What one word describes you?

What one word describes you? Not an easy question to answer. We define ourselves through a variety of words and phrases but boiling it down to one word, not as simple.

In workshops I lead on personal branding the participants explore their brand by defining how they want to be perceived. The attendees gain clarity on what they stand for and where they add value. Many have an aha moment and state how invigorated they feel through being able to communicate their brand.

This got me thinking, how I could bring this same clarity to people though social media. I put this out on a LinkedIn discussion and asked; what one word describes you? What I never expected was to get over 12,344 responses, and still counting.

While the topic of personal branding is close to my heart I never guessed how much this would resonate with so many others. This seemed to get people thinking about what’s important to them and how they want to be perceived. And people put a lot of thought into their responses. While many responded with their descriptive word, others sent an explanation of why they chose the word they chose. Many told me how this question really got them thinking and helped put things in perspective for them. And still others told me they had a hard time answering this question.

There is obviously no right answer but I thought I would share some of the responses I received. Words that you shared included; trustworthy, helpful, inspirational, caring, persistent, compassionate, genuine, honest, professional and committed. I could go on but wow, how inspiring it was reading everyone’s responses.

Other responses were words that described areas where the individual adds value such as visionary, intuitive, mentor, creative and innovative. And one responder referenced how making an impact was their guiding principle. Many people tied their one word to their values, such as having high integrity. And one comment related their word to what they would do when no one was watching.

While everyone’s word or words were unique to them they all had the same things in common. They defined the individual and were important to them. Their word conjured up the way they want to be perceived. This word also linked how individuals conduct themselves and where they add value. Ultimately it’s not as important which word you chose but rather the process through which you went through to choose your word. Each of us is unique but it’s important to have this level of clarity when you think about how you show up. This is in a sense a gut check. A way to check-in with yourself on what’s important and to ensure you are consistent in how you are perceived.

If you haven’t participated in the poll, please do so HERE. Or do this on your own as a means to reflect on your brand. I promise taking the time to do this will prove valuable for you both now and in the future. But don’t think of this as simply an exercise but rather as a means to measure what’s important to you and a barometer of whether you are truly living your brand.

Sage Alliance, a Leadership Performance Company, provides coaching, teambuilding and assessments, workshops and speaking on topics including; leadership development, empowering teams, communications, lasting impressions, personal branding and building a coaching culture for executives and high-potentials – for both team and individual leaders.

Contact us today to discover how your organization can get the most through improved productivity, efficiency and direct impact to your bottom line, while leaders gain powerful insight, crystallize opportunities for growth and fine tune their strengths, enabling them to make the greatest impact. You can contact Shelley Hammell directly at shammell@thesagealliance.com.