. We all need to assume this role because it’s how we fund our lives over time.

5) Chief Marketing Officer. A CMO typically owns the PR arm of a business as well. As your own “personal PR” person, you need to represent yourself at all times. You are a spokesperson for your personal brand whether you like it or not. Everything you say and do can be used for or against you. Also, you need to put your marketing hat on and never take it off. Every new person you meet can change your life, so have your best marketing pitch ready. Learning about online marketing, direct marketing, public relations, advertising, etc, is going to play in your favor.

Start thinking like a company. I don’t care who you work for because at the end of the day, you are tasked with recruiting people, marketing yourself, handling your own finances and for learning the technical skills required to survive in this ever changing world of uncertainty.

13 Comments »

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  1. Dan,

    I like how you break this down into several different hats we should all be wearing when helping to develop and maintain our personal brands.

    You mentioned needing to understand how to invest money and building websites. I couldn’t agree more and think it’s important to have an understanding in these different areas. Even if you hire someone to create a website or invest your money, you should still have an understanding of it so that you can help guide the process.

    As usual, great job explaining how to take control of one’s personal brand.

    -Justin Levy

    Comment by Justin Levy — September 1, 2008 #

  2. @Justin – this post was a few days of thought in the making. Thanks for your comment!

    Comment by Dan Schawbel — September 1, 2008 #

  3. [...] billet de Dan Schawbel Think Like a Company Because YOU Are One sur le fait que nous devons penser comme si nous étions une entreprise avec plusieurs rôles à [...]

    Pingback by Communauté 2.0 | Organisation 2.0 | de Geoffroi Garon » Blog Archive » Comme individu, nous sommes tous une entreprise 2.0 ! — September 2, 2008 #

  4. Dan this is one of your best posts! You integrate all of the roles so perfectly!

    Comment by Scott Bradley — September 2, 2008 #

  5. [...] thought of using these strategies, they stand out BIG TIME. Yet again, this proves that we must act like our own company’s, which sometimes means we have to pay the [...]

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  6. [...] thought of using these strategies, they stand out BIG TIME. Yet again, this proves that we must act like our own company’s, which sometimes means we have to pay the [...]

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  7. [...] other “truisms” about investing.  In the world today, everyone needs to be their own CFO (Chief Financial Officer).  You are your own business and you have to keep track of the money you make and [...]

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  8. [...] and other “truisms” about investing.  In the world today, everyone needs to be their own CFO (Chief Financial Officer).  You are your own business and you have to keep track of the money you make and [...]

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  11. [...] that you learn a heck of a lot about business when you play a sport (and are paid for doing so). We all have to act like businesses now because we are one! Magic leveraged his personal brand equity in order to open enough doors, so he could gain [...]

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  12. [...] as brands, in order to be financially secure and protected during these rough times.  We are all CEO’s of our own brand, so being the CFO is one of the roles we must play. Read the interview below to have a clear idea [...]

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  13. [...] do as brands, in order to be financially secure and protected during these rough times. We are all CEO’s of our own brand, so being the CFO is one of the roles we must play. Read the interview below to have a clear idea [...]

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