3 Entrepreneurial Personal Branding Lessons from Elon Musk
Lessons on Personal Branding | Public Personality # 8
Whether done consciously or sub-consciously, everyone does self-branding. For, instance, the first impression you give a stranger or how your friends know you are all examples of individual branding. One can learn to harness the power of a personal brand and make it work in your favour. Below are some top class lessons on personal branding from successful icons.
Elon Musk is one of the two people in the world who have been able to found and sell three companies for billions of dollars. Brands and their creators can sometimes inhabit the same identity, and that has been the case with Elon Musk. It is hard to disassociate SpaceX’s brand personality from Elon Musk.
1. Learn from Other’s Mistakes & Be more Hands-on
“I got into my own business because I wanted to express something that was locked away when I worked for others,” stated Musk. To create a reputable personal brand, you must be willing to do what others have failed. According to Elon Musk, any time he presents a product to a friend, he expects them to tell him what they don’t like about the product. His philosophy is to always take the approach that you are wrong and strive to be less wrong in the future.
Musk suggests that to create a personal brand everyone will remember, you need to be more human and less corporate robot. Don’t be afraid of showing your personality.
Musk is both internally and externally a champion of his brand. Although his social media reputation management keeps his brand accessible, he is always hands-on when it comes to the business side. He works 100 hours a week.
2. Focus on what Matters & Think Big
It is easy to get dragged back by noise and non-existent problems. Many entrepreneurs have noted that they have a not-to-do list, but Elon simply asks himself whether a particular path will lead to the development of a better product. If pouring money into a certain cause will not improve his product, he does not proceed with the activity. People will often be ready to rally behind a cause that has a lasting impact on the world or a specific industry. Most of Elon’s achievements have been revolutionary, and that has made it easy for him to influence people to work with him. Some of his most revolutionary projects include PayPal and SpaceX.
3. Have a Powerful Vision & Execute Your Ideas Well
Many people dream of owning a business at some point in their lives. However, some problems might stand in their way. Elon Musk, one of the wealthiest people in the world, reminds us to have a compelling vision. Besides having a strong vision, make sure that you create a realistic plan on how you will achieve it. Achieving your goals might be hard if you don’t take your time to execute your ideas properly. Any mistake along the way might open doors of success to someone else and drag you back a few steps. Therefore, you need to think carefully and creatively before you do anything that might affect your dreams and goals in life. Also, you must know that great ideas can come from anyone at any time. The only problem is in the implementation of the ideas. This is why you need to be as creative and bold as possible when pursuing your dreams.
Some final thoughts
Building a personal brand is a meticulous process. Every step is a build up to the next level, so exercising caution is crucial. Rome wasn’t built in a day and so is a personal brand. The above lessons will put you on the right track to establish yourself and make your personality, achievements, likes, and dislikes be known by your audience for a long time.
*What do you consider as remarkable regarding Elon Musk’s Personal Branding? Let us know your thoughts below right after that like button!* 👇
About the author: Irène Kilubi accompanies thought leaders, makers and pioneers in the realisation of their individual personal brand vision.
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