By Shivaji Dasgupta
All the World’s a Stage masterfully sustains the equilibrium between theory and practice, in the relatively nascent arena of personal branding. Equally, it traverses the continuum between ethics and opportunism rather elegantly, the former being a hot agenda in the context of the moonlighting debate.
What helps immensely is the free-flowing conversational styling as if a stand-up, or rather on-the-go, socio-professional narrative. Everybody who reads will be able to identify with the author or one of his batchmates, as they suitably represent the cross-section of corporate profiling.
It begins by tackling a fundamental query, that of balancing company reputation, family life and the aspirational personal brand.
A fine reference to the solution is the much-familiar Tata identity, which has remarkably straddled multiple roles with admirable alacrity. The author also appropriately refers to folks like Thomas Friedman, who has enriched the New York Times with his personal reputation, and the instances are indeed many.
Also Read: No kidding: From topics to tech, children’s literature is evolving fast
The discussion veers appropriately to the overdose of positivity that employees with a positive aura can bring to the party, especially in this digital era.
Companies that propagate such fellows potentially attract better talent and also manage to stabilise the relationship ecosystem. I have seen this live during my advertising career, as the licence accorded to those already within becomes an inspiration for those seeking sustainable anchors.
Now, coming to the main construct of the implementation model, which is the troika of impression management, identity management and self-reflection. Quite inarguably, these are the three exhaustive planks of the journey but a few may differ with the sequence and some of the fine pointers.
For instance, in impression management, he talks of clothes, facial hair growth and the pleasantness of the visible disposition. In new-age corporations, especially the online gig economy, such parameters are increasingly under-important, especially in technology and creative industries.
Whether in possession of beards or otherwise, or conforming to or abstaining from colonial club attire, proven merit is the only decisive variable, as long as not clinically uncouth.
In identity management, the second plank, the author beautifully segments the matter into competency capital and relationship capital—the former to do with knowledge and skills while the latter is attached to social connectivity. Many will find this part extremely valuable to sincerely replicate in the quest of building self brands.
Equally insightful is the third aspect of reflection management, which captures the necessity to constantly measure and track the state of your brand, as if an ongoing syndicated research. Where I do differ is the sequencing of the three, in a world ruled by delivery and not promise, as the development of the identity, who you want to be, may well be the first step followed by the culture of reflection. The perception matters thus become the final stage, a compelling facade for ingredients of true substance, thus avoiding the pitfalls of superficiality and dubious integrity.
As the narrative progresses, a few other valuable aspects are brought to life, inspired definitely by the author’s formidable wisdom and experience. The concept of blending ordinate and superordinate goals, the former personal while the latter organisational. Just as physical brands are relaunched, so can personal brands, as he shares thoughts on how to course-correct goals while in cruising altitude. I particularly loved the concept of the executive voice, and you must read the book to extract its truest flavour while culture code switching (American versus Japanese boardrooms) is connected appropriately to the nurturing of personas.
Quite expectedly, for a book circa 2022, digital amplification is explored considerably with the fine foundation that social media should appear after the personal brand is established. Although truthfully many modern practitioners practise this on parallel tracks, using the 22 yards as net practice wickets that has its own set of perils and advantages. In either scenario, the digital footprint can be a double-edged sword, inviting peril as rapidly as accelerating reputation.
Connected strongly to the above is the larger and more timeless concept of networking, and the reference to professor Balachandran’s view, linking network to net worth, is chillingly accurate. The reciprocity ring, quid pro quo, is true even more today than ever before, with the time-to-market for responses easily 5G and not state highway speeds.
The author ends the narrative with a respectful and passionate reference to Mahatma Gandhi, as a personal brand above all others. Readers may be tempted to read this chapter right at the beginning, as it sets a remarkable context, expressed most lucidly and thoughtfully. The halo effect of the Father of the Nation is enhanced richly and not trivialised by equating him to a brand, such is the quality of the crafting and the logic.
All the World’s a Stage is clearly the most user-friendly book on personal branding I have come across and has the potential to inspire fence sitters and naysayers to adopt its principles. The drama-like representation of live characters adds valuable empathy while smoothly slipping in valuable conceptual frameworks. As the author mentions mid-journey, this is a truly hierarchy-agnostic agenda and everybody must be motivated to play their part.
Shivaji Dasgupta is an independent brand consultant and writer
All The World’s A Stage: A Personal Branding Story
Ambi Parameswaran
Westland Books
Pp 184, Rs 499
